Recipe Talk

Piccadilly's Pecan Delight

Serving Size: 6

Ingredients:
3 Egg Whites (room temperature, about 1/3C)
1/4 tsp. Cream Tarter
1 tsp. Vanilla
3/4 C. Sugar
1/3 C. Pecans (chopped small, lightly roasted for crust)
1/4 C. Pecans (chopped medium, topping)
1/2 C. Ritz Crackers (chopped in fine pieces, lightly roasted for crust)
12 oz Whipped Topping (Cool-Whip)

Preparation:
In a preheated oven at 350 place 1/3 C pecans and Ritz crackers
for 5 minutes. You want to lightly roast the nuts and crackers.
Watch them carefully so they do not burn. The crackers and nuts
should be a light golden in color. Remove from oven when golden
and place on paper towel until cool.

Add vanilla and cream of tarter to egg whites and beat until stiff.
Slowly add sugar and continue to beat egg whites until very stiff,
peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Fold in 1/3 C pecans and Ritz
crackers.

Place in a 10" pie pan that has been lightly sprayed with a non
stick baking spray. Spread the meringue to the sides and cover the
bottom of pan. The meringue will be about 1" - 1 1/8" thick layer
in the pie pan. Hollow out a little hole in the middle of the bottom
of the meringue the size of half a dime, this will help with a even
baking of the shell. If you have any meringue left make little nest
bake the same manor and fill with leftover pudding or fruits.

Place in a preheated oven at 275 for 1 hour. Check shell, the meringue
should not scorch, it will turn light tan in color. Turn oven off and
let shell dry in the oven for another hour. Remove shell and cool.
When shell is cool place the whipped topping in the shell and sprinkle
with 1/4 C. broken pecans. Place in refrigerator to completely chill
before serving.