Crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside, these pecan cloud cookies are delicious with a hint of chocolate flavor. They're naturally gluten-free and dairy free.
Separate the egg while it's cold, placing the egg white in a medium bowl. (Reserve the yolk in a separate container, cover it and refrigerate it for another use.) If possible, let the egg white sit at room temperature for 30 minutes so it'll be easier to beat into a meringue.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease two large baking sheets with cooking spray. (If you need this to be gluten-free, don't use baking spray, because it contains flour.)
Coarsely chop the pecans and set them aside.
Add the cream of tartar and salt to the egg white. Steady the bowl by placing a dish towel underneath it so it doesn't slide. Mix with an electric hand mixer, using a whisk attachment, if you have one. (A stand mixer doesn't work well for such a small amount.) Mix just until it is very frothy and starting to come together.
Gradually add the brown sugar, mixing after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add the vanilla and ½ teaspoon cocoa. Beat on low for about 30 seconds to mix, then on high speed, until the mixture is thick and stiff. It could take 5-7 minutes. It's okay if the meringue peaks slightly fall over when you lift the beater out of the bowl.
Use a spoon to stir the chopped pecans into the meringue. Using a scoop or two teaspoons (one to scoop, one to scrape), place walnut-sized mounds of meringue onto your pans, at least 1 ½ inches apart. You should be able to fit a dozen on one large sheet pan.
Bake the cookies for 13 minutes, or just until they are puffy and set. Turn off the heat and let the cookies stay in the oven for another two minutes to dry.
Remove the cookies from the oven. Sprinkle the remaining cocoa on them by placing ½ teaspoon of cocoa in a fine-mesh strainer and gently shaking it over the cookies. While the cookies are still warm, carefully transfer them to a wire cooling rack.
Store the cooled-off cookies at room temperature, laying them flat in a single layer in a plastic container, then placing wax paper on top before starting the next layer. If the container is tightly sealed, the meringue cookies should stay good for up to two weeks. See notes about freezing them.
Notes
You can freeze these cookies for up to three months in a sealed container. I recommend freezing them without cocoa sprinkled on top so it doesn't smear. Place wax paper in between the layers.To thaw, take the meringue cookies out of the container and place them on a platter at room temperature. Dust with cocoa before serving.See the article for information about substitutions.