Vegan meringues
Meringue for all! ‘Aquafaba’, the liquid from a can of chickpeas forms the base for this egg-free meringue. Serve the same day ideally: the meringues will soften and become sticky the longer they are kept.
Each serving provides 20 kcal, 0g protein, 5g carbohydrate (of which 5g sugars), 0g fat (of which 0g saturates), 0g fibre and 0g salt.
Ingredients
- 400g tin cooked organic chickpeas
- 75²µ/2½´Ç³ú caster sugar
Method
Preheat the oven to 120C/100C Fan/Gas ¼. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
Drain the chickpeas in a sieve over a measuring jug – you should have around 150ml/5fl oz of chickpea aquafaba liquid from the can. Weigh out 50g/1¾oz of the liquid. If you need to make more meringues, you can double or triple the ingredients. Keep the remaining chickpea water and chickpeas covered in the fridge for up to 3 days to use in other recipes.
Pour the liquid into a stand mixer, or hand whisk, and mix on a high setting for 2–5 minutes, or until white, light and standing in firm peaks when the whisk is lifted. If you remove the whisk and turn the bowl upside down, the mixture shouldn’t slide. If it does, continue mixing.
Slowly add the sugar to the whisked aquafaba, just a tablespoon at a time, with the mixer on high speed until it is all incorporated. Continue whisking until very firm and glossy – this could take 5 minutes more. The sugar needs to be fully dissolved, so there should be no hint of graininess in the meringue.
Use two dessert spoons to drop 14–16 large spoonfuls of meringue onto the prepared tray, or pipe onto the tray using a large piping bag and star nozzle. Bake for 2 hours. Leave the oven door shut and cool for a further 2 hours before removing from the oven.
Serve the same day ideally, or put into an airtight tin. The meringues will soften and become sticky the longer they are kept.