Tips for Making a Really Great Meringue For Your Pie

Making a meringue for a cream pie can be intimidating, but it really is pretty simple.

You can find different recipes for making meringue.
They are pretty much the same.

But no matter the recipe, there are some things you can do to make sure your meringue comes out great every time.

First thing is to make sure you have ABSOLUTELY no yolk or shell or any bit of fat in the bowl you are using to make the meringue.
The whites need to be free of fat to get fluffy and white like you want.

Let the egg whites warm up to room temperature before beating them. The will get bigger if they are at room temperature.

When it comes time to add the sugar, add it slowly. Just one tablespoon at a time. If you add too much sugar too soon, the egg whites don't hold up as well and the meringue will not be as smooth and velvety.

Make sure the meringue is beat to very stiff peaks.

When putting meringue on pie, make sure the pie filling is hot.
Also make sure to seal the filling in well with the meringue.
If it isn't sealed in well, the meringue will end up shrinking and than weeping.

Shielding Your Pie

This is a pie shield.

Many times when you bake a pie the directions tell you to use a foil ring for part of the baking time.

What is the purpose?

Sometimes the crust can get too dark before the pie is fully baked.

Covering the outer edges of the crust will help prevent this.

Is this important?

It can be.

Depending on the type of crust you make and if you use an egg or milk wash.

Pie crusts made with shortening normally do not darken at all, unless they have been brushed with an egg wash or milk to add color.

So, when making a plain shortening crust you probably can skip using the foil ring.

If you make a crust with butter or any dairy products, the crust will darken so having a foil ring can be necessary.

Also, use one when you have brushed the top of the crust with egg wash or milk.

You can make a foil ring by taking a long strip of foil and shaping it into a ring that will cover the outer edges of the pie.

Another easier solution is cutting a hole on the bottom of a disposable foil pie plate.

I have done this and it works well.

Another even easier thing to do, is to buy a pie shield. They are a good idea if you bake a lot of pie. It is just a ring of metal you lay over the pie. You can get one of these for about $5 or so.