21 Days of Cookies: Day 10
I see you over there. You made the Christmas Crackle Cookies that called for 3 egg yolks and you were wondering what to do with those three lonely egg whites. I got your back.
I almost don’t want to share this recipe. I want to keep it as my little secret forever. But no good ever comes from that, so here it is: Brown Sugar Pecan Meringues.
When you think of pecan pie, you generally don’t also think “light and fluffy”. But that’s exactly what you get with this cookie. It tastes just like a pecan pie, except as light as air. With a crunchy meringue shell and soft and chewy inside, it almost causes a little bit of cognitive dissonance. Your brain thinks you’re eating pecan pie, but you’re eating a gluten-free, practically fat-free meringue.
These whip together quickly, with only a few basic ingredients, but like all meringues, the secret is baking them low and slow, so plan on an hour and a half for these delightful morsels.
I always toast my nuts before baking with them; try it! toasting enhances the flavor and texture of the nut; you’ll never go back to using raw nuts again.
Brown Sugar Pecan Meringues
Ingredients
- 3 egg whites room temperature
- dash salt
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup chopped pecans toasted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200 F.
- Whip room temperature egg whites and salt with a wire whisk or the whisk attachment of your stand mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form.
- Gradually add the brown sugar, about 2 tablespoons at a time, continuing to beat on high speed until stiff peaks form. This could take 5-8 minutes.
- Gently fold in the vanilla and chopped toasted pecans (make sure pecans are completely cooled).
- Drop by heaping teaspoon fulls onto greased or parchment-lined baking sheets. These do not spread, so 12 can easily fit on a sheet.
- Bake for about 1 hour or until firm to the touch. Remove to wire racks to cool completely; then store in airtight container.
