Bird Crap Cookies (Meringues)

I used to make these fairly frequently but only my dad and I really like them, so I stopped. One of my family members nicknamed them 'Bird Crap Cookies' because that's that they look like. They didn't turn out quite how I remember them though.

2 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 300 F. Grease two cookie sheets. In a non-plastic bowl, using a non-plastic spoon (or a set of beaters works best) beat egg whites, cream of tartar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Add sugar gradually, beating until stiff. Fold in chocolate chips and walnuts. Bake for 15-20 minutes. According to the recipe this makes 2 1/2 dozen, I got 18.

When I make these again I think I will either halve the walnuts and chocolate chips or double the rest of the ingredients. There were way too many walnuts and chocolate chips for the recipe. But they are tasty, even if they did flatten more than I remember.