VEGAN MERINGUES RECIPE RECIPES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 110C/90C fan/gas ¼ and line a baking tray with baking parchment. Drain the can of chickpeas over a bowl, saving the chickpeas for another recipe.
• Using an electric whisk, beat the chickpea water until soft peaks form (similar to egg whites). Add the sugar a little at a time, whisking constantly until thick and glossy. This step is crucial to helping the meringues hold their shape and you'll be whisking for up to 10 mins – far longer than for a traditional meringue.
• Spoon or pipe the meringue mixture over the tray in 8cm blobs. Bake for 1 hr 15 mins until crisp. Leave to cool, then pile with the soya cream and fruit, if using.

Steps:

• 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.