Nutty Cloud Pie

Directions

1. 1
   Preheat oven to 350.
2. 2
   Grease a 9 inch pie plate with butter.
3. 3
   Line pie plate with buttered aluminum foil.
4. 4
   In a mixer, on high speed, beat egg whites until soft peaks form.
5. 5
   Sprinkle in sugar, 2 Tablespoons at a time, until you have stiff glossy, peaks that stand up. *NOTE: Very important, it MUST BE VERY STIFF PEAKS, or pie won't come out correctly.
6. 6
   Beat in vanilla.
7. 7
   With only a few light bursts of the mixer, mix in pecans, crackers and baking powder. If not mixed in well, fold in by hand.
8. 8
   Spread in greased and foiled pie plate.
9. 9
   Bake 35 minutes. *NOTE: Light golden brown color, (light golden brown sugar color). NOT brown.
10. 10
    Cool in pan for 2 hours.
11. 11
    Flip pie out of foil, pop back into pie plate. Cover with parchment paper and wrap tightly with foil.
12. 12
    Chill in freezer 1/2 hour or longer.
13. 13
    About 1/2 an hour before serving, remove pie from freezer. Whip cream until soft almost stiff peaks form. Gradually shake in powdered sugar until it is the sweetness you like.
14. 14
    While pie warms up, prepare whipping cream. Whip cream until soft peaks form. Gradually add powdered sugar until you achieve the desired sweetness. (It's a sweet pie, so go easy) Keep beating till stiff peaks form.
15. 15
    Serve slices of pie, topped generously with whipped cream, along with a nice brandy, whiskey or other warming drink. Enjoy!
16. 16
    NOTE: Because this is a light dessert, I make many at once. Prepare and bake as directed. Just wrap tightly in parchment paper, and foil to store in freezer. They lose a touch of the meringuiness, but are still wonderful,