Meringue
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Dash salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

Pie Shell
1 (9-inch) baked pie shell

1. To make filling - in large bowl, whisk eggs, egg yolks and 1/4-teaspoon salt until well blended. Set aside. In medium saucepan, combine 1 1/4 cups sugar and 1/3 cup cornstarch; mix well. Stir in 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. (Mixture will be very thick.)

2. Slowly add hot cornstarch mixture to egg mixture, whisking constantly. Return mixture to saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add butter; stir until melted. Stir in 2 teaspoons lemon peel and 1/2 cup lemon juice. Cover; let stand while making meringue.

3. To make meringue - in small saucepan, combine 1/3-cup water and 1 tablespoon cornstarch; mix well. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Set aside.

4. In large bowl, combine egg whites, 1/2-teaspoon lemon juice and dash salt; beat at medium-low speed until egg whites are frothy. Increase speed to medium; beat until egg whites hold a soft peak. With mixer running, slowly add 1/2-cup sugar and cornstarch mixture. Increase speed to medium-high; beat until mixture is glossy and egg whites hold a stiff peak. Lightly fold in 2 teaspoons lemon peel.

5. Heat filling over medium-high heat until very hot, stirring constantly. Pour into pie shell. Spoon half of meringue evenly over hot filling, making sure meringue covers all filling and touches crust on all edges. Spoon remaining meringue onto pie and spread evenly. Add decorative swirls with back of spoon.

6. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until meringue is dry to the touch and light brown. Place on wire rack; cool 2 hours or until room temperature. Refrigerate 3 to 4 hours or until chilled. Store in refrigerator.

Tips and problem solving:

Making Creamy Fillings - The fillings in these pies are simple egg custards thickened with cornstarch. Whole eggs as well as egg yolks are used to add body and richness to the filling.

Whisk constantly - Use a wire whisk to stir the cornstarch, sugar and water mixture while it cooks to keep lumps from forming.

Pour slowly - When adding the hot cornstarch mixture to the egg yolks, place the bowl on a damp towel to keep it stable while you whisk. Spoon in the hot mixture slowly. Eggs need time to adjust to heat; they curdle if they're exposed to heat too quickly.

Cook thoroughly - Once the eggs are added to the filling, they must be cooked thoroughly. This not only kills bacteria but also ensures the eggs will not break down the cornstarch and cause the filling to be runny.

Timing's important - Lemon and limejuice are added after the filling is thoroughly cooked. If they're added sooner, they can affect the cornstarch's ability to thicken.

Make it hot - Heat the filling immediately before pouring it into the pie shell and topping with the meringue. Do not allow the filling to cool down before the meringue has been spread or the pie may weep because the cool filling prevents the meringue from baking completely.

Making the Meringue - The key to perfect meringue is the cornstarch-water mixture that is added to the egg whites. Cornstarch produces tender meringues that are less likely to shrink, bead or weep. Add the mixture to the egg whites a tablespoon at a time while the mixture is still warm.

Beating egg whites - For maximum volume, use room temperature egg whites.

Begin beating the egg whites slowly, increasing speed when they are frothy and beating until soft peaks just begin to form.

Continue beating, slowly adding the sugar and then the cornstarch mixture.

Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, this takes a little time. Egg whites are ready when the beaters leave ridges in the whites and they are glossy and hold a stiff peak when the beaters are lifted out.

Spreading meringue - Spread one-half of the meringue over the hot filling, starting at the outside edge. Make sure the meringue touches the crust around the entire edge to avoid shrinkage. Pile the remaining meringue on top and swirl it with a knife or spoon.

Troubleshooting Meringue - If you have a problem with meringue, follow one of these suggestions for solving it:

Weeping - When water seeps between the filling and the meringue, the pie is weeping. This is caused by spreading the meringue over a cool filling, which prevents the meringue from baking completely. Solution: Make sure the filling is hot, even boiling, before pouring it into the pie shell. Immediately spread the meringue over the filling. The hot filling will begin to cook the meringue from the bottom, ensuring even cooking throughout.

Beading - This happens when water droplets form tiny beads on the surface of the meringue. It's caused by over-baking the meringue. When egg whites bake too long, they begin to tighten, squeezing out little drops of moisture. Over-baking also produces a tough meringue. Solution: Bake meringues just until they are light brown and dry to the touch. Egg whites need to be cooked to 160 degrees F. but not so long that they are overdone.

Shrinkage - Meringues may shrink during baking, separating from the crust. This is caused by the meringue not clinging to the crust. Solution: Make sure the meringue is spread over the filling and touches the crust around the entire edge; do not leave any openings around the pie.

Limp or soggy - Humidity affects a meringue's texture. Damp, humid days may cause it to be limp and sticky. Solution: Ideally, meringues should be made on dry days. The cornstarch mixture used in these recipes helps them hold up under humid conditions, but to ensure success, plan to bake when it is less humid.