Chai Spiced Meringues with Pecans

Name: Chai Spiced Meringues with Pecans
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 240 min
Total time: 255 min
Yield: 36
Ingredients: 4 egg whites; ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar; 1 cup superfine sugar; ½ teaspoon ground cardamom; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; ¼ teaspoon ground ginger; ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; ¾ cup pecans, finely chopped; Pinch of salt

Recipe GLPR4eef9f54189ee7

Dessert

255 min

50 cal

Servings: 36

Oven

SNAP eligible

Delicate and crispy meringue cookies infused with warm chai spices—cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg—topped with toasted pecans. These light, airy treats are baked low and slow, then allowed to dry in the cooling oven for maximum crispness. Perfect for tea time or as a sophisticated dessert.

Save recipes you love

Create a free Grocery List Plus account to save recipes, rate them, and add every ingredient to your grocery list in one tap.

Create free account Sign in

Ingredients

4 egg whites

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

1 cup superfine sugar

½ teaspoon ground cardamom

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¾ cup pecans, finely chopped

Pinch of salt

Directions

Preheat your oven to 200°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the superfine sugar, ground cardamom, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and ground nutmeg. Set the spiced sugar mixture aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat for about 2 minutes until soft peaks form (peaks will curl slightly when you lift the beaters).
Gradually add the spiced sugar mixture to the beaten egg whites, a few tablespoons at a time, while continuing to beat on medium-high speed. Beat until the sugar is completely dissolved and stiff peaks form, approximately 3–5 minutes total (peaks will stand straight up when you lift the beaters).
Stir in the vanilla extract gently with a spatula until just combined.
Fold in the finely chopped pecans by hand with a rubber spatula until evenly distributed throughout the meringue.
Drop rounded tablespoon-sized portions of meringue mixture onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
Bake at 200°F for 1½ to 2 hours, until the meringues are set and beginning to turn light golden.
Turn off the oven and leave the meringues inside for an additional 1½ to 2 hours without opening the door. The residual heat will finish drying them out completely. They should feel very light and crisp all the way through.
Allow the meringues to cool completely to room temperature, then store in an airtight container.

Comments

Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff4.25

The 255-minute stated time is honest for meringues, which require 2.5 hours of oven time plus cooling; no hidden prep tricks here. Ingredients are entirely available at any Charlotte chain—cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg are standard baking staples at Harris Teeter or Kroger—and pecans are affordable year-round at ALDI or Walmart. At about $0.35 per serving (driven mainly by pecans and eggs), this is a cheap treat. The real caveat is oven space and attention: meringues demand low, steady heat and cannot be rushed, so this suits a baker with a free afternoon rather than a weeknight cook, and they require airtight storage to stay crisp, meaning no-reheat same-day eating.