LIGHT STYLE : Holiday Baking : Low-Calorie Chocolate Chip Cookies?

By ROSE DOSTI and DEBORAH KIDUSHIM-ALLEN

Nov. 14, 1991 12 AM PT

<i> This column is based on the newly revised "Light Style: The Low Fat, Low Cholesterol, Low Salt Way to Good Food and Good Health," by Dosti and Kidushim-Allen, a registered dietitian (HarperSanFrancisco: $14.95)</i>

Lovers of chocolate chip cookies who dread the calories and fat most cookies contain will find these chocolate chip meringue morsels a blessing. Snow Drop Cookies have absolutely no fat or cholesterol and contain only 24 calories apiece.

If you use egg whites, a small amount of chocolate chips and sugar, the calories, fat and cholesterol are cut dramatically.

SNOW DROP COOKIES

3 egg whites, at room temperature

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar or 1 teaspoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Beat egg whites in mixer bowl until soft peaks form. Add cream of tartar and vanilla and beat until stiff peaks form. Add sugar, 2 tablespoons at time, beating after each addition. Fold in chocolate chips.

Drop mixture by heaping teaspoonfuls onto ungreased foil-lined baking sheet and bake at 250 degrees 20 to 25 minutes, or until pale cream in color. Outside will be slightly soft. Makes 36 cookies.

Each cookie contains about:

24 calories; 6 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; trace fat; 5 g carbohydrates; trace protein; 0 fiber; trace calories from fat.

Exchanges: 1/2 bread.