Smart Cookie

My favorite things in life are always a juxtaposition of seemingly opposite traits: straight-laced on the surface, silly underneath.

If you are following me on twitter @jakelipman, my fan page on Facebook, or on my blog at www.JakeLipman.com, my posts are a mix of sweet and salty. That’s why people call me smart cookie. I am on-the-ball but in a warm, gooey kind of way.

To kick things off right for this blog, I’m going include my recipe for perfect chocolate chip meringues.

Whoah, Jake, meringues? Slow down. I’m no French pastry chef, here.

No sweat, they’re easy and yet look sophisticated. How do you like that juxtaposition?

Chocolate Chip Meringues
Ingredients:
2 egg whites
3/4 cup of sugar
3/4 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips (the mini ones are perfect for this!)
1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions:
Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees.
Separate the egg whites (this is the one tricky part, so keep the yolk intact to ensure it doesn’t taint the egg whites).
Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites until stiff, gradually adding in the sugar and vanilla.
Fold in chocolate chips (Feel free to customize with chopped nuts, other flavorings like mint, or butterscotch chips).
Drop by rounded teaspoon onto a cookie sheet lined with tinfoil.
Bake 22 minutes.
Let cool.

Yield: about two dozen.