Forgotten Cookies, aka Forgotten Kisses, are a sweetly romantic and dreamy chocolate chip meringue cookie. Other names for this light-as-a-cloud sweet treat include: Leave Me Alone Cookies and Meringue Cookies.
These old-fashioned cookies like the Christmas Scomuffie, which are popular in the midwest, are a must have around the holidays, especially Christmas. Make Forgotten Cookies before you go to bed and wake up to these whimsical and delicious treats with just the right amount of sweetness.
Why are they called Forgotten Cookies or Forgotten Kisses?
These sweet treats originally got their name because they are shaped somewhat like a kiss, and you “forget” them overnight in the oven.
Let’s talk meringue:
If you have ever made meringue before and it didn’t turn out as you expected, you may think it is finicky or hard to make. Meringue is very easy to make if you follow a few simple steps:
- Eggs: Always use room temperature eggs to make your meringue. And, if even the tiniest bit of yolk gets in the whites while you are separating them, start over. If there is any yolk in the whites, they will not whip up correctly.
- Mixing Bowl and Electric Mixer Beaters: For the best meringue, the mixing bowl and beaters that you use must be squeaky clean and completely dry. Use either a glass or metal mixing bowl and do not use plastic bowls.
- Humidity: It’s best to make these cookies on a sunny, dry day. If it’s humid or rainy, the meringue may become sticky and won’t set up correctly.
A bonus: meringue is gluten and dairy-free.
More cookie recipes:
If you have come this far, I’m assuming you love cookies as much as we do. If so, you might also want to check out these popular recipes on my blog:
- Lemon Shortbread Cookies
- Cornmeal Cookies with Tomato Jam
- Old-Fashioned Crunchy Gingersnap Cookies
- Easy Butter Pecan Cookies
- Homemade Copycat Kit Kat Bars
Forgotten Cookies aka Forgotten Kisses Ingredients:
Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies are straightforward to make and have a short ingredient list. You will need egg whites, cream of tartar, superfine granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and semisweet chocolate chips.
You will also need two cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.
How to make Forgotten Cookies aka Forgotten Kisses:
About an hour before you plan to make your cookies, take your eggs out of the refrigerator so they can come to room temperature.
When you are ready to make the cookies, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Separate your eggs. Add two egg whites to the bowl of an electric mixer with a whisk attachment. Start with the mixer at medium speed, and gradually increase the speed every few minutes, continue beating until foamy.
Add the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Peaks are the “mounds of meringue” that pull up when removing the beaters from the foam. You’ll know your peaks are soft when the tops gently fall over. (Be careful here not to overbeat.)
Add the sugar gradually while continuing to beat, about one teaspoon at a time, until all of the sugar is added, then add the vanilla extract. (The slower you add the sugar, the better it will dissolve into the meringue.) Continue beating until all of the sugar is dissolved, and the meringue is shiny and holds its shape.
Gently fold in the chocolate chips with a metal spatula or spoon.
Working with two teaspoons, take a spoonful of the meringue with one, and then gently push the mixture off on the parchment-lined cookie sheet with the other. Leave about an inch between the cookies. They will spread just a bit.
Place cookie sheets in your oven and immediately turn the oven off, and “forget” them. Don’t open the oven or disturb them for at least 4 hours or overnight, or until the cookies are crisp and dry.
Sharon’s Expert Tips:
If you don’t have superfine sugar, add the amount of granulated white sugar called for in your recipe in a food processor. Add a couple of tablespoons more to compensate for a reduction in overall volume. Process for one to two minutes until the sugar is finely ground.
You can substitute regular granulated sugar, but the meringue will appear grainy before it goes into the oven. However, the sugar will dissolve when the cookies are baked, and they won’t taste grainy.
Always use room temperature eggs to make your meringue. And, if even the tiniest bit of yolk gets in the whites while you are separating them, start over. If there is any yolk in the whites, they will not whip up correctly.
For the best meringue, the mixing bowl and beaters that you use must be squeaky clean and completely dry. Use either a glass or metal mixing bowl and do not use plastic bowls.
It’s best to make these cookies on a sunny, dry day. If it’s humid or rainy, the meringue may become sticky and won’t set up correctly.
Forgotten cookies will keep several days on your counter in an airtight container. However, use care when stacking them because they are delicate. I usually put a sheet of parchment paper or wax paper between the layers.
You can buy pre-cut parchment paper that’s made to fit perfectly in your cookie sheet.
★ If you make Forgotten Cookies, please leave a comment and give this recipe a star rating. I would love to know how you liked them!
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Forgotten Cookies, aka Forgotten Kisses Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 egg whites extra-large eggs at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ⅔ cup superfine granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- About an hour before you plan to make your cookies, take your eggs out of the refrigerator so they can come to room temperature.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Separate the eggs. Add the egg whites to the bowl of an electric mixer with a whisk attachment. Start with the mixer at medium speed, and gradually increase the speed every few minutes and beat until foamy.
- Add the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Peaks are the "mounds of meringue" that pull up when removing the beaters from the foam. You'll know your peaks are soft when the tops gently fall over. (Be careful here not to overbeat.)
- Add the sugar gradually while continuing to beat, about one teaspoon at a time, until all of the sugar is added, then add the vanilla extract. (The slower you add the sugar, the better it will dissolve into the meringue.) Continue beating until all of the sugar is dissolved, and the meringue is shiny and holds its shape.
- Gently fold in the chocolate chips with a wooden spoon or metal spatula.
- Using two teaspoons, take a spoonful of the mixture with one, and use the other spoon to gently push the mixture off of the spoon onto the parchment-lined cookie sheet. Leave about a 1-inch space between cookies.
- Place the cookie sheets in the oven, and immediately turn the oven off. Forget them!
- Don't open the oven door for at least 4 hours, or better yet, overnight.
- Store in a airtight container!
Notes
Nutrition
**This post was originally published on December 19, 2015. Republished on December 8, 2019, to add new images, expanded directions, and additional tips.
Laura VanDeusen
Dairy free and gluten free !!! Just like my grandma used to make!!!!
Sharon Rigsby
I’m so happy you like them, and thank you for leaving such a nice comment!
All the best,
Sharon
Rose Hooper
I have made this recipe in the past and like to use green or pink food coloring for festive holiday renditions with mint chocolate chips. Since they can be difficult to find, I alterntely use a few drops of peppermint to the batter.
HOWEVER: all my successes seem to be when I had an electric oven (and the temp was set lower with the recipe I was given) When I got a gas oven, my cookies simply did not turn out like before. They just seemed to melt in pools and left the chocolate chips poking out in the puddles. I would be very interested if anyone else had this problem and the remedy, and will try this temperature in my gas oven this year.