Brooke’s Lemon Meringue Cookies – only 9 calories!!!

My favorite memory from childhood is baking chocolate chip cookies with my mom and grandma.  My brother, Dennis, must have been at school because it was just the three of us.  My Nanny (we called her Nanny because I couldn’t pronounce ‘Granny’) said, “It’s just us girls today!”  I guess I was three or four years old.  They let me crack the eggs, which was a big deal because NO ONE was even allowed to TOUCH eggs unless they were an adult.  Scooping out cookie dough with a teaspoon, I made neat little rows of cookies.   Since Dennis was at school I got to lick the entire bowl by myself.  It was grand.  I’m sure the cookies tasted great but I only remember the baking part.

My son, Henry, loves baking with me.  Rylee can take it or leave it, but Henry keeps asking me, “When can we make cupcakes?  Can we make cookies today?”  And I feel so bad because I’ve been saying, “When Mommy’s show is over in June we can bake.”  So I’ve been feeling guilty about this.  Until today.

Brooke’s Lemon Meringue Cookies

Did you know that meringue is just egg whites, cream of tartar and sugar?  If you use Crystal Light lemonade powder you don’t even need the sugar, and the only calories are from the egg whites, which is pure protein and good for you?

(If you have never read my blog before, let me give you a little back story here.  I’m training for a bodybuilding competition and it’s in three weeks, so the diet is very strict and includes egg whites.  I train on an all women’s bodybuilding team called Mel’s Machines.   Brooke is the one on the team who always comes up with interesting food concoctions that everyone else tries to mimic.  She told us during practice today that she makes her egg whites taste better by turning it into meringue.  Brilliant!!!)

After baking these with my kids I asked her if I could post the recipe for the good of clean eating humanity and she said yes, so THANK YOU, BROOKE!!  You don’t even need to be on a diet – they just taste good.

Ingredients:

• 4 egg whites (about 1 cup)
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 packet Crystal Light lemonade mix
• Splenda to taste

  

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Pour egg whites, vanilla and cream of tartar in bowl and whisk or use an electric beater for about 7 minutes.
3. Add Crystal Light lemonade mix in a little at a time and continue to beat.
4. If desired, add Splenda in one teaspoon at a time, beating in slowly, until you reach desired sweetness.
5. When the batter rises in peaks it is ready.

   

6. Spray I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter spray on the cookie sheet and dole out spoonfuls.
7. Bake for 30 minutes

Makes 15 cookies.  Total calories is 126, so each cookie is 8.4 calories!!

It made me happy that I could still create sweet memories through baking minus all the fat and sugar, and that I could eat the same thing they were eating.  Thanks again, Brooke!

Do you have any favorite recipes you modified to make healthier?

Lisa 😉

P.S. – Please check out (and follow!) my Instagram account, Lisa Traugott.

Lisa Traugott is a Mom’s Choice Award winning writer, fitness blogger, wife and mom of two. Her book, “She’s Losing It!” is available at Amazon.com (and has a 5-star review rating!)

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