CINNAMON BARK STICKS

Start to finish: 2 hours

Makes 36 sticks

8 large egg whites

2 cups sugar, plus 1/4 cup

2 cups all-purpose flour

Pinch of salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon extract

10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1/3 cup heavy cream

Brown gel food coloring

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Heat the oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with a nonstick silicon baking mat.

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to whisk together the egg whites and 2 cups of sugar until foamy. Add the flour and salt and mix to incorporate. Add the cinnamon extract, butter and cream, then beat again until completely smooth. In small amounts, add the brown food coloring a drop at a time until desired color is reached, stirring thoroughly between additions.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/4 cup sugar with the cinnamon.

Scoop a teaspoon of batter onto the prepared baking sheet. Using a small offset spatula spread the batter thinly and evenly into a rectangle about 2-by-5-inches. Depending on the size of your baking sheet, you should be able to fit 2 to 4 cookies on at a time.

Sprinkle each rectangle lightly with the cinnamon-sugar. Bake the cookies for about 8 minutes, or until the surface looks dry. The edges should not be browned.

Working quickly and as soon as the baking sheet comes out of the over, one at a time use a spatula to flip each rectangle over. Tightly roll both long sides of each rectangle toward the center, similar to forming a scroll. Set aside to cool and repeat in batches with remaining dough.

Nutrition information per stick (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 95 calories; 36 calories from fat (38 percent of total calories); 4 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 11 mg cholesterol; 14 g carbohydrate; 2 g protein; 0 g fiber; 20 mg sodium.