Mississippi Praline Macaroons

If you grew up anywhere south of the Mason-Dixon, you know the smell. Brown sugar and toasted pecans hitting a low oven, slow as molasses. These praline macaroons take that classic Southern candy flavor and lighten it up into a meringue cookie, no candy thermometer required.

The whole thing rests on three whipped egg whites. Beat them to stiff, glossy peaks before the brown sugar goes in, otherwise the meringue weeps and the cookies spread flat. Brown sugar in place of white is what gives these their deep caramel note and that characteristic praline color.

They bake low and slow, which is exactly what you want for a meringue. The outside sets into a thin, crackly shell while the inside stays just a little chewy. A pecan half pressed on top before baking turns each one into a tiny praline.

Kitchen Tips

• Make sure the bowl and whisk are spotlessly clean and bone dry. Any trace of fat or yolk and your whites will refuse to whip.
• Add the brown sugar a tablespoon at a time once soft peaks form. Dumping it in all at once deflates the meringue.
• Toast the chopped pecans in a dry skillet for 3 to 4 minutes before folding them in. It deepens the flavor noticeably.
• The cookies are done when the shell looks shiny and feels firm to a light tap. They crisp up further as they cool.

Variations

• Add ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract or a splash of bourbon with the last of the sugar for a bourbon praline twist.
• Stir in a pinch of flaky sea salt for a salted praline take.
• Swap pecans for toasted walnuts if that is what your pantry has.