One of the treats Simeon missed when he switched to a vegan diet was lemon meringue pie – in fact all meringue to be honest. Thankfully there is a way to create a vegan option using aquafaba. Aquafaba has so many great uses in recipes. It is simply the starchy liquid from a can of chickpeas. I always save the liquid and keep it in the fridge until needed. For a crispy meringue you do need to use regular sugar. I have tried it with xylitol but it really is not great.
Make little halloween style ghosts by decorating them with a little melted chocolate as in the picture.
Overview
Difficulty – Easy
Time – 20 minutes preparation and 60 minutes cooking
Serves 6-8
What’s good about it?
Aquafaba is a great alternative to eggs in dishes. Ideal for meringues but it also helps binds mixtures such as pancake and waffle batters or for adding to cakes and muffins.
- Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
- Place the chilled aquafaba in a large bowl or food processor with the white wine vinegar and xanthum gum and whisk until it is thick and stiff. You should be able to tip the bowl upside down without it falling out.
- Gradually one spoonful at a time add the sugar while whisking. Continue until it is glossy and stiff.
- Spoon the mixture into a piping bag.
- Pipe little meringues onto the baking tray making sure they are spaced apart
- Prehea the oven to 100C. Bake in the oven for at least 60 minute until firm and dry. Turn off the oven then open the door a little and leave in there for another 1 hour.
- Once cooled you can pipe them with a little melted chocolate to make eyes and mouths.
- Store in an airtight container.
Did You Know?
You could colour the meringue mixture with natural food colourings if wished before piping. This same recipe can be used for merginue toppings on pies.
120 ml / ½ cup (can of liquid) aquafaba ideally chill before using
1 tsp white wine or apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp xanthum gum
100g caster sugar