Piccadilly’s Cafeteria Pecan Delight

By WhystleStop

This is a favorite from the Piccadilly’s Cafeteria Pecan Delight. This is similar to their famous dessert. You loved it at the restaurant, now make it at home.

Ingredients

• 3 egg whites, room temperature (about 1/3 cup)
• 1/4 teaspoon cream tarter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup lightly roasted pecans, chopped small (for crust)
• 1/4 cup pecans, chopped medium (for topping)
• 1/2 cup Ritz Crackers, lightly roasted, chopped fine, (for crust)
• 12 ounces Whipped Topping (Cool-Whip)
• Caramel topping, optional

Details

Servings 8
Preparation time 20mins
Cooking time 80mins
Adapted from copykat.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Bake 1/3 cup pecans and Ritz crackers for 5 minutes. You want to lightly roast the nuts and crackers. Watch them carefully so they do not burn. The crackers and nuts should be a light golden in color. Remove from oven when golden and place on paper towel until cool.

Add vanilla and cream of tarter to egg whites and beat until stiff. Slowly add sugar and continue to beat egg whites until very stiff, peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Fold in 1/3 cup pecans and Ritz crackers.

Place in a 10" pie pan that has been lightly sprayed with a non stick baking spray. Spread the meringue to the sides and cover the bottom of pan. The meringue will be about 1" - 1 1/8" thick layer in the pie pan. Hollow out a little hole in the middle of the bottom of the meringue the size of half a dime, this will help with a even baking of the shell. If you have any meringue left make little nest bake the same manner and fill with leftover pudding or fruits.

Place in a preheated oven at 275 degrees for 1 hour. Check shell, the meringue should not scorch, it will turn light tan in color. Turn oven off and let shell dry in the oven for another hour. Remove shell and cool. When shell is cool place the whipped topping in the shell and sprinkle with 1/4 cup broken pecans. Place in refrigerator to completely chill before serving. When ready to serve, you may drizzle caramel topping over the pie or by the slice.

Meringue's will whip fluffier and be fuller when prepared at low humidity.