Coffee Pecan Meringue Sandwich Cookies 1995

These are little meringue cookies that are sandwiched with your favourite coffee ice cream or with caramel duluce. Give them a try, brings you back to the playground only grown up version.

• Ready In: 1 hr 10 mins
• Serves: 10

Ingredients

• 2  cups pecans, lightly toasted and cooled
• 3  tablespoons  packed golden brown sugar
• 1⁄2 cup  packed golden brown sugar
• 1  teaspoon  fresh ground cinnamon
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 cup bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened) or 1⁄4 cup  semisweet chocolate, chopped (not unsweetened)
• 2  large  egg whites
• 1⁄4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 4  teaspoons instant coffee crystals
• 1 1⁄2 cups  homemade coffee ice cream (for filling) or 1 1⁄2 cups  store bought coffee ice cream (for filling)
• 3  ounces  chopped and melted  semisweet chocolate (for drizzle) or 3  ounces bittersweet chocolate (for drizzle)

Directions

1. This recipe makes 20 flat cookies, when sandwiched together you will have ten dessert.
2. Preheat oven to 225°F.
3. Line baking sheets with foil, then butter and flour foil.
4. Combine 1 cup pecans, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a food processor. Process finely.
5. Add the 1/4 cup chopped chocolate and another 1 cup pecans. Chop just until nuts are coarsley chopped. This is about 8 pulses only.
6. Remove and set aside adding in the coffee crystals at this time to the dry mixture.
7. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites and cream of tartar, until soft peaks.
8. Gradually add 1/2 cup brown sugar, beating until very stiff.
9. This should take three to four minutes.
10. Fold in the nut-coffee dry mixture.
11. The crystals should not dissolve.
12. Drop batter by scant tablespoons onto sheet, spacing evenly, and getting 20 cookies. This might take two baking sheets.
13. Lightly press a pecan halve onto each cookie.
14. Bake at 225° for 55 minutes, or until dry.
15. If using two baking sheets and at the same time, switch racks and rotate sheets back to front for even baking.
16. Cool completely on sheets. Transfer to wire rack to cool.
17. Place one tablespoon of coffee ice cream on 1 cookie flat bottom side.
18. Place second cookie flat side down on top of filling.
19. Press lightly and place on a baking sheet.
20. Freeze until firm, about one hour.
21. Melt the last 3 ounces of chopped chocolate over simmering water, stirring until smooth.
22. Remove cookies and drizzle over the now made frozen ice cream sandwiches.
23. Cover and freeze.
24. These can be made two days ahead of serving.
25. I have also cooked down sweetened condensed milk in the can to a slice caramel and used in place of the ice cream, and serves on a plate with fresh strawberries, and a plate drizzle of strawberry sauce and fresh sprig of mint.