Southern Kisses

Preparation : Preheat oven to 300 F. On a cookie sheet, toast pecans and cool. Line a cookie sheet with foil or baking parchment. In a bowl, beat egg whites and salt on medium speed until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and vanilla. Continue beating , gradually increasing speed, until soft peaks form. While beating at high speed, gradually add sugar by the heaping teaspoons. Beat until all the sugar is incorporated and the peaks hold their points when the beaters are lifted. Gently fold in Pecans. Either spoon into the foil-lined cookie sheet, or fill a piping bag ( with a plain round tip ) with the mixture and pipe into inch-high heaps. Bake 18-20 minutes. Without opening the door, turn oven off and leave the cookies in the oven for 5-7 minutes. Baked kisses are lightly tanned and firm to the touch. Cool pan on a wire rack, then slide the cookies off the pan with a spatula. Store in an airtight container. If cookies get soggy, reheat for 10 minutes in a 300 F. Oven.