Vanilla Sea Salt Meringue

This Italian meringue is a little bit more labor-intensive than an ordinary meringue, but it is silky smooth and versatile. Not only can it be used to top lemon or key lime pies, it is beautiful on chocolate and coconut cream pies as well. Since the egg whites are cooked by the hot sugar syrup, this meringue can be enjoyed by the spoonful on top of a slice in place of whipped cream, without any further cooking. It’s especially delicious on autumnal custard pies such as