A vegan lifestyle means doesn't mean you can't have meringue - here's a recipe that proves that's not the case!
Ingredients:
The drained liquid from 400g can of chick peas (Aquafaba)
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
125g white sugar (ensure sugar is vegan friendly - see Tips)
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
For the topping:
Strawberries or summer fruit - approximately 2 punnets
400 ml of coconut yogurt or soya cream
This makes 10-12 individual meringue baskets or sufficient meringue 'halves' for 6 pairs.
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 90C Fan, 110C, 230F
Place the chickpea liquid (Aquafaba) into the bowl of an electric mixer.
Start at slow speed and whip until the liquid has become white, and thick - so that stiff white peaks form. It’s important the mix is stiff before you start adding the sugar.
Add the white wine vinegar and whisk.
Add the sugar in slowly while whipping.
Add in the vanilla essence.
Keep whipping until glossy stiff peaks form and it is a stiff mixture that doesn’t fall out when you turn the bowl up-side-down.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Pipe or spoon the meringue mix into round shapes onto the parchment lined tray.
Place into the oven and bake for 2 hours. Switch off the oven but don’t open the door for at least one hour!! I usually leave it to cool for several hours or overnight.
When the meringues are cooled, shortly before serving, whip the cream. Spoon the cream onto the baskets/in the middle of a pair of meringues, top with fruit and serve.