While making these meringues, I thought of my Grandma working hard in her kitchen, preparing a meal and a treat for her grandchildren. Growing up, whenever we would visit my grandparents, the very first question my Grandma would ask was, “Would you like a meringue?”
“Yes!” my brothers and would respond, excitedly. We knew exactly where they were hidden–in a big, white ice cream tub on the top shelf in a closet next to the kitchen. We couldn’t even reach them if we stood on our tippy toes. Eating those meringues is how we would always start our visit and it was comforting and perfect.
I miss my Grandma and Grandpa. My Grandpa passed away many years ago, but my Grandma just passed away this January at 95 years young. She must have put a magic longevity ingredient in her recipes because she aged beautifully. Grandma was a special and important part of my life, and just like I cherished her meringues and our many memorable visits together, I will cherish her forever.
I never baked with my Grandma, but I know that there are many ways to make meringues. Personally, I like the simplicity of how she made them–just take a teaspoon of meringue loaded with chocolate chips and gently drop a small amount on a cookie sheet. Baked at a low temperature, the outside is hard, while the inside is dry and slightly chewy. It’s tempting to eat them as soon as the oven timer goes off, but these meringues need time to dry out and arrive at the right consistency.
I know I made my Grandma proud! I worked hard in my kitchen to make the meringues exactly how she did and they came out just as I remember.
Hope you enjoy these delicious morsels as much as I have through the years.
Here’s what you’ll need and how to make this simple and fast treat:
- 3 egg whites, room temperature
- 1/8 t salt
- 3/4 c sugar
- 1 t vanilla
- 3/4 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Beat egg whites with salt until very stiff. Add the sugar slowly, beating constantly. Fold in the vanilla and chocolate chips. Drop the batter from a teaspoon onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Turn off oven and leave the meringues in for several hours or overnight.
Enjoy!
