My husband absolutely LOVED this pie! He is a huge fan of chocolate meringue so a lot was at stake here. I followed the directions exactly and found it to be really easy. I did however use my grandmother's crust recipe instead of store bought. It was not runny and I cooled the pie overnight and then did the meringue right before we sat down for dinner.

Shelia- for any filling that includes eggs and requiers stove-top cooking, you MUST get the eggs to cook until they reach 180-degrees F. Otherwise the enzymes in the eggs aren't destroyed and they will keep the filling from staying "firm". Even if you bake the filling until it 'sets', the filling will be runny after letting the pie cool or set in the fridge overinight. As meringue goes, they are high-maintenance! Use 1/8 tsp. of cream of tarter per egg white, this should help keep it firm.

Shelia- for any filling that includes eggs and requiers stove-top cooking, you MUST get the eggs to cook until they reach 180-degrees F. Otherwise the enzymes in the eggs aren't destroyed and they will keep the filling from staying "firm". Even if you bake the filling until it 'sets', the filling will be runny after letting the pie cool or set in the fridge overinight. As meringue goes, they are high-maintenance! Use 1/8 tsp. of cream of tarter per egg white, this should help keep it firm.

The problem is your not cooking the filling long enough. However, homemade chocolate pies tend to be a bit watery. Definitely do not chill the pie before the meringue. It should all be one step. My grandmother always made chocolate pies without the crust. Like a homemade chocolate pudding with meringue. SO YUMMY!

The problem is your not cooking the filling long enough. However, homemade chocolate pies tend to be a bit watery. Definitely do not chill the pie before the meringue. It should all be one step. My grandmother always made chocolate pies without the crust. Like a homemade chocolate pudding with meringue. SO YUMMY!

Sheila, Your meringue is "weeping". This pie calls for chilling the filling prior to adding meringue which adds to the problem, not allowing the meringue to bake completely. But, make sure your egg whites are at room temp before beating so that you get a good amount of volume from them. Also, make sure your meringue is spread entirely to the edge of the crust. Unfortunately, refrigeration will make your meringue weep more. This pie needs to be topped and eaten immediately to avoid the weep

Sheila, Your meringue is "weeping". This pie calls for chilling the filling prior to adding meringue which adds to the problem, not allowing the meringue to bake completely. But, make sure your egg whites are at room temp before beating so that you get a good amount of volume from them. Also, make sure your meringue is spread entirely to the edge of the crust. Unfortunately, refrigeration will make your meringue weep more. This pie needs to be topped and eaten immediately to avoid the weep

I don't think that was the problem as I have made this same chocolate filling four times. Twice I put the meringue on and that was when it was runny...watery. Two other times I put whipped cream on the same filling and it stayed firm. So, my suspicion lies with the meringue.

I don't think that was the problem as I have made this same chocolate filling four times. Twice I put the meringue on and that was when it was runny...watery. Two other times I put whipped cream on the same filling and it stayed firm. So, my suspicion lies with the meringue.

Sheila - Maybe you didn't wait long enough while the chocolate mixture was on the stove? The instructions are a bit misleading - "until the first large bubble forms" refers to when the mixture thickens and starts to boil, not the foam that appears soon after it starts heating. You will notice a definite change in consistency when it thickens and then starts to bubble.