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2000s Recipes + Menus

Crunchy Pecan Cookies

Makes about42 cookies
  • Active time:15 min
  • Start to finish:1 1/4 hr
April 2005
Egg whites give these addictive cookies—a variation on macaroons—their light, airy texture.
  • 6 oz pecans (1 1/2 cups)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup potato starch
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Scant 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3 large egg whites, lightly beaten
  • Special equipment:

    parchment paper
  • Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Coarsely chop 1 cup pecans and set aside. Pulse remaining 1/2 cup pecans in a food processor with sugar, potato starch, salt, and cinnamon until finely ground (be careful not to pulse to a paste), then stir into egg whites. Stir in remaining cup chopped pecans.
  • Drop 1/2 tablespoons of batter 2 inches apart on baking sheet and bake until cookies are lightly browned and slightly puffed, 15 to 17 minutes. Slide parchment onto a rack and cool cookies completely (cookies will crisp as they cool), then remove from paper. Bake and cool 2 more parchment-lined sheets of cookies in same manner.
Cooks’ note: Cookies can be made 1 week ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.