1. Preheat your oven to 225°F (107°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Low and slow is the key here — this isn’t a hurried bake.
2. In a clean, dry mixing bowl, add the egg whites and a pinch of salt. Begin whisking at medium speed until the whites become frothy, about 2 minutes.
3. Add the cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks form — you’ll see the egg whites hold their shape but still have a gentle bend at the tip.
4. Gradually add the granulated sugar, one tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. This part takes patience, but it’s worth every moment. The mixture should become glossy and stiff enough that when you lift the whisk, peaks stand straight up without collapsing.
5. Gently fold in the sifted cocoa powder and vanilla extract using a rubber spatula. Take care to keep as much air in the mixture as possible — this is the secret to those airy, melt-in-your-mouth cookies.
6. If you’re using mini chocolate chips, fold them in now for extra bursts of chocolate.
7. Using two teaspoons or a small cookie scoop, drop dollops of the batter onto the parchment-lined sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Mama Lu always said, “Don’t crowd your cookies — they need room to breathe.”
8. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. The cookies should feel dry to the touch and peel away from the parchment easily.
9. Turn off the oven and leave the cookies inside to cool completely — this helps them dry out fully without cracking. It’s a bit like letting biscuits rest on the windowsill, soaking in the evening air.
10. Once cooled, gently peel the cookies off the parchment and store them in an airtight container.

One of my fondest memories is sitting on the back porch with a plate of these cookies, listening to the cicadas while the sun dipped low. Baking these feels like carrying on that tradition — a slow, loving process that yields something worth savoring.