1 c  Light brown sugar, packed
1 tb Flour
1/2 ts Salt
1    Egg white, stiffly beaten
1 ts Vanilla
2 1/2 c  Pecan halves

Add 1 teaspoon vanilla (no more) to stiffly beaten egg whites, fold in the
brown sugar, flour and salt, and add the pecans. Place either small
clusters, or individual halves on well greased cookie sheets, or parchment
paper and bake at 275F. 20- 30 minutes. Immediately remove from sheet to
cooling rack if they were baked directly on the cookie sheet, o before
peeling from the paper. Cool and pack in covered tin.

The poster writes: The latest rage down here in the old south is the Bed
and Breakfast in ante bellum homes, authentic and faux. It follows that the
recipes developed by the maiden aunt who lived on the third floor and crept
down to make her cookies in the middle of the night are the most sacred of
documents, cherished and guarded, and exploited, and maybe even, heaven
forfend, faked. There are several small bakeries born of the B and B who
claim this cookie was developed by such a person, and is unique to that
family. When I was a child, a looong time ago, this cookie was all the
rage, and so easy!!

HERE IS MY FAMILYS SECRET OOOOH What could it be? Lightly toast the
pecans first. Cool completely before adding to egg whites. This is sort of
a meringue, but not really. It starts off crisp, and will stay that way
depending on weather conditions. It gets chewy after awhile and is still
delicious.