It was dark and chilly outside as my friend Claudia Santa Cruz showed me how to make these marvelous crunchy morsels. As the egg whites whipped, her youngest daughter (about eight years old and a natural-born chef) measured the sugar she would later carefully pour. We moved to the dining room and three generations filled countless trays of the white kisses that would sit in the oven overnight. Claudia’s mother took several to her home because they didn’t all fit in the oven. I woke up around 5 A.M. to take a peek, and there was evidence that someone else had already been there, so I knew it was okay to take one. I took another, and before I realized it, I’d had a full meringue breakfast in the silent morning.

　　

Ingredients

makes about 4 dozen

　　2 1/2 cups finely chopped pecans

　　1/3 cup all-purpose flour

　　1/2 teaspoon baking powder

　　Pinch of salt

　　4 egg whites, at room temperature

　　1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

　　1 cup superfine sugar

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 225°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease lightly.

　　

Step 2

In a large bowl, combine the pecans, flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar at medium-high speed until they are foamy and start to thicken but have not quite reached soft peaks. Gradually and slowly add the sugar. Continue beating on high speed for a few minutes, until thick and glossy. Add one-fourth of the pecan mixture and fold carefully so that the eggs don’t lose their structure and volume. Repeat, incorporating the remaining pecan mixture in three more additions. Using two small spoons or a piping bag fitted with the flat tip attachment, form little mounds on the prepared baking sheet.

　　

Step 3

Bake for 1 hour, turn off the oven, and leave the cookies in the oven for another hour. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.

　　Reprinted with permission from My Sweet Mexico: Recipes for Authentic Pastries, Breads, Candies, Beverages, and Frozen Treats © 2010 by Fany Gerson. Photographs by Ed Anderson. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House.Buy the full book from Penguin Random House, Amazon, or Bookshop.