Recipe(tried): Tips to Prevent Meringue Deflation

Dear Ginger,

I too had the same problem, although I live almost at sea level. I was thumbing through a dumb ol' Betty Crocker cookbook one day and found a great tip regarding this problem. This is from Betty Crocker's 40th Anniversary edition. It states that meringue should be thoroughly dry when properly baked and that underbaking can result in a gummy, limp texture, which makes it difficult to remove from the pie plate. To dry and crisp the meringue pie, cool it in the oven, after it is turned off, for the same amount of time as the bake time. In a recipe on the adjacent page it says to bake the meringue in a 400 degree F oven for 8 to 12 minutes. I have found if I cook it in my oven for 10 minutes, turn it off and allow it to cool for an additional 10 minutes, and then finally cool it gradually, away from drafts, it doesn't deflate. Also, if there is humidity in the air your meringue won't come out as well as it will when the air is more dry. Depending on how "fast" your oven is, you may have to experiment somewhat. I have two ovens and I found that one is a little faster than the other when both are set at the same temperature. Good luck, and I hope this works for you.

Marilyn