Meringue Pie Topping
3 egg whites at room temp
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
6 tablespoons sugar
Beat ; egg whites with vanilla and cream of tartar till foamy
Spread ; meringue over hot filling covering completely - don't leave any spaces.
Hints:
use a clean, dry bowl - just a smidge of anything in the bowl and your whites will not whip - they will be soupy (especially if their is the tiniest bit of grease in your bowl)
some like to use superfine sugar because it dissolves easier than regular sugar - sugar is important - it helps to stablize the whites and hold their shape
once you start to beat your egg whites, do not stop - whip straight through and use immediately - they will break down!
underbeating will result in inadequate meringue - overbeating will cause it to collapse
beat whites on low speed until foamy, then one at a time add cream of tartar, lemon juice or vanilla (depending on recipe), continue whipping until they become opaque and hold their shape, increase speed to medium-high while slowly adding sugar in a slow stream, continue beating until the whites thicken and form soft, droopy and glossy white peaks form when you slowly lift the beaters from the meringue. If a recipe calls for stiff peaks, continue beating until stiff peaks form. Do not overbeat.
do not let your filling cool - or your meringue will shrink
the cornstarch will help prevent weeping, beading and shrinking
weeping is caused by undercooked meringue which frequently occurs when beaten meringue is spooned onto a cool filling
do not use old eggs
I hope this helps.