Fluff: the chocolate variety

After all the baking and cooking - not to mention eating - that I did around the holidays, I basically took January off from kitchen experiments. January is traditionally a time for resolutions and frugality - for balancing out the excess of the holidays. And the basic building blocks of baking - butter, sugar, eggs and flour - just don't fit in to that mode of living.

However, by February, most people have called it quits on their resolutions and are gearing up for the first chocolate-oriented holiday of the year. So, when Erato sent me a link to Delish.com's page on cookies, this recipe for Dark Chocolate Meringue Drops caught my eye. Since it is a classic meringue, it does not rely on butter or flour - a good compromise between January and February.

Thanks to the bittersweet 60% cacao chocolate used in the batter, the resulting cookies come out with a rich flavor, yet a very light and airy texture. Crisp, yet ethereal - a typical meringue. I liked the addition of chips (I did not use the optional nibs) for texture and extra bursts of chocolate. In fact, I liked it so much that next time I will add a small amount of diced nuts and dried cherries or cranberries, to give it even more bursts of flavor and texture. The trick will be to use enough to add impact without damaging the lightness of the meringue. The only other change I will make will be to reduce the amount of sugar somewhat.

See! I am already planning a next time. This recipe is definitely a keeper! It definitely can't replace a classic chocolate chip or oatmeal cookie. But at just 28 calories a pop, it is about as guilt free a chocolate indulgence as you can get, even if you are like me and end up eating 7 cookies.