Making Perfect Meringue 

• Meringue recipes work better with eggs that are at least 3 or 4 days old. Cold eggs separate more easily than those at room temperature because the whites hold together better.
   
• To separate an egg:  Crack the egg and hold the shell halves over a bowl. Transfer the yolk back and forth between the halves, letting the white drop into the bowl. Do not cut the yolk (whites containing any yolk will not beat properly). Transfer the yolk to another bowl.
   
• The tiniest bit of fat or egg yolk will wreck a meringue. When separating eggs, if a speck of egg yolk falls into the egg whites, lift it out with an empty eggshell half. Do not try to fish it out with your fingers; the oil on your skin will prevent the egg whites from expanding.
   
• After separating, bring egg whites to room temperature to ensure volume when beating, as warmer eggs whip faster than cold eggs. Usually 30 minutes is adequate to obtain room temperature.
   
• Copper, stainless-steel, or glass bowls work best for making meringues. Avoid using plastic bowls for whipping egg whites as they can often harbor traces of grease, which prevents the whites from getting stiff.

• Make sure that all your utensils are immaculately clean, completely grease-free, and completely dry. Meringues are very sensitive and they don't like any moisture. Don't make meringues on a rainy or really humid day (remember that they are mostly air and if that air contains a lot of water, it will have an effect). Avoid letting your fingers touch the areas that will come in contact with the egg whites. That way, you'll avoid leaving oils from your hands on the utensils you just washed.
   
• Place the egg whites into a large, tall bowl and set your mixer to its highest speed and start making bubbles! NOTE: I would not hand beat a meringues (too much work). Beating or whisking causes the protein in the egg whites to unfold, forming films that trap the air bubbles, and the sugar stiffens the foam. As the mixing time increases, the bubbles become smaller and more numerous; this increases the volume and makes a more-stable structure. (A beaten egg white can increase six to eight times its original volume.)
   
• I like to use superfine sugar when making meringue because it dissolves faster than table sugar. When beating egg whites and the recipe calls for sugar, add the sugar at the very end when the whites have formed soft peaks. Gradually add the sugar, a few spoonfuls at a time, beating the whole time. As a general rule, add a total of 1/4 cup of sugar for each egg white. Do not make meringues that have less than 2 tablespoons of sugar per egg white. If you use any less, the foam will not set and the meringue will shrink. To tell if the sugar is dissolved when you are beating egg whites for meringues, rub a bit of the foam between your fingers. If it feels gritty, the sugar is not dissolved, so keep beating for a few minutes.
   
• By varying the amount of sugar in the final mix, you control how hard or soft the final meringue will be.
  
  

For soft peaks - place egg whites in a clean glass or metal bowl (not plastic), and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed or with a rotary beater until egg whites form peaks with tips that curl over when the beaters are lifted. For stiff peaks, continue beating egg whites on high speed until they form peaks with tips that stand straight when the beaters are lifted.

For stiff peaks - continue beating egg whites on high speed until they form peaks with tips that stand straight when the beaters are lifted.
 

• Once you start a making whipped egg whites, continue it straight through and finish it off. Do not stop halfway to take a break.
   
• The meringue is done when it is not runny and when you can hold a spoonful of it upside down and none of it drops off. Also when you swirl a spoon through it and the swirls hold their shape indefinitely.
   
• Make the meringue first - then prepare the filling. Place meringue on the piping-hot filling to begin cooking the bottom of the meringue. The residual heat carried by the filling cooks the base of the meringue ever so slightly, making it less prone to leaking or shrinking.
   
• Meringues will become more done if you bake them at a lower temperature for a longer time. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes.
   
• Meringue Pies should be stored under an inverted bowl at room temperature. Remember, meringue pies only last a day or two, and then the meringue starts breaking down. If you place any cooked meringue in the refrigerator, no matter how long you baked it, it will bead and weep.
   
• To cut baked meringue into serving pieces, use a knife dipped in cold water.