How to Keep the Meringue Pie Top From Deflating

When you are baking, nothing can be as depressing as having your meringue turn into a mess. Whenever you decide to make a lemon meringue pie, there are actually a couple of tricks that you need to know in order to help you get the perfect pie topping each and every time. Of course, practice makes perfect and your friends and family will probably love the fact that you will end up having several different pies that you have made for them to sample!

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

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. One of the most common mistakes that people will make is not beating their egg whites thoroughly. This can lead to a fallen meringue top because the sugar crystals will not end up incorporated thoroughly throughout the egg white mixture. Along with that, you want to make sure that you have your egg whites at the correct temperature before beating them. Read on.
2. Separating your egg whites. You always want to start off by separating your eggs while they are still cold. This will allow the whites to fall away from the yokes easier. THEN, it is very important that you allow your egg whites to come to ROOM TEMPERATURE. By following this step every time, you will be allowing more air into them when you begin beating, thus a fluffier consistency.
3. Full volume egg whites. Always remember to add your salt and cream of tarter (which should both be in your recipe) to your egg whites when they get to the foamy stage. This will help to ensure your egg white mixture will achieve a good amount of volume and the cream of tarter will help to hold them there.
4. Spreading is another important step when you are covering your pie with meringue top. Some people tend to forget to cover the WHOLE surface of the pie with the mixed egg whites. Failure to cover the entire top so the egg whites are actually overlapping to the edge of the dish can lead to shrinkage of the meringue top or even falling during the baking process.
5. Following your recipe for baking instructions is also key when achieving a beautiful meringue top. However, depending on the actually thickness of your meringue, you will need to adjust as necessary. Most smart bakers will keep a close watch on the oven and bake the pie until the tufts and peaks of the meringue reach a wonderful golden brown color.

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.
• Never add the sugar to your meringue to early. Only when the egg whites reach soft peaks should the sugar be added. Adding the sugar too early will hinder the full volume that you are trying to achieve.