Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Sift:
1 cup sugar

Whip until stiff but not dry:
3 egg whites
1/8 teaspoon salt

Add gradually 1/2 of the sugar. Combine:

2 teaspoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla

Add the liquid a few drops at a time, alternating with the remaining sugar. Whip constantly.

Fold in:

3 Tablespoons cocoa
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Drop the batter from a spoon onto a lightly greased cookie sheet and shape into cones. Bake until the 'kisses' are partly dry and retain their shape. Remove from pan while hot.

This is something my mom made when I was little, and something I always begged for any occasion... to bring to school, girl scouts, family dinners, and I don't really have a thing for sweets. They are (if cooked correctly and in the right conditions [1]) airy, light and delicately crispy on the outside: gooey, mushy and delicious on the inside. Best eaten hot. They absolutely melt in your mouth:) Enjoy.

[1] They do best if you don't cook them on a rainy, overcast or particularly humid day...not so good for trying here in Georgia often:)