FORGOTTEN COOKIES

These delicious crunchy-on-the-outside-soft-in-the-middle meringues are full of good things (chocolate chunks and pecan nuts), and are very, very moreish. My friend, and fellow cook, Michaela made me some as an anniversary gift: they arrived in a beautiful silver box, nestling on pretty tissue paper. A perfect gift for a greedy, foodie like me! My instinct was to eat them all at once, at one sitting, but I was restrained, and rationed myself to one cookie, once a day, with a cup of good, strong coffee.

Michaela recommends using a very good quality dark chocolate. (I used Chocolat Menier, the upmarket cooking chocolate.) The slight bitterness of the chocolate cuts nicely into the sweetness of the meringue. The pecans just add more deliciousness.

As to the origin of their name, apparently it's because you put them in the oven overnight and forget about them. But don't forget to eat them!

• 2 large egg whites
• 120g golden caster sugar
• 120g pecans, roughly chopped
• 150g dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids), roughly chopped
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4/fan 160C. Line two baking sheets with foil to cover. In a large clean bowl, whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff and dry. Gradually whisk in the sugar a little at a time to make a thick and glossy meringue. Tip in the pecan nuts and chocolate, then the vanilla extract and gently fold into the meringue with a large metal spoon.

Spoon heaped teaspoonfuls of the meringue mixture, spaced apart, on to the lined baking sheets. Put the sheets in the oven, then turn it off and leave the cookies for at least 3 hours, overnight or until the oven is cold.

Carefully peel the cookies from the foil. Store in an airtight tin where they will keep for 3-4 days.