Yesterday, I shared three vintage recipes from the 1970 Betty Crocker cookbook for Lemon Meringue Pie: the crust, filling, and meringue. Today, I made the pie from scratch! As a retired chef, Iโ€™ve always struggled with meringue, and I think I finally figured out why. The recipe calls for adding 1/2 tsp of vanilla at the end of beating. I had perfect stiff peaksโ€”could even hold the bowl over my head!โ€”but after adding the vanilla, the meringue deflated. I used it anyway, though I donโ€™t recall my mom ever adding vanilla to hers.

The pie still turned out amazing, and Iโ€™ve already devoured a third of it! ๐Ÿ˜‹ Has anyone else had issues with vanilla in meringue?

by SocialChefMark

12 Comments

  1. vintageideals

    Great looking pie nonetheless! ๐Ÿ’›

  2. I was married at 16. Betty Crocker was my go to. I made this pie when I was about 20 years old. Everyone loved it. I made it for every occasion for a year. Then. Done. lol. It was so good. I have made them over the years but donโ€™t overdo it now.

  3. HaplessReader1988

    I think my mom had us start the eggs whites with the vanilla already in it for angel food cake.

    You could also try vanilla sugar instead of sugar + vanilla extract.

  4. eeyorenator

    What sort of vanilla did you use? Imitation, essence etc?

  5. InvisiblePluma7

    Try a vanilla paste mixed into the egg whites at the beginningย 

  6. idanrecyla

    My beautiful,ย  incomparable,ย  mother,ย  was not a baker yet this pie was something she took great pride in making,ย  every few years. She got the cream of tartar just for it,ย  and somehow whipped the peaks perfectly, it was heavenlyย