Steemit Fruits & Veggies Monday - Magical Aquafaba Meringues
Would you believe me if I told you that the brine of a can of Chickpeas could be turned into the lightest and crispiest Meringues?
I will admit that I really was skeptical so it was a wonderful surprise to see the brine turning from frothy to a thick glossy and altogether pipeable meringue mixture!
I only discovered the wonders of Aquafaba when I made a delicious creamy and glossy Magical Mayonnaise that I served with a delicious Lentil Veg Burger last week.
Aquafaba can also be used to make Vegan Butter as well as Macaroons!
The word Aquafaba conjures up something exotic that one would only find in specialty stores but guess what, this is something many of us have in our pantries without even knowing it!
Open up a can of Chickpeas and don't throw the brine down the drain as you always do. This time you drain it into a container and voila, you have magical Aquafaba!
The name comes from the Latin words aqua and faba which means water and bean!
I learned that when pulses like chickpeas and white beans are cooked, starchy substances called amylose and amylopectin as well as some protein and sugars, leaches into the water, which becomes a viscous liquid known as Aquafaba.
In 2014 a French chef discovered that this was an excellent egg white substitute and could also be used as a foaming agent; not only is it vegan-friendly but also suitable for people who are allergic or intolerant to eggs.
As an egg replacement, 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of aquafaba equals one whole egg and 2 tablespoons (30 ml) equals one egg white.
THE RECIPE
- 90ml Aquafaba (Chickpea liquid)
- 1/4 tsp Cream of Tartar
- 125ml Castor Sugar
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla Essence
- A couple of drops of food colouring if you wish
Using an electric beater, whip Aquafaba and Cream of Tartar till it starts to get foamy.
Slowly add Sugar and continue beating till thick, glossy and holds its shape.
Add Essence & a tiny bit of food colouring and beat to blend.
Pipe onto baking paper lined pans.
Bake at 120 C for 90 minutes, leave in oven till it has cooled down altogether.
Pack into airtight containers and serve as is or with whipped Vanilla Coconut Cream.
PS they are quite addictive, so hide it from the kids and the adult kids too, or they'll all be gone in no time!
NOTE:
I will try using a healthier sugar substitute like coconut sugar (finely ground) or Xylitol but most chefs mention that sugar works best so that's what I used in my first attempt. As with conventional meringues, I found castor and even icing sugar works better than regular sugar which sometimes leaves undissolved particles which causes an uneven texture in the meringues.
Unbelievably light and crunchy Vegan Meringues.
Very important to store in an airtight container especially if you live in a humid climate.
A quick look for all the busy people:)
Back to Fruits and Veggies Monday for all the guys and gals, so bring your contribution to this week's Steemit Fruits & Veggies Monday party, hosted by our gracious hostess @lenasveganliving.
A huge shout out to Lena as well as the lovely @plantstoplanks and @vegansofsteemit for the generous weekly prizes, much appreciated by all of us!
Not forgetting a big thank you to the wonderfully talented artist @barbara-orenya, the creator of our lovely Wonkies and all the generous curators who brighten up our Mondays!
You are all amazing!
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This is a masterpiece Lizelle!!! I am a speechless!!! And I am going to try it, but do you think it will work with Xylitol or date sugar?
Thank you Lena, I still want to try making these with a healthier sugar substitute like coconut sugar (finely ground) or Xylitol but in my searching for a recipe, most chefs mention that sugar works best so that's what I used in my first attempt. As long as the substitute is finely grounded. As with conventional meringues, I found castor and even icing sugar works best, regular sugar sometimes leaves undissolved particles and those will cause an uneven texture in the meringues.
I hope we see your interpretation here:)
Always a pleasure Dear Lizelle and thank you too for clarifying that for me. I guess, all I have to do is try and see for myself 😍
Oh my word @lizelle! You have really created something special! Between the mayo and these treats, wow!! I love it! I';ll be trying both of these! Beautiful, you're truly a genius!
I'd love to see your healthier version, have a look at my response to Lena;)
I tried editing this to include a note about that but posted through the beta site and it's not allowing me to edit, have to find out why as I often edit my posts!
Error message pops up - The permlink of a comment cannot be changed.
Would you be able to edit from Steempeak or Steemit.com?
Thanks Fiona, I was editing this from busy.org but went back to the beta site where I originally posted from and managed to edit successfully!
I tried it twice, but it did not succeed, I will definitely try your recipe, thank you very much.
This one definitely worked first time, may just be the cream of tartar is the secret or the sugar you used? I do hope you try this and show us, I know yours would be stunning! Thanks for popping in:)
Thank you @lizelle :)
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Thank you so very much @naturalmedicine, much appreciated!
I came across this the other day - can't remember where - and that you can also use aquafaba to make an omelette. I need to give this a go. Because I make hummus regularly for the market, I often have the brine. And, incidentally, I've been asked to make short bread biscuits for a new health cafe in the village. Now you've given me another idea.... I need to give this a go. Most definitely. Oh, and I'm going to look at the mayonnaise, too, because that, I know I would also have a market for. And, of course, I hate waste. I console myself knowing the brine's going into the compost... But now? Yay!
Oh, and another thought @lizelle - this would make a fabulous casing for a pavlova. Or as an accompaniment for a fruit salad cup. Brilliant. You've got me all inspired! Pity I won't be making hummus for a while. Perhaps I'll find another reason to use chickpeas!!
You can always make a quick bean curry and add the Chickpeas - I'm not a fan of canned foods but when it comes to legumes and pulses, it's often a lifesaver so now always have a selection of those on hand.
With these meringues, some say that they melt quite quickly but mine has been fine and we live in a very humid climate so it would be a good idea to put everything together at the last minute with a pavlova.
I hope we're going to see your Aquafaba creations here:) It's really magical stuff!
Oh, I have tins of beans and chickpeas as regular stand-bys in my pantry! Sunday's Supper for veggies is likely to be a cauli and chickpea curry, anyway ;)
Thanks for the tip on the meringues.
Wow! What should I say? This is a brilliant beyond brilliant idea!!! I cannot believe that Chickpeas brine can be made into meringues had you not presented the idea with detailed explanation and pictures! Amazing! 😍
I am at a lost of words. This is definitely a must try recipe! Thank you @lizelle.
Well I was just as surprised, really was sceptical but more than happy with the results, Aquafaba really is magical! Thank you for stopping by and for the nice comments:)
Excellent post! This is a good idea for those avoiding eggs. And your photos were excellent!
Thank you so much @goldenoakfarm!
These are simply stunning @lizelle! Such beautiful little treats. Another one to add to my list of growing aquafaba uses! Though I need to remember to save the liquid once I cook my chickpeas. As @fionasfavourites mentioned, mine usually goes into the garden to feed the plants, but why not use it to feed us instead?! ;)
Now I've learned something from you and @fionasfavourites, never thought of feeding the plants with this! I hope to see your meringues here;) Thank you for your lovely comments @plantstoplanks:)
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