1. Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Toast the walnuts in a small saucepan, stirring frequently, until crisp and fragrant, about 7 minutes. When cool enough to handle, coarsely chop.
2. Sift together 1⁄2 cup icing sugar, cocoa powder and cinnamon.
3. Place the egg whites in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in the cocoa mixture with a spatula. Gently fold in the nuts.
4. Drop generous teaspoonfuls of the mixture onto the baking sheets, spacing them 2 cm apart. Bake until set, about 20 minutes. Remove and cool on a wire rack. Dust chocolate-nut meringue cookies with the remaining icing sugar just before serving.

PER COOKIE

18 calories
0.4 g protein
1 g total fat
0.1 g saturated fat
0 mg cholesterol
3 g total carbohydrate
3 g sugars
0.1 g fibre
4 mg sodium

Despite their relatively high calorie count, walnuts and other nuts eaten in small amounts every day can help keep cholesterol levels low.

Meringues are sensitive to humidity (they’ll absorb moisture and become sticky), so bake them on a fairly dry day. Place them in an airtight container once they’ve cooled completely. If you live in a humid climate, seal the meringues in a freezer bag and freeze them.