Ah, the science of meringues. It looks so cotton-pickin' simple to be so entailed and troublesome.... "Experts" have all kinds of tips and tricks, as well as the different types of meringue to choose from, and conflicting opinions about what to do and not do.

There are two classic problems with the lower-sugar American soft meringues on pies - weeping and beading. Weeping is caused by undercooking. The meringue doesn't get hot enough to cook all the way through. The beads on the top of the meringue are caused by overcooking or undissolved sugar (use super-fine sugar or hot sugar syrup used in Italian meringues).

If you pile the meringue on a totally hot and runny pie filling, the meringue sinks. The filling needs to be firm enough to hold the meringue, so pile the meringue on a slightly warm filling. Cool the filling just enough to firm up - but not cold nor hot and runny. That's the opinion of one "expert". Yet another says to make sure the mixture is being placed on a piping hot filling, so that the beaten egg whites cook through quickly and do not break down. I personally use the first method over the hot filling method. You've tried the hot filling method, see if you get different results using the warm, but set, filling method the next time.

Choose a meringue recipe that has cornstarch in it. This aids in preventing both shrinking and weeping, and as a bonus you'll get more gloss.

Heating the whites before beating is another technique and is done by placing the mixing bowl with the whites, sugar and cream of tartar in a hot water bath and gently stirring the mixture. Heat the mixture to a temperature between 120- and 140-degrees and then immediately beats at high speed until the peaks remain when the beater is lifted. This method also shortens the beating time. The combination of the warm meringue and the set, but still warm filling, and the meringue will cook through to help prevent weeping.

Find a copy of "BakeWise" by Shirley O. Corriher (check your local library for a copy or inter-library loan) for more information and a number of recipes to choose from.

-Grainlady

Grainlady, Thanks for such a detailed response!

I will heat the whites - do it often for Italian Meringue butter cream. What a great way to achieve the desired results.
Do you use more sugar? If so, how much per egg white?

Thanks,
Becky

(Bill) Greenwood's Great High Meringue
(source: BakeWise)

Makes enough for one "mile-high" meringue topping for one 9 to 10-inch pie.

1-1/2 T. (0.4 oz or 11 g) cornstarch stirred into 1/2 c. (118 ml) room temperature water
6 lg egg whites (6-oz / 170 g)
3/4 t. (2 g) cream of tartar
3/4 c. (5.3 oz / 150 g) sugar
1 t. (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt
(secret ingredient option: dry fine bread or cake crumbs, for sprinkling)

1. Arrange a shelf in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375-degrees F (191-degrees C)

2. In a small saucepan, heat the cornstarch and water over med. heat, stirring steadily with a whisk until thick and cloudy. Reserve until needed.

3. Make a hot water bath by boiling 1-inch of water in a large skillet. Turn off the heat.

4. Place the egg whites in a heatproof mixing bowl. Stir together the cream of tartar and the sugar, then stir both into the egg whites. Place the mixing bowl in the hot water bath, stirring constantly until the egg-white mixture reaches between 120 to 130-degrees F (49-54-degrees C.). Do not overheat. Stirring gently, keep at this temperature for 2 minutes. Move the warm whites immediately to the mixer and beat on the highest speed until you have stiff peaks. Beat in the cornstarch mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time. Whisk in the vanilla and a pinch of salt.

When the pie filling has cooled enough to set, sprinkle fine bread or cake crumbs on the filling, then pile the meringue on. To produce wonderful peaks, start in the center of the pie, insert the spatula down into the meringue, and fluff the meringue up and out toward the edge of the pie. Add more meringue and continue to fluff it magnificently high. Bake at 375-degree F (191-degrees C) until the tips of the peaks are dark brown but the valleys are still white.

Yes, try that. (such a wealth of info, grainbrain, : )
My grandmother had a Diner up until i was about 10-12ish.
I watched her many times and coconut meringue was my favorite. I consumed enough for a lifetime back then. A shame her recipes do not exist but doubt she ever wrote down full directions.
With a quick search, the only recipe remotely similar to what i remember is this one. The photo is over the top gorgeous but MomNellie's even looked like this...

Here is a link that might be useful: coconut cream pie

All those darn recipes out there are disasters in the waiting!!

Thanks again Grain lady! You are amazing.

I now have a new book on my Christmas List. Love Shirley O. Corriher in Good Eats and never knew she had a cookbook.

Shirley has Cookwise (everyone interested in baking bread, and the science behind it, should read the first 100-pages of this 400+ page book) - and her second book - BakeWise. There is also little DVD entitled "Shirley O. Corriher's Kitchen Secrets Revealed!". I think she's just so darn cute and a great teacher of food science. -Grainlady