Nighty Night Cookies

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Source: Family Archives

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They’re called Nighty Nights because you leave them overnight in a cooling oven, but they are also called “forgotten” cookies. I called them “rabbit cookies” when I was little, because I thought they looked like little white rabbits. My Mom sends these to my daughter at college because they have all the sugar a body needs to study for eighteen hours straight. Mom has made them so many times, she can make these without a recipe at this point. 

 

INGREDIENTS

2 egg whites

2/3 cup granulated sugar 

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

1 cup chocolate chips

 

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 400. Beat the egg whites until stiff. Add sugar gradually and beat until stiff peaks form. Gently stir in nuts and chocolate chips. (If you choose not to include nuts, substitute 1 extra cup chocolate chips.)

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Drop teaspoon full of meringue onto a foil lined baking sheet. Place in heated oven. Turn off oven and leave the cookies overnight. While the temptation to check on them is strong, DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR. 

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Yield: 4 dozen cookies

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Note from Mama Harper: Some recipes call for vanilla, but she recommends against this because it changes the structure of the meringue. Sturdy meringues are required for shipping to hungry college students.