MERINGUE COOKIES WITH SALTED PEANUTS AND CHOCOLATE

Makes: 12 small or 6 large meringues

Total time: 2½ hours

(35 minutes active), plus cooling

¼ cup salted roasted peanuts, almonds, cashews or pistachios, chopped

⅓ cup dark chocolate, semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips, chopped

6 large egg whites

½ teaspoon cream of tartar ¼ teaspoon table salt

1 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1. Heat the oven to 250 degrees with a rack in the middle position. Line a rimmed baking sheet with kitchen parchment. In a small bowl, toss together the nuts and chocolate.

2. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, whip the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt on medium until frothy and opaque, 1 to 2 minutes. With the mixer running, gradually add the sugar. Add the vanilla, then increase to high and beat for 5 minutes (no less, or the meringues may fall slightly during baking); the whites will be thick, shiny and hold stiff peaks. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Using a silicone spatula, fold in the orange zest and half of the nut-chocolate mixture.

3. Scoop the meringue into mounds onto the prepared baking sheet, dividing it into 12 portions of about ½ cup each or 6 portions of about 1 cup each; space the mounds evenly apart. Slightly smooth the tops and sprinkle with the remaining nut-chocolate mixture.

4. Bake for 1¼ hours for small meringues or 1½ hours for large meringues; they will be very pale golden brown and have expanded slightly. Turn off the oven, prop open the door with the handle of a wooden spoon and allow the meringues to fully dry and crisp, about 45 minutes.

5. Remove from the oven and transfer the meringues from the baking sheet to a wire rack. Cool to room temperature.

Meringue cookies with cashews, coconut and lime:

Follow the recipe, using salted roasted cashews, replacing the chocolate chips with ¼ cup dried, unsweetened, wide-flake coconut and substituting an equal amount of lime zest for the orange zest.

Golden meringue cookies with pistachios and candied ginger:

Follow the recipe, using salted roasted pistachios, replacing the chocolate chips with ¼ cup chopped candied ginger and adding 1 teaspoon ground turmeric and ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon to the egg whites along with the cream of tartar and salt.