Chocolate Meringue Pie Recipe - Grandma's Meringue Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why is my chocolate meringue pie runny? ›

Why is the meringue weeping liquid? Meringue weeps when it's unstable. Either the sugar wasn't incorporated and dissolved properly, or it's too wet or humid in the air. Don't rush the double boiler step of melting the sugar into your egg whites.

Weeping and shrinking (when the meringue pulls away from the crust) are two common problems, but they are avoidable. Refrigeration makes meringue weep more quickly, so let the pie stand at room temperature in a draft-free spot before serving it.

Always prepare the meringue before preparing the pie filling so it's ready to spread while the filling is still hot. The heat from the filling will "cook" the meringue onto the filling and make it less likely to leak or shrink. Seal the meringue completely to the edge of the pie so it touches the crust.

When you spread the meringue on top of your pie filling, make certain to seal the edges of the pie. Leaving gaps allows moisture to collect and seep underneath, causing that dreaded separation between pie and meringue.

If the meringue mixture becomes flat or runny when the sugar is added then it usually means that the egg whites were not quite whisked enough before the sugar was added. It sometimes helps to whisk the whites, then add a tablespoon of sugar and whisk the whites back to medium peaks before adding the rest of the sugar.

The trick is to store the baked, cooled meringues in the freezer, where the dry, cold air prevents them from attracting moisture and losing their crispness. This means you can make plain meringue cookies anytime, yes, but you'll also have so many other desserts waiting at your fingertips.

Cornstarch: Cornstarch is an excellent way to foolproof your meringue. Use it to create added fluff and keep your hard-won volume from shrinking. Cream of Tartar: Often added in when making meringues, acidic cream of tartar provides lift and stabilization.

A: Meringues can be so problematic because they are foams made with egg whites, which are mostly water and particularly sensitive to heat. Make sure you're spreading your meringue over a hot — not cooled — pie filling.

It can be made with any sugar. One cup of superfine sugar or packed brown sugar is equal to 1 cup of granulated sugar; 1-3/4 cups powdered sugar equals 1 cup granulated. Superfine sugar may dissolve more readily and produce a smoother glossier meringue, but volume will not be as great.

What does vinegar do in meringue? ›

Acid. Whether it be vinegar, lemon juice, cream of tartar, or a combination, an acid will greatly improve the structure of meringue. Acid not only helps meringue whip up and aerate more quickly, it also keeps it stable. Without acid, meringue is more likely to collapse either during or after mixing.

Turn the whisk around and examine the bottom of the meringue that was collected on the whisk. It should have soft but distinct formed waves on the bottom. If the meringue is chunky, the waves are chunky, or there are too many little hard peaks all over the meringue, that means you've over whipped.

This can happen for several reasons: if the cooking process was rushed, if the filling wasn't carefully watched and stirred frequently, the filling was overcooked, the stovetop heat was too high, or if the pie isn't given enough time to chill. Any ingredient substitutions could also result in a runny chocolate pie.

Pudding is usually runny because it has been stored in the refrigerator for too long or in an open space. Another cause could be due to improper cooking methods.

You overheat the eggs, used too much sugar or exposed the meringue to excess humidity. Dew point above 65° will do it. Next time use an Italian meringue for pastry to be kept overnight.