Vegan meringue kisses: perfectly pretty, sweet and crisp vegan meringue kisses with no animals products in sight!
Utter bewilderment is the only way I can define my feeling about these vegan meringue kisses. Sheer utter bewilderment.
If you told me two years ago that one could make perfectly crisp, sweet and satisfying meringues without using a single egg white, I’d laugh in your face. Turns out that you absolutely can!
By replacing the usual egg whites with the brine from a can of chickpeas, you can make amazing meringues without the hassle of shattered egg-shells, wasted yolks or the price of decent free-range eggs! Yup, you’re damn right I said chickpeas.
Shudder all you want, these little crispy dreams don’t taste anything like chickpeas. They take a little longer to whip together than regular egg whites, but when baked into mini meringue kisses or even a giant chewy pavlova they provide nothing but pleasure. Plus, no old hens had to do any work to help you make these!
All you’ll need is the liquid from a can of chickpeas, some sugar and any colouring or flavouring you fancy. Easy, huh?
Excuse the bandaged thumb, but the savage chunk of skin/nail that my favourite knife gauged out of me while slicing a pepper is not a sight for sensitive audiences…
Anyway!
Just pour the chickpea brine into the bowl of a food mixer and whip, whip, whip away on the highest speed until the brine is white and holding soft peaks.
You will need some patience here I’m afraid, the chickpea brine can take anything from 15-25 minutes to whip fully so just give it some time. I said they were easy, not quick…sorry!
Once holding stiff peaks, just add the sugar a spoonful at a time and continue to whip the mixture until it holds stiff peaks just like a proper meringue mix.
At this stage you can add any colouring or flavouring you like, I poured in a little vanilla extract and a dash of pink food colouring!
Then, if making meringue kisses rather than a whopping great pavlova, simply spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle…
And pipe them in pretty shapes onto a lined baking tray!
Then simply pop them in the oven for 50-60 minutes depending on how crunchy you like your meringues. Allow them to cool completely in the oven with the door open to crisp up some more.
With that, you have your very own (bewildering) vegan meringues! These are great just as they are, or you could crush them over cream or yoghurt or even sandwich them with jam or buttercream and serve them for a teatime treat. No matter which method you use to get these into your gob, they’re guaranteed to please!
Vegan Meringue Kisses
Perfectly pretty, crisp vegan meringue kisses with no animals products in sight!
Notes
BE A MAVERICK: If you want to make one large meringue for a pavlova instead, add 2 tsp cornflour and 1 tsp white wine vinegar to the mixture to help produce a nice chewy texture!
Ingredients
- Liquid from a 400g (14 oz) can of chickpeas
- 250g (1 ¼ cups) caster sugar
- 1-2 tsp flavouring (optional)
- Few drops of food colouring (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 130 C / 110 C fan / 250 F / gas mark 1.
- Pour the chickpea liquid into a large bowl or food mixer and whip on high speed until it forms soft white peaks, this can take anything from 15-25 minutes.
- When forming peaks, slowly add the sugar one spoonful at a time and continue to whip the mixture until it reaches stiff peaks.
- Once stiff, continue to whip briefly while you incorporate your chosen flavouring/colouring if using.
- Spoon mixture into a piping bag and pipe pretty shapes onto a lined baking tray until you have used it all up.
- Bake the meringues for 50-60 minutes depending on how crunchy you like them, then allow to cool completely in the oven with the door ajar.
- Crush them, sandwich them or simply snack on them plain, these are a delicious and truly guilt-free delight!
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Recently learned that in places that aren’t the US they call what we know as corn starch by the name corn flour. We have something completely different called corn flour. Is this true in the British Isles?
Yes, we call it corn flour!
These look great but if you add 1/4 -1/2 tsp cream of tartar they shouldn’t crack…. love the pink though 🙂