Easy Forgotten Cookies Won't Be Forgotten. Leave them Overnight-Done By Morning!

Fall/Halloween Cookies

These cookies are so easy because you put

them in the oven at 400 degrees, immediately turn off the oven, and in the morning you have these beautiful white airy cookies filled with chocolate, nuts, marshmallows, anything you want! They are made with egg whites and sugar, which become meringue. The cookies remind me of the old-fashioned Divinity candy, just not so chewy, and much easier to make!

I also love that you can customize the ingredients to fit any holiday. I added red, green, and white-colored candies on the inside of the cookies above, and added the same colored sprinkles on the outside of the cookies for Christmas.

For Halloween, you can make the cookies look like ghosts. Add mini chocolate chips/candies on the outside of the cookies to look like eyes.

Or use Halloween candies and sprinkles (instead of the Christmas candies) to make fun and festive Halloween cookies.

*See the bottom of the page for instructions and more pictures of Fall/Halloween Forgotten Cookies!

I love that you can be very creative, and add candy ingredients that you like, or leave out ingredients such as nuts.

The first time I tried these cookies, I was in Junior High living in Virginia. My best friend Toni's aunt had made them. I loved them so much that I asked for the recipe, and I found out that her aunt didn't even like to cook so I knew they must have been easy to make. I recently reconnected with Toni several years ago, and she commented that she had lost the recipe. I still had it, though! I also found a slightly different version in a cookbook I found online. I surprised her with the book one year for Christmas.

They really are easy to make! You just need a couple of tips for success.

First, gather your ingredients:

A few tips before you get started:

1. Let all your ingredients come to room temperature. This is especially important with the eggs. Room temperature egg whites will result in maximum volume, for a lighter, fluffier result. I have used cold eggs when in a hurry, but room temperature eggs end in a better result.

2. Be sure your bowl is very clean, preferably metal. Any amount of residual grease could prevent your egg whites from beating to the maximum volume.

3. Make sure there are NO egg yolks in your egg whites...not even a little. Carefully separate the yolks from whites in small bowls. I separate one egg at a time. Once I have a "clean" egg white, I transfer it to the metal bowl. Then I separate another egg, and so on.

4. I always add a little bit of cream of tartar (in your spice aisle) to my egg whites. This helps to stabilize the egg whites so they hold their shape.

Ingredients:

• 2 extra-large eggs

• 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar (optional, but will help to stabilize egg whites)

• 2/3 cups of sugar

• 1/8 teaspoon of salt

• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, use clear if possible

• 1 cup of pecans

• 6 -12 ounces (or more) of dark and/or white chocolate chips or other candies such as M&M's, marshmallows, etc.

• Holiday sprinkles for decoration

Note: This recipe makes approximately 2 large sheet pans of medium cookies. I have a double oven, so I often double the recipe around the holidays if giving the cookies away for gifts.

Also, I like the "batter" or meringue to have lots of candy and nuts in it, so I often add extra candy ingredients. This will not affect the end result of the cookie. My daughter likes more meringue, and less candy, with no nuts. So adjust the ingredients to your preference.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Carefully separate the egg yolks from egg whites. Put the cream of tarter at the bottom of the bowl. Add the egg whites. Beat the egg whites until stiff; gradually add sugar, then salt and vanilla. Save the egg yolks for another day.

2. Fold in nuts, chocolate chips, and other candies.

3. Drop by teaspoons on an ungreased cookie sheet or a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

4. Optional: Add holiday sprinkles

5. Turn off the oven, then put the cookies inside the oven. Do not open until the oven is cool, 4-6 hours, or overnight. Makes 3 to 5 dozen. I make larger cookies, so closer to 3 dozen.

Note: I had one lady comment that she’s made these cookies for years and they turned out great. However, when she switched from an electric oven to a gas oven, the cookies were gooey and not set when she checked in the morning. If this is the case when you check on the cookies in the morning, I recommend you turn on the oven at 200° and leave the cookies in the oven for 2 to 3 hours or until they are set and not gooey. Then turn off the oven and leave them in the oven for another hour.

The cookies do not spread, they just set. See the picture above.

The chocolate is a little melty inside, so yummy!

Fill your cookie jar, or give as gifts to your neighbors and friends.❤️🎄

Also, try my mother-in-law's, Baba Jean, wonderful chewy Toffee Bars!

Merry Christmas everyone! And Bon Appetit!

*Halloween Fall Cookies!

First

Add Halloween candies to the egg white mixture

Next

Spoon onto parchment-lined baking sheet and follow the directions above.

Ghost cookies! I was in a hurry. They look a little sloppy, but still cute!

The Finished Cookies!

Super cute and yummy!

Try these at your next party.

You can make them a couple of days in advance.

Happy Fall! 🍁🎃