Chocolate Nut Meringues - cooking recipe

Ingredients

7 ounces egg whites
16 ounces confectioners' sugar
1 cup cocoa
1/2 cup nuts (I usually use sliced almonds or walnuts) (optional)

Preparation

beat egg whites until stiff peaks form in a glass or aluminum bowl.
fold in sugar and cocoa, mixing well.
fold in nuts (if using them).
using a spoon and a spatula place ~2 T lumps of the batter on an un-greased baking sheet. This is key--there must be no fat that touches the batter or else the meringues will collapse.
bake at 200F for several hours (welcome suggestions on temp and time). I usually bake them for 2+ hours and then let them sit in the oven for several more hours until the insides are not gooey.