Baked Merengue is too brittle - Help!

[wanguy2k]

My wife has an old family recipe for Christmas cookies that have a layer of dough, a layer of preserves, then a layer of merengue & nuts on top. She used to bake them in a gas oven and had no problems. We now have an electric oven, and she says the merengue gets too brittle. When she cuts the cookies the merengue breaks up and falls off the cookie when you handle them.

She tried lowering the baking temperature to 325 from 350, same thing. I suggested that she try laying foil over the top for the last ten minutes (or first 10 minutes), but what do I know?

Does any experienced baker know of something she can try: either a different baking method, or maybe an ingredient that would stop the merengue from getting so brittle, or at least would make it cut without breaking up?

[Headless Chicken]

Try a little corn syrup in the meringue.

[momoreg]

Is the meringue in a thick or thin layer?
Is it supposed to be white or brown? Is it normally chewy or completely soft?

This sounds like a unique cookie. Without knowing exactly how it's supposed to be, I can suggest baking the first two components first, and then adding the meringue halfway through.

[wanguy2k]

I'll pass them on.