Thanks everyone. I'm going to track down JC's recipe.

My mom makes this once in a while, when she's in an old school French mood and she's definitely made the meringues ahead of time. I'm pretty sure she uses the classic Julia Child recipe (am sure it's in JC's 'The Way to Cook' but probably in a couple of others as well.) Anyway, the meringues do sort of puff up like souffles, than deflate a bit when they cool - but nowhere near as drastic as gummy discs - they remain puffy and light. So you might want to check out JC's version - it must be online somewhere if you don't have her books. One more thing: don't forget the drizzle of caramel over the top. Best part.

Here's my recipe for "forgotten cookies." (You can leave out the chocolate chips and pecans to make your oeufs.)
http://www.food52.com/recipes/2233_forgotten_cookies

If you follow these instructions to the letter, your meringue "islands" will be fine.

http://www.joyofbaking.com/MeringueHearts.html

If you don't like this recipe, search for recipes for "Forgotten Cookies," which are meringue cookies left overnight in an oven that's preheated then turned off.