I have found when making meringue for lemon meringue pie (which I know has much less sugar in it) that it helps if you let the sugar and egg white sit in the bowl together to dissolve for a little while before whipping. It seems to stop the occasional problem of weeping syrup. I've not tried making pavlova that way simply because I always made it the same way you do - but would it work I wonder, or do you definitely have to whip the whites first before adding the sugar because of the sheer amount of it? sandrascookbook.com Allowing the sugar to dissolve in the egg is a great idea when trying to prevent the excess weeping, but for a true, lofty meringue, you would need to add the sugar gradually. This would also be true for the Pavlova. There are two options to consider: One is to reduce the amount of sugar altogether, and the other is to use a superfine sugar that would dissolve faster. In the case of a lemon meringue pie, there is the chance that if it is releasing a lot of liquid, the filling may not have been cooked long enough. If the eggs are not brought to a certain temperature, they can have enzymatic reactions and cause the filling to weep. I hope you find this helpful. ~Amy

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