LOW-CAL CHOCOLATE DELIGHTS go wonderfully with tea.

I’m a gal who requires (yes, requires) a bit of chocolate everyday. I save it until the end of the day – if I have it earlier, I’m STILL going to have some after dinner.

However, this is a troublesome time of year for us chocoholics. With the weather warming up, the clothes are paring down, and those excess winter pounds are going to show.

Fear not! Have I got a dessert for you: LOW-CAL CHOCOLATE DELIGHTS!

These yummy cookies appeal not only to my sweet tooth, but to my frugal nature. As the self-proclaimed Queen of Freeze, I always have frozen egg whites as a result of recipes that call for only yolks. No way I’m throwing out precious food – waste not, want not!

The calorie count per cookie is going to depend on how big you make them. So I’ve added up the calories for the entire batch – 1267 calories. Divide the number of cookies you make into 1267 and that will be the per cookie calories. I made almost 4 dozen, so each cookie is approximately 30 calories.  Not bad considering even the worst tasting store-bought are at least 60. I allow myself 3 or 4 – this way I feel like I’ve had a full dessert, but only consumed 90-120 calories.

LOW-CAL CHOCOLATE DELIGHTS – I made 43 cookies

• 2 egg whites
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 tsp vanilla
• 4 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled

Beat egg whites just until they become stiff (when the peak that forms when you lift up the spatula doesn’t collapse). With beaters going, add in sugar a tablespoon at a time. Whites will become glossy.

Scrap the batter clinging to the beaters into the bowl. Pour in the chocolate and vanilla, and gently fold everything together using a large spoon. It’s okay if it’s a little streaky – they look pretty that way.

Preheat oven to 350º Fahrenheit.

Spoon batter onto greased or nonstick cookie sheets. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cookies set 2 minutes on hot sheet before transferring them to a wire rack. Store in airtight container.