Spare Spoons Kitchen
Brown Sugar Pecans
Crisp, candied pecan clusters in a glossy brown-sugar meringue. Whip, fold, and drop by spoonfuls, then bake low and slow until they dry crunchy — a holiday snack and an easy edible gift.
Ingredients
Easier, if you like
- Spread, don't drop: in a hurry, spread the coated pecans in a single layer on the sheet and bake the same way, then break into clusters once cool.
- Add warm spice — ½ tsp cinnamon (or a pinch of cayenne for sweet-heat) folded in with the nuts.
Method
Cook's notes
What these are: meringue-coated candied pecans — light, sweet, crunchy clusters. The recipe makes a big batch (about 6–7 dozen), which is why it's a holiday gifting staple.
Crumble them over a salad (lovely on the broccoli salad) or a bowl of ice cream.
They soften in humidity. Keep them in an airtight tin; if they go soft, re-crisp in a 250°F oven for a few minutes.
Room-temperature whites whip to more volume than cold ones — let them sit out while the oven heats.
Naturally gluten-free and dairy-free
Gluten-free: naturally — there's no flour here.
Dairy-free: already is. (It's vegetarian but not vegan because of the egg whites; aquafaba can stand in for the whites, though the crisp varies.)
Other nuts: walnut or almond halves work the same way.