Best Friends Cookies

• 12 cup Malted Milk Chocolate Hot Fudge, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon Caramel Sauce, at room temperature (optional)
• 2 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons instant coffee crystals (such as Folgers)
• 12 teaspoon coffee extract (optional)

1. Heat the oven to 275F.
2. Have a couple of half sheet (13 by 18-inch) nonstick pans ready or line a couple of half sheet pans with parchment paper.
3. To make the chocolate swirl:
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the hot fudge on medium-high speed until lighter in color, approximately 4 minutes.
5. Beat in the caramel.
6. Transfer to a bowl and leave at room temperature while you make the meringue.
7. Clean out the stand mixer bowl well, ensuring that there is no residual oil.
8. To make the meringue:
9. In a heatproof bowl that fits over a pot for a double-boiler setup, whisk together the egg whites, sugar, and salt to break them up.
10. Put the bowl over (but not touching) barely simmering water in a pot and warm the egg white mixture, whisking often, to the temperature of a scalding bath, approximately 2 minutes.
11. Remove the bowl from the heat and dry the bottom with a kitchen towel.
12. Pour the warmed egg white mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
13. Whip on medium-high until the whites have cooled and the meringue is thick and shiny, approximately 5 minutes.
14. Add the instant coffee and extract and whip on low speed just to combine, 10 seconds.
15. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the hot fudge into the meringue to form a swirl.
16. The chocolate needs to be incorporated enough so that it doesn't bleed out of the cookies as they bake but not so incorporated that the meringue loses the swirl completely.
17. Using two spoons, portion the meringue into 1 12- to 2-inch blobs onto the prepared pans, about 10 cookies per pan.
18. Bake for 2 hours.
19. Turn the oven off and let the cookies cool in the oven to dry out completely, at least 1 hour or overnight (just remember they are in there before cranking up the oven again).
20. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week, depending on the humidity level in the room.

milk chocolate, caramel sauce, egg whites, brown sugar, kosher salt, instant coffee crystals, coffee

Taken from www.cookstr.com/recipes/best-friends-cookies (may not work)