Never Fail Meringue
Ingredients
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water
1/2 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 egg whites
6 tablespoons white sugar
1 pinch salt
Blend cornstarch and cold water in a saucepan. Add boiling water, and cook until thick and clear. Cool completely.
Beat egg whites till foamy. Gradually beat in sugar, beating until stiff and glossy. Add salt and vanilla, and slowly beat in cold cornstarch mixture. Beat quickly for several minutes. Spread meringue on filled, 9 inch pie.
Bake at 350º F (175º C) for 10 minutes.
NOTES:
This type of pie is best served the day it is made.
Avoid making meringue on humid days. The sugar in the delicate egg-white mixture readily absorbs moisture from the air, which makes it soft and impossible to achieve thick, stiff peaks. Humidity may also cause some soft meringues to weep or crisp meringues to soften once baked.
A never-fail method for producing the perfect meringue is one that uses a cornstarch and water mixture to form a gel: beaten gradually into a meringue, the thickener will prevent shrinking problems.
Never spread meringue over a cold filling but spread it over piping hot filling, and spread to the edges to seal. Hot filling is necessary to ensure that the inside of the meringue cooks, preventing weeping.
Instead, spread the meringue over the filling while it's still hot. The filling's heat will help cook the center of the meringue.
Beading
Meringue sometimes forms beads of moisture or liquid on its surface. Beading is a common problem for pie meringues and is caused by undissolved sugar. To solve this problem, beat until the sugar dissolves. To tell if the sugar is dissolved when you are beating egg whites for meringues, rub a bit of the foam between your fingers. If it feels gritty, the sugar is not dissolved, so keep beating for a few minutes. A superfine pure cane sugar, such as Domino® Superfine Sugar, works best because it dissolves faster.
Meringue recipes work better with eggs that are at least 3-4 days old. The tiniest bit of fat or egg yolk will wreck a meringue. When separating eggs, if a speck of egg yolk falls into the egg whites, lift it out with an empty eggshell half. Do not try to fish it out with your fingers, the oil on your skin will prevent the egg whites from expanding. Cold eggs separate more easily than those at room temperature because the whites hold together better, so separate your eggs while they're cold then let them come to room temperature to ensure volume when beating, as warmer eggs whip faster than cold eggs. Usually 30 minutes is adequate to obtain room temperature. Copper, stainless steel, or glass bowls work best for making meringues. Avoid using plastic bowls for whipping egg whites as they can often harbor traces of grease, which prevents the whites from getting stiff.
Baking Meringue:
Meringues will become more done if you bake them at a lower temperature for a longer time. Bake the meringue at 325º F. for 20 to 30 minutes or until a cooking thermometer registers 160º F. Remember a hot filling is important.
Cutting Meringue:
To cut baked meringue into serving pieces, use a knife dipped in cold water.
***Remember, meringue pies only last a day or two, and then the meringue starts breaking down. If you place any cooked meringue in the refrigerator (no matter how long you baked it), it will bead and weep.