Coconut Chocolate Meringue Bites

3/4 cup margarine or butter
1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs, seperated
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips (or more to taste)
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans (optional)
3/4 cup brown sugar or white sugar

Heat oven to 350'F. Grease an oblong pan 13 x 9 inch pan. Mix butter, sugars, egg yolks and vanilla. Beat two minutes with a hand mixer or 300 vigorous strokes by hand, scraping bowl constantly. Blend flour, baking powder, soda and salt together; mix thoroughly with creamed mixture. Spread or pat into greased pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips, coconut and nuts. Beat egg whites until frothy; add sugar gradually. Brown sugar makes a more caramel colored meringue, white sugar produces a white meringue. Beat until stiff. Spread over nuts. Bake 35 to 40 min. Cool; cut in bars. Makes 40ish bars.

Recipe from the very old and dear to my heart Betty Crocker Cooky Book, which is the best cookie book known to mankind. Originally published in 1963 but republished in exactly the same style back in 2002. Well loved by my Mommy, so it's sentimental to me.