Bake While You Sleep Cookies
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Like little nut-dotted clouds, these are easily the most elegant and richest cookies I’ve ever made. They literally do bake while you sleep. Go with it. It works.
I get slightly nervous whenever I hear the words “meringue”—and when the cast members of my favorite baking show causally toss around “French Meringue,” “Swiss Meringue,” and “Italian Meringue” in their conversations with the hosts, I watch in awe as they confidently decide between the three.
So what’s the difference?
These cookies are actually drops of French meringue that are baked. French Meringue is made by mixing egg whites with granulated sugar. It’s not as stable as Swiss or Italian Meringues, but it’s generally smoother, silkier, and lighter. Swiss Meringue is prepared by beating egg whites and sugar in a pan that sits above boiling water. It’s denser than French meringue but great as a base for buttercream frostings. Lastly, Italian Meringue is made by mixing egg whites with hot sugar syrup, and is great for topping pies and frostings.
For these cookies, the French meringue drops are baked, or more accurately, dried in a relatively cool oven, which gives these cookies their crispy crust and soft, light interior. As a bonus, the chopped nuts add to the texture of these cookies. Try using chopped walnuts, pecans, or—for a summertime treat—lime zest.
tips for making Bake while you sleep cookies
The steps to making meringue are pretty simple. The full recipe is below, but here are some tips to ensure your Bake While You Sleep Cookies turn out perfectly each time.
For the very best results, use room temperature eggs.
To avoid graininess that sometimes plagues meringue slowly add the sugar, one tablespoon at time.
The type of bowl you use matters! Go with metal or glass, and if you have a copper bowl—even better! Make sure your bowl and whisk are clean and dry. Any moisture can make your meringue soft.
Not only does the bowl matter, so does the weather. Dry days are better for meringue making than rainy, humid days.
You’ll know when your meringue is ready when it is glossy and forms short peaks.
Be very gentle when folding in the chopped nuts by hand. You don’t want to knock the air out of your beautifully whipped eggs.
Parchment paper is a must! Otherwise it will absolutely stick to your baking sheet.
Bake While You Sleep Cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for three weeks or frozen for up to six months.
useful tool for making bake while you sleep cookies
Bake While You Sleep Cookies
Ingredients:
- 2 egg whites
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- pinch of salt (about 1/8 teaspoon)
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup chopped nuts
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Using a standing mixer, beat egg whites until creamy. Add cream of tartar and salt. Beat well, gradually adding sugar, one tablespoon at a time. Beat until very stiff peaks form. Add vanilla, and gently fold in chopped nuts.
- Place cookie sheets in oven and then turn oven off.
- Leave in oven all night (about 6 hours). No peeking!
Calories
28.76Fat (grams)
1.51Sat. Fat (grams)
0.24Carbs (grams)
3.41Fiber (grams)
0.20Net carbs
3.21Sugar (grams)
2.92Protein (grams)
0.71Sodium (milligrams)
12.70Cholesterol (grams)
0.00