Prep:10 mins
Cook:0 mins
NOTE: use piping bag. If using nuts & chic chip don't double up.
Servings:24 servings
Yield:48 cookies
Steps to Make It
Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a cookie sheet with foil and grease it with butter.
Beat the egg whites until foamy. You can do this by hand with a whisk, but it's much faster to use a hand mixer or a standing mixer on medium speed.
Gradually add the sugar and continue beating the egg whites until they hold stiff peaks.
Add the vanilla and salt. Blend well.
Using a spatula, fold in the pecans and chocolate chips by hand.
Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheet.
Put the cookies in the preheated oven and then turn the oven off.
Leave the cookies in the oven overnight, keeping the door closed so the heat doesn't escape too quickly, for about 10 hours.
How to Store
It's important to store leftover forgotten cookies in an airtight container. Meringue likes to suck moisture from the air making the cookies sticky. Keeping them in a tight container helps keep moist air out. <>Let the cookies cool and then store them in a container on the counter for up to a week, sometimes longer depending on the ambient humidity.
For longer storage, place cooled cookies in an airtight container and freeze for up to three months.
Recipe Variations
For chocolate forgotten cookies, beat 3 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa into the egg whites along with the sugar.
If you like mint, omit the vanilla and add 1/2 teaspoon of mint extract to the egg whites with a drop or two of green food coloring.
For a toffee twist, replace the chocolate chips with milk chocolate toffee bits.
Why Are My Forgotten Cookies Sticky?
Meringue cookies can become sticky if they aren't properly dried out. This is why forgotten cookies are left in the warm oven for several hours. If the cookies feel sticky after sitting in the oven, preheat the oven to 300 F and bake for 5 to 10 minutes, just until crisp.
These cookies may also become sticky if the humidity is high. Keep them in an airtight container. If you live in a place with very high humidity, plan on eating these cookies within a few days of baking.