vegan meringue is a strange but wonderful thing, I’m not sure who discovered that by whipping the liquid in a can of chickpeas ( known as aquafaba) with sugar you would get a meringue like treat. I made a watermelon jelly/jam and also soaked some chunks of watermelon and strawberries in some rosewater and I used coconut cream. it was really yummy.
after carrying the watermelon home from town i couldn’t help my self but turn to my partner and say “i carried a watermelon” like baby from dirty dancing. I was desperate to watch it after that and did that evening. growing up it was my favourite film and one summer my friend Vicky and I must of watched it almost 60 times and by the end of the summer we could mouth the whole film with song lyrics word for word. ha ha what weirdos.
- meringue recipe
- the liquid from 1 400g can of chickpeas
- 140g icing sugar
- 1 tsp cream of tartar
- 3 tbsp. crushed freeze dried strawberries
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- …………
- for watermelon jelly/jam
- 1/4 of a large watermelon
- half cup 220g caster sugar
- 3 tbsp. gelatine
- preheat the oven to 100c
- line two baking trays
- in a grease free mixing bowl of a stand mixer add the chickpea water and start to whip once frothy add the sugar a little at a time them whip for about 5 minutes until thick and meringue like. Stir in the cream of tartar and freeze dried strawberries
- I piped on two large pavlova style meringues but they take a lot longer to cook so I would recommend piping smaller individual meringues
- bake for two hours until they feel hard when tapped.
- for jam recombe the pink flesh of the water melon and put into a jelly bag then squeeze as much juice out as possible and discard the left over pulp.
- add into pan with sugar and heat to reduce for 5 minutes
- place gelatine in a dish and cover with water leave for 5 minutes.
- add the gelatine in with the watermelon juice then pour into jar until cold then put in the fridge.
- slice small chunks of melon and strawberries and drizzle over rose water and then sprinkle over 2 tbsp caster sugar
- mix 300ml coconut cream from a tin with 3 tbsp icing sugar
- to assemble then eton mess
- crush meringue add some in to the bottom of each glass then add some watermelon jelly, then coconut cream and the fruit and add the same again.
- I added some chopped pistachios and candied rose petals on top/
I’ve always wanted to try my hand at eton mess, and am even more mind blown that you can create a meringue this way!
I know I was too so strange but good xxx
although this sounds delicious, it is not vegan if you use gelatine in the jam. Try a traditional jelly making recipe or use a vegetable alternative.
yes sorry I realised that, agar agar can be used instead or just add more sugar and reduce until it resemble jam xxx