Meringue

For 2 standard pies:

4 egg whites, at room temperature
8 T. sugar
1 t.vanilla
cream of tartar, optional*
cornstarch, optional**

Beat the egg whites on high until they start to foam. *Add cream of tartar, if desired (my mother never used it). When the mixture starts to thicken, add sugar, one spoonful at a time. Continue to beat until stiff. Add vanilla. **Add cornstarch if it is a rainy or humid day. It will absorb the moisture. Place on pies. Place pies in an oven preheated to 350 degrees and lightly brown.(mom always put the pies in the oven and then turned it off, but my pies don't brown that way.)

***If you only need meringue for 1 pie, only use 2 egg whites and 4 T. sugar (a good rule of thumb is to use 2 T sugar for every egg white)