Strawberry Meringue Cookies (made with Jello!)

How pretty are these cookies? Festive enough for parties, right? I'm thinking of making red and green cookies in December, and yellow ones in the spring....! And, they're super easy to make. Just a quick whirl of egg whites and a few other ingredients and they're ready to bake. Oh, and of course! There's JELLO in there! I chose strawberry but you can choose any flavor you want.

Guilt-free cookies? Yes! Egg whites contain no fat, so these are pure protein and sugar (with a few chocolate chips sprinkled over top!).

Here's what Kyle said: I wanted to mention that my son Kyle said, "Mom, these are great, but you should add more chocolate chips because they go great with the strawberry flavor." Just passing that important information along to you.

Don't forgo the parchment: Please use parchment paper. You need it - cooking spray won't cut it for these. These cookies will stick, trust me.

Cool the cookies in the oven! If you remove the cookies while they're still hot, and cool them on the counter, they will deflate! Let them slowly cool in the oven after you turn the oven off.

Strawberry Meringue Cookies 

4 large egg whites, room temperature (room temp eggs yield better volume)
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
Pinch of salt
1 package strawberry Jello (4-serving package)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Mini semisweet chocolate chips
Colored sprinkles

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Combine the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt in a large mixing bowl fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until the egg whites are foamy. Gradually beat in the Jello. Gradually beat in the sugar and beat until semi-stiff, glossy peaks form.
Spoon the mixture onto the prepared pans in heaping teaspoons, making 36 cookies. Sprinkle with the chocolate chips and colored sprinkles (I did half of the cookies with chocolate chips and the other half with sprinkles).

Bake for 10 minutes. Rotate the baking sheets and turn the oven off. Let the cookies cool in the oven for 1 hour. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and cool completely.

Makes 36 cookies