Safe and No Weep Meringue

Description
This meringue recipe is by Nick Malgieri. It is light and fluffy, and serves many purposes. Add butter and it can be used as a cake frosting or filling. For a no-weep meringue topping for a pie, just omit butter. Top pie and brown under broiler for a few seconds.
 * Contributed by Catsrecipes Y-Group
 * Source: Nick Malgieri, How to Bake, MacMillan, 1996

Ingredients

 * 4 large egg whites (½ cup)
 * 1 cup sugar
 * pinch salt
 * 12 ounces (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened (if making meringue for pies, omit butter)
 * flavoring

Coffee flavoring

 * 3 tablespoons instant espresso powder or coffee
 * 2 tablespoons water, cold coffee or rum

Lemon flavoring

 * 3 tablespoons lemon juice
 * 2 tablespoons lemon peel

Orange flavoring

 * 3 tablespoons Grand Marnier
 * 2 tablespoons orange peel

Raspberry flavoring

 * 10-ounce package of frozen raspberries

Vanilla flavoring

 * 3 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

Directions

 * 1) Place egg whites, sugar and salt in a medium-sized heatproof mixing bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk gently until egg whites are hot (about 140 degrees measured with an instant read thermometer) and sugar is dissolved, about 3 to 4 minutes. The mixture should look thick and syrupy.
 * 2) Remove from heat and whip by machine, on high, until thick and cooled, about 5 minutes.
 * 3) Beat in the butter in large pieces (omit butter if making meringue for pies) and flavorings.
 * 4) Complete beating until buttercream is smooth and spreadable.
 * 5) Use immediately or refrigerate, covered, for up to 5 days.
 * 6) Before using, bring buttercream to room temperature and beat smooth by machine.

Coffee flavoring

 * 1) Dissolved instant espresso powder or coffee in water, cold coffee or rum.

Lemon flavoring

 * 1) Add lemon peel to lemon juice.

Orange flavoring

 * 1) Add orange peel to grand marnier.

Raspberry flavoring

 * 1) Cook down and strain a 10-ounce package of frozen raspberries to make a thick raspberry puree. Makes ¾ cup