Ritz Crackers Pie

There are times when I come across a hand written recipe and I convince myself that it will not work. This recipe is one of those times. I made a few alterations by adding less sugar to the egg whites, and by beating the egg whites into stiff peaks. Because this recipe had a lack of details I thought it best to make a trial run to see what I thought my twist should be. In my first trial I followed the original recipe as written. I used the entire cup of sugar, but thought it was too sweat. I decided to decrease the amount of sugar to just a half cup. I found that this 1/2 cup reduction gave the recipe enough sweetness, while bringing out the salt of the crackers. I also opted not to use a mold for baking the mixture. Instead, on my baking sheet I formed a rectangle about 10” long by 4” wide by 2” to 3” high.

After baking, I served this desert two ways; the first version, I sliced some of the dessert and placed the slices on a plate. Simple enough. I then topped with mango purée (place 1 cup frozen mango chunks in a blender with 1/4 cup orange juice). Blend until mixture is smooth. Another idea I had was to serve this recipe by after placing the slices in a clear glass cup/bowl (topped with) fresh raspberries, mango purée and whipped cream followed by another layer of meringue and finally finishing with whipped cream and topped with a raspberry. I have found that this is an easy recipe which also makes a nice impression at a potluck event.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 28 Ritz crackers

• 1 cup pecans, chopped

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 3 egg whites

Yield: 6-8 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Method:

1. Preheat oven 350°F.

2. Crumble the crackers. Place in a bowl with the chopped nuts.

3. In a separate bowl, now add just the egg whites. Using a whisk attachment beat the egg whites until stiff.

4. Gradually add in the sugar and beat until you achieve stiff peaks with your meringue.

5. Fold in the nut mixture.

6. Line a baking sheet with a greased parchment paper. Shape the mixture on the baking sheet.

7. Bake for 10 minutes.

8. Serve with mango puree, fresh fruit or whipped cream.