I always get asked about my meringue. People ask me what the secret is to making meringue that doesn’t weep. It’s not hard to make luscious meringue that doesn’t weep all over the pan and make your crust soggy. This article will list what to do and what not to do while making your meringue. And it will give you the recipe of how I make meringue. It’s easy, just grab some coffee and read this all the way through before you attempt your first meringue!
Recipe for meringue and ingredients.
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water
½ cup boiling water
1 tsp. Fresh lemon juice or vanilla
3 egg whites
6 tablespoons of sugar
Use a small pan and mix the cornstarch and cold water throughly. Add boiling water to this cornstarch mix and heat it to boiling over low/medium heat. Keep stirring it! When this mixture gets thick, take if off of the heat and put the pan in cool water to cool this mixture down to room temperature BEFORE we add it. We’ll come back to this pan of cornstarch!
Separate the 3 egg whites from the yolks. Put them in your bowl that you will use to mix with. Now, add the lemon juice or vanilla to the egg whites. ( I have used both and both work well for me. I also use Real Lemon juice from the bottle for this..works great!) Start beating the egg whites and vanilla or lemon juice. Beat them until they stand in soft white peaks. This can take a little while, so don’t hurry it and cut the beating short..your meringue will suffer.
Now, start adding the sugar 1 TABLESPOON at a time!! Beat the heck out of the meringue after EACH tablespoon of sugar. Now keep beating the meringue until it is in Gloss, firm peaks!! It actually will take a really shiny look to it and when you pull your mixer out of it it will stand right up in peaks!
Back to the cornstarch! Make sure it is at room temperature and take a spoon or spatula and add all of the cornstarch at once to the meringue. Now blend the meringue well!
Okay, you are ready to add the meringue to your pie. Make sure your filling is hot!!! Spoon the meringue in great clumps onto the pie filling. Press the meringue firmly at first to make sure you have No air pockets! Bring the meringue all the way to the edge of the crust. DO NOT LEAVE EVEN A PINHOLE NOT COVERED BY MERINGUE!!
When you are sure the meringue has totally covered the pie filling all the way to the crust and you have gotten all of the air bubbles out between the filling and the meringue, you can make little peaks with your spoon or spatula to fancy it up a bit.
Make sure your oven is at 350 degrees before you put the meringue pie in it. Bake it until it’s browned nicely on top. One of the biggest reasons meringue weeps is because it it undercooked. Use a toothpick when you think it is done and test it. If the tooth pick comes out clean, your meringue is done!
Reasons meringue pie weeps.
You haven’t used cornstarch while making the meringue.
You haven’t covered the meringue completely over every bit of pie filling to the edge of the crust.
You haven’t made sure to eliminate air pockets between the filling and the meringue.
Your filling wasn’t hot when you put the meringue on it.
You under baked it.
This recipe for meringue is Ramona Denkman’s. The method of putting it together is mine. This meringue recipe and how it’s put together won me a blue ribbon. And can win you one too. Just remember that anyone can make meringue pie that doesn’t weep if you follow certain steps.
Now go try making a pie and putting your first meringue top on it. Your family’s praise will be your biggest reward!
Source: Ramona Denkman’s recipe ingredients and my method.
