Wednesday's Food Tip: Enjoy Tempting Treats at Home and Abroad!

Part of the fun when traveling is trying all sorts of different foods. But even before anything new touches your lips, you can enjoy the sights and smells of many tempting treats. It’s such fun to stroll past the pastry shop windows in Barcelona, Spain, for example. You’ll see many elaborate sweets you just don’t find in the United States.



Venture inside one of these quaint little shops and you’ll also notice hard candies in herbal flavors like sage and lemon verbena. Since these items pack well (just don’t let them get too hot or they'll melt), buy a few in each flavor for your candy dish back home. That way, family and friends can sample them, too.

And here’s a simple, light cookie that would look right at home among all the elaborate sweets in European pastry shop windows, yet you can easily make these yourself, no matter where you live.



CHOCOLATE CHIP MERINGUES (makes about 6 dozen)

2 egg whites (at room temperature)
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 c. sugar
1 (6 oz.) pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Beat egg whites, salt, cream of tartar, and vanilla until soft peaks form. Add sugar gradually, and beat until the mixture is stiff. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula.

Line cookie sheets with heavy brown paper or use a silicone baking mat. Drop meringue mixture by teaspoonfuls into small mounds. Bake at 300 degrees for about 25 minutes, reducing heat to 250 degrees if cookies begin to brown too much.

Let the meringues cool. Store them in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

TIP: For best results, make these on a clear day.