Easy desserts

My mom loves holiday baking. Growing up, Christmas memories always include heaping stacks of goodies filling the countertop. Cookies, divinity, peanut brittle, peanut clusters, 7-layer bars, melted circle candies, hard candy, oyster crackers, chocolate covered everything...Yum! And that's just the desserts! Even for someone who doesn't like chocolate or peanut butter, my mom's kitchen was and still is the place to be for Christmas.

Well, now I have my own kitchen and my own brood to pass on the Christmas baking traditions. I prefer to make things that the girls can help me make, and it's a little more challenging, what with Maggie's sucrose and lactose intolerance. But, my countertop is getting more and more loaded. Here are two of the favorites from tonight:

Thin Mints

1 cup Nestle dark chocolate and mint chips
1 sleeve Ritz crackers

1. Melt the mint chocolate chips in the microwave, following the directions on the bag.
2. Drop a cracker into the melted chocolate, completely coating the cracker.
3. Place the coated cracker on a sheet of waxed paper. Let cool and set up completely.

Forgotten Cookies (Thanks, Alison, for the recipe)

1 egg white
1 pinch of salt
1/3 cup Splenda or sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large glass or metal mixing bowl, beat egg whites and salt until foamy.
   
3. Gradually add sugar, continuing to beat until whites form stiff peaks.
   
4. Fold in the vanilla and chocolate chips.
   
5. Spoon onto the prepared cookie sheets.
6. Place the cookies into the preheated oven, shut the door and turn off the oven immediately.
7. Let cookies sit in the turned off oven for 5 to 6 hours or overnight.