French style meringue is very light and has a delicate texture. Baked meringue can be used as a cookie, as cake layer, as a pie shell or piped into other desserts. Unbaked meringue can be used as a topping for pies or in puddings.

• 1 cup egg whites (about 8) without any traces of yolk
• 1 cup Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch salt
• 1 cup pecan pieces
• 1 cup semis or bittersweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 210°F.
2. Whip egg whites to froth.
3. Gradually add first cup sugar while whipping egg whites.
4. On medium speed whip to very stiff peaks. Add vanilla and salt.
5. Stop whipping and using a rubber spatula gently fold the remaining sugar into meringue. Delicately fold in nuts and chocolate, once combined stop folding.
6. Using a spoon drop the meringue in generous two tablespoon amounts on parchment lined cookies sheets.
7. Place in oven and bake until the meringue is thoroughly crisp*. Time will depend greatly on size of meringue and how correct oven temperature is. Breaking a baked meringue in half will help with determining doneness. When broken in half the interior should become dry and non sticky within a minute.
8. Once cooled store meringue airtight to prevent meringue from becoming soggy.

*If during baking meringue starts to lightly brown reduce oven temperature immediately by 20 degrees. Many ovens are reading incorrect.