For the first time ever: The John Oatesmeal Cookie - A melt in your mouth, light as a feather oatmeal meringue cookie with bits of dark chocolate. Only six ingredients. For both men and women eaters.
3 egg whites, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup instant oats
1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line two or three cookie sheets with parchment paper (or bake in batches).
In a large glass bowl, beat eggs and cream of tartar with an electric mixer until soft peaks form (if you get even one speck of egg yolk in it, you have to start over). Slowly add sugar and continue beating until mixture is stiff and holds its shape, like the bubblebath suds you used to sculpt hairdos with when you were a kid. By hand, using a spatula or a giant guitar pick, gently fold in vanilla, oats and chocolate chips.
Drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheet about 1" apart. Bake 25 minutes, or until very lightly browned and hollow-sounding when tapped. Cool on wire racks. Makes 36. Store in cool, dry place in airtight container. Best served with good music, like '1000 Miles of Life' by John Oates (the singer that waws named after this cookie).
Notes: You can reuse the parchment paper when doing batches. You can also make them one-bite cookies, using 1/2 teaspoonfuls of the cookie mix and baking about 17 minutes.