Chocolate-Vanilla Meringues

I didn't think I was a fan of meringues, but I think the only meringue I've encountered is the stuff on top of a lemon meringue pie. These little cookies, however, are nothing like that stuff. My friend Londa found this recipe on FoodNetwork.com. The recipe is supposed to yield 20 cookies, but we got more like 60 (it DOES say pipe by the tablespoon). So just divide whatever you get into 5 servings, and chow down. We each got to eat 12 cookies as a serving! Awesome and low-cal.

Ingredients

• 3 egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/3 cup superfine (caster) sugar* (we used regular granulated)
  
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (the recipe originally called for almond, but I'm not a fan)
  
• 2 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Place egg whites and cream of tartar in a clean, dry bowl of a stand mixer and beat until foamy. Add sugar and almond extract beat until meringues hold soft peaks, about 3 minutes. Fold in chocolate gently until just incorporated. Using a pastry bag or a sealable plastic bag with the corner snipped off, pipe meringue by the tablespoon onto cookie sheets. Bake for 40 minutes, then remove from oven and let cool completely before removing from parchment paper. Transfer to an airtight container.

*You can make your own superfine sugar by placing sugar in a food processor and processing on high for 30 to 45 seconds.

Per Serving (recipe yields 5 servings):

Calories 120; Total Fat 3.5 g; (Sat Fat 2 g, Mono Fat 1 g, Poly Fat 0 g) ; Protein 3 g; Carb 21 g; Fiber 1 g; Cholesterol 0 mg; Sodium 35 mg