How to Keep the Meringue Pie Top From Deflating

Make sure your meringue stays light and fluffy.

When you are baking, it's disappointing and frustrating to see your meringue turn into a mess. If you want to make a beautiful lemon meringue pie, there are a few tricks you can use to get the perfect topping each and every time. Of course, practice makes perfect and your friends and family won't mind if it take you a few tries to get the technique right.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• A good meringue pie recipe.
• Common kitchen tools such as bowls, spatulas, spoons, measuring utensils.
• The will to achieve a perfect meringue topping for your pies.

1. Beat the egg whites thoroughly or else the meringue can fall because the sugar crystals aren't incorporated throughout the egg whites. This is a common mistake.

2. Start by separating the eggs while they are still cold. This helps the whites to fall away from the yolks easier. After separating the eggs, allow the egg whites to come to room temperature before you start beating them. The warmer whites whip up to a fluffier consistency and hold the air better.

3. Add the salt and cream of tarter to the egg whites when they get to the foamy stage. This ensures the egg white mixture achieves a good volume, which the cream of tarter helps to maintain.

4. Spread the meringue all the way across the pie, making sure the topping overlaps the crust all the way to the edge of the dish. Doing so minimizes the shrinkage of the meringue top during the baking process.

5. Follow your recipe's baking instructions to achieve a beautiful meringue top. But keep in mind that you may need to adjust the cooking time depending on the thickness of the meringue. Smart bakers keep a close watch on the oven and remove the pie when the tufts and peaks of the meringue reach a wonderful golden brown.

Tips & Warnings

• You have your choice of beating methods. While some bakers like to use a hand beating method for their egg whites, a good number of successful meringue makers will opt for an electric rotary hand mixer in order to get a beautiful, hard meringue.

• Don't add the sugar too early. Wait until the egg whites reach soft peaks since adding the sugar too early can keep the meringue from reaching full volume.