Beat the whites of six eggs to a very stiff froth (you can not beat them too stiff; and if they are not stiff the meringue will not be good.) While beating, add a saltspoonful of salt, also a teaspoon-ful of sugar; when well beaten up add half a pound of sugar, and stir it very lightly in, yet be careful to see it is well stirred in. This being ready, take the pie after baking (usually a lemon pie), and with a knife spread a thin coating of the meringue all over it; then with a cone (the same as used in other icing), filled with the meringue icing, proceed to work out some design. When finished return it to the oven to take a light brown color. You can work any design in this as well as in icing-sugar, but the patterns for this are larger, consequently are done with a cone with a larger portion cut off the point. For centers of meringue pies you can use such designs

Dessert Charlotte Russe.

Meringue Top.

356) as an ear of com, an anchor, a "true lover's knot." a Maltese cross, a bunch of grapes, or whatever the fancy dictates; you can further decorate it with fruit jelly in addition to the meringue piping, putting on the jelly with a cone, and in the same manner as for piping. Chocolate is not used on meringue work, neither is the meringue ever colored except in some cases when it is colored a light cream color; pink colored sugar is sometimes sprinkled over it. To color this sugar, simply drop a little cochineal color on some granulated sugar, and rub it together until colored, then dry it, then rub it apart and keep it in a bottle ready for use. It will keep its color for years. I give one design (page 355) for the top of a meringue pie just as a guide.