Roast the pecans
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Preheat the oven to 350F℉ with the rack centered.
Add the 1 cup pecans to a sheet pan and roast for about 15 minutes or until the nuts are fragrant but not burnt. Mix as needed for even baking. Watch closely as they burn very quickly at the end.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Turn down the heat to 285℉.
Chop the pecans after cooling.
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Line a 16″ x 12″ baking sheet pan with parchment.
Spread the nuts evenly on the bottom. Set aside.
Make the meringue
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Whip the Meringue:
To a thoroughly cleaned bowl (no traces of grease, or the egg whites will not up) of a stand mixer add 6 large egg whites and whip on medium-high speed for 2 minutes or until it starts to foam up.
Then, add the 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar 1 tablespoon at a time while whipping.
Once all sugar is added, continue whipping at speed 6-7 out of 10 until the egg whites are shiny and voluminous, or about 15-20 minutes. A whisk dipped into the meringue will hold a thick “beak” that bends.
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Add 1/4 cup cornstarch and the 1 tbsp lemon juice (or vinegar) and gently fold it in.
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Pipe the meringue:
OPTION 1: Fit a large pastry bag with an 807 Ateco round tip (1/2 inch wide). Fill the bag with the meringue.
Now, pipe lines of meringue diagonally, starting from one corner and filling the baking sheet.
OPTION 2: If you do not have a piping bag or the piping tip, you can spread the meringue into an even layer on the baking sheet and sprinkle with the pecans on top instead of having them on the bottom.
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Bake the Meringue:
Bake the meringue for 30 minutes at 300F without opening the oven door. The meringue should have a thin layer of dried meringue on top and be still marshmallowy soft inside.
Then, turn off the heat. Insert a wooden spoon into the oven door and allow to cool for 15-20 minutes in the turned-off oven. Then, remove the meringue from the oven to cool.
