Chocolate chip and bacon meringues

That's right, the classic, dainty French meringue gets down and dirty with the king of all pork to produce little bites of heaven!

Sweet and Savory!

Adding homemade, crisp bacon bits and chopped chocolate chips to a classic meringue tones down the dessert's sweetness while leaving you with a slightly chewy, melt-in-your-mouth delight!

Chocolate chip and bacon meringues

Yields about 42 meringue cookies

Ingredients:

• 3 egg whites, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 2/3 cup chocolate chips, chopped
• 1/2 pound bacon, cooked well done, blotted dry and chopped into bits

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Place egg whites and cream of tartar in a large glass or stainless steel bowl. Using an electric mixer, whisk on high speed until thick and frothy looking, about two minutes.
3. Gradually add sugar to the bowl while continuously beating on high speed until the mixture becomes glossy looking with white stiff peaks. Add almond extract and beat another few seconds.
4. Fold chocolate chip and bacon bits into meringue mixture using a silicon spatula or metal spoon.
5. Using two teaspoons, spoon meringue mixture into small mounds onto your lined cookies sheets, about one inch apart.
6. Cook for two hours or until meringues are just ever so slightly browning.

More holiday dessert ideas

Mini carrot cake trifle with marzipan carrots
Lemon souffle in lemon cups
Mason jar pumpkin cupcakes