Pie Meringue Made Easy

Nothing crowns a pie like a meringue, golden-peaked and inviting. Making pie meringue is easy if you follow a good recipe and some simple steps.

Most pie meringue recipes call for egg whites, granulated sugar, and salt. A few include cornstarch to help the peaks to stay peaked when heated in the oven. Cream of tartar, which gives the pie meringue a nice glossy appearance, may also be in the recipe. Depending upon what type of pie the meringue will top, lemon or vanilla extract flavoring may be added.

The first step in making pie meringue is to separate the eggs, reserving the yolks for another use. This is perhaps the most crucial step because even a small bit of yolk mixed in with the whites will prevent the egg whites from beating properly. Some people use a metal device specifically for separating eggs. Others crack the egg into their hand, using their fingers to allow the white to separate into a small bowl. I use the egg shell halves, carefully moving the egg from one shell to the other until only the egg yolk is in the shell and the white is in my mixing bowl.

The next easy step in making pie meringue is to beat the egg whites with a hand mixer until they are white and stiff. At this time the salt and cream of tartar may be added (depending on what recipe you are using).

Sugar, one tablespoon at a time, is then added. Adding too much at one time will keep the meringue from forming soft peaks because not all the sugar will be dissolved in the whites, one of the reasons a pie will 'weep.' To ensure the sugar dissolves, some bakers use powdered sugar instead of granulated. Mix well after each spoonful is added to the pie meringue. When the meringue forms soft peaks, the cornstarch and flavoring may be mixed in. The meringue is ready to be spread on the filled pie shell.