Pie meringue: hard to beat

A lemon meringue pie is right up there with apple pie as a favorite dessert. However, what makes the lemon pie more challenging is the meringue. Here are a few steps toward creating a puffy, moist and glossy meringue.

First the basics:

• Eggs separate more easily when cold, but you'll get greater volume if you let the whites stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before beating.

• Adding an acid, such as cream of tartar, strengthens the meringue's structure. Add 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar before beating the whites.

• Sugar stabilizes the beaten foam, helping it to hold its shape. Use 2 tablespoons granulated sugar per egg white. Baker's sugar and superfine sugar work best because they dissolve faster than regular granulated sugar.

Avoid texture problems

The amount and speed of beating also affects meringue. Underbeating introduces too little air, and the meringue will not rise adequately. Overbeating can cause the mixture to get grainy and lose volume or collapse. Too high a beating speed, and the sugar will not have time to dissolve.

Avoid these problems. Begin beating the egg whites on low, increasing to medium-low when they are frothy, and beating just until soft peaks begin to form. Continue beating, slowly adding the sugar a tablespoon at a time. Turn the mixer to medium and beat until the beaters leave ridges in the meringue, and the whites are glossy and hold stiff peaks when the beaters are lifted out.

Make sure the sugar has dissolved. To test, rub a little of the meringue between your fingers: It should feel smooth. If it's grainy, continue beating.

Something to cry about

Undercooking the meringue can cause weeping, the liquid that forms just under the meringue. To help prevent this, spread the meringue on top of the filling while the filling is very hot, which immediately starts to cook the meringue. Using a metal spoon or spatula, start at the outside edge of the pie and spread the meringue so there are no spaces between the filling and meringue. Also, to avoid shrinkage, make sure the meringue touches the crust around the entire edge.

Some recipes suggest sprinkling a few fine cake or bread crumbs on top of the filling before adding the meringue. They will absorb excess moisture from the meringue and virtually disappear by the time the pie is ready to be served.

To prevent beading — the tiny balls of golden liquid that form on the meringue surface — avoid overbaking. Bake the pie in a 350-degree oven for about 15 minutes or until the meringue turns golden. While traditional recipes may call for higher temperatures and shorter baking times, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends the longer time to protect against salmonella bacteria growth.

Once it's baked, the pie should be cooled away from windows and doors, so that no drafts can cause the meringue to shrink.

Meringue pie is best served the day it is made. Refrigerate if it is going to sit longer than two hours.

If, despite following these tips, you still have problems with meringue, use the following recipe. It makes a meringue that is not as light and airy as some recipes, but it won't weep or bead.

No-weep meringue

Makes enough meringue for 1 pie

1 tablespoon cornstarch

6 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/2 cup water

3 egg whites, at room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan, cook cornstarch, sugar and water over medium heat until thick. Cool to room temperature and add egg whites, unbeaten. Beat on medium speed until shiny, stiff peaks form. Spread over hot pie filling and bake for 15 minutes.