Meringue

When I make meringue for pies more often than not it pulls away from the side of the crust as it cools. I also get liquid between the filling and meringue. What am I doing wrong?

I like this recipe. Have had good luck with it.


MERINGUE

Categories: PIES


3 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon dry cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Beat egg whites until frothy and double in size. Sprinkle with sugar mixed with cornstarch and cream of tartar. Beat until egg whites are stiff and all sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Add vanilla. Place meringue on top of cream pie. Bake at 400º for 12-15 minutes, until light brown.

Yield:
"1 pie topping"

-

To keep the meringue from shrinking you need to spread all the way to the sides being careful to seal with the edge of the crust. It's easier to do if you start at the edges and work your way to the middle. When the meringue is almost brown enough turn off the oven and prop the door open allowing the meringue to cool off gradually. To keep the watery stuff from forming bellow the meringue you have to put the meringue on top of hot filling. I understand the theory of cooling the filling--to make the crust less soggy- but the filling needs to be hot to help cook the underside of the meringue. Hope this helps. I've recently started making meringue with the cornstarch mixture and it stands up and piles up beautifully--looks like a restaurant pie.

Meringue

1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/3 cup water
cook until clear and thick.

4 large egg whites
1/4 cream of tartar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar

Beat egg whites with vanilla until frothy.
Mix cream of tartar with sugar.
Add gradually to egg whites and beat until soft peaks form.
Add warm cornstarch mixture a TBS at a time while beating to stiff peaks.
Spread on hot pie filling.
Cook at 325 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown on center rack.

When you spread the meringue do the outside edges first--sealing to pie crust.

To Keep Meringue from Watering (from Taste of Home, June/July/02
If the meringue is placed on a cold or warm filling then browned in a moderate oven, it is not cooked completely. To prevent this, place the meringue over hot filling. Either keep the prepared filling hot in a saucepan until you are ready to fill the crust – or reheat the filling over low heat until it heated through. Pour the hot filling into the crust, immediately spread with the meringue and bake

I learned long ago to put meringue and filled pie in a rather cold oven -- about 225 and bake until golden brown. Also, you MUST have meringue touching all edges of the pie or it will shrink. A bit of cornstarch or arrowroot helps hold a firm meringue.
Nita
http://www.nitasnotes.com/recipes.html

Thank you all for your help I really appreciate it.