Chocolate Chip or Peppermint Meringue Cookies

For best results use fresh eggs and allow them to come to room temperature (do not leave them out for a prolonged period of time however). When making meringue, any oil, grease, or fat (including egg yolk) will prevent peaks from forming when the egg whites are beaten. Use a very clean bowl and beaters. If any egg yolk gets into the whites, you must discard. For this reason, it is best to separate each egg into a separate bowl. To separate eggs, gently crack the egg open in the center by tapping it lightly on a flat surface. Holding the egg upright, pull off the top half of the shell. Hold your hand over the egg white bowl and pour the egg into your hand allowing the egg white to ooze through your fingers while retaining the yolk in your palm – a very easy, albeit un-elegant, way to separate eggs. Wash your hands thoroughly first before using this method (and afterward of course)! Alternatively, after cracking the egg, hold it over the egg white bowl and gently pour the contents between the two shell halves, allowing the egg whites to pour out in the process, leaving just the yolk in the shell. Discard yolks.