1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar, sieved
2 tablespoons ground pecans
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon bourbon or dark rum
1 large egg white (at room temperature)
Pinch of cream of tartar
2 cups pecan halves

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Butter baking sheets.

In a bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, the ground pecans and the cornstarch. Add the bourbon and whisk the mixture until it is blended well.

In another bowl, beat the egg white with the cream of tartar and a pinch of salt until it holds stiff peaks. Stir 1/3 of it into the sugar mixture and fold in the remaining white. (The mixture will become more liquid.) Add the pecan halves, stirring to coat them well. Arrange them individually, rounded side up, 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets and bake for 12 minutes or until they are puffed and golden brown.

Let the nuggets cool on the sheets for 1 minute. Transfer them to racks and let them cool completely. The nuggets will keep in airtight containers for 5 days.

Makes about 100 nuggets.