Vegan Swiss Meringue

Ready for dessert? Enjoy this meringue anyway you want, even if it's just on a spoon (yummmm!) You may be surprised by what actually makes the meringue, but don't let your shock keep you away from this absolutely delicious treat! Let's make meringue!

For this recipe you will need a stand mixer, preferably. If you don't have a stand mixer, use an electric hand mixer. If all you have is a whisk, then roll up your sleeves and get in a few push ups - you've got work to do!

INGREDIENTS

+ 3 cups of aquafaba (the strained bean water from about 3-4 cans of chickpeas)

So let's stop here... some of you may be in shock; "...did she say chickpeas???" YES, chickpeas! I know, it sounds crazy, but I promise you the end result tastes NOTHING like chickpeas. It only tastes delicious. Here's the thing, the protein in chickpeas, acts a lot like egg whites. That said, this recipe doesn't seem to work as well with other types of beans. So grab your aquafaba (sounds a lot better than bean water, right?) and let's go!

+ 1 1/2 cups raw cane sugar

+ 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (separated)

+ 1 teaspoon cream of tartar

+ pinch of kosher salt

INSTRUCTIONS

In a heavy saucepan add the aquafaba, sugar and 1 tsp of the vanilla. Heat over medium heat, until sugar dissolves, and reduces by about half. Mixture should be thick and bubbly and coat the back of a spoon. To test, coat the back of the spoon with the liquid and swipe your finger across the spoon. If the liquid and swipe stay put, its ready to go.

This is the most important step. You can just whip up aquafaba, straight away without this step, but your meringue won't last more than 24 hours (trust me! I speak from experience, lol!) and won't have the wonderful billowy peaks that we all love in meringue. Your goal is to reduce the water from the aquafaba mixture to a point where the sugar and protein from the beans are dominant. The more water in your mixture the faster your meringue will drop. The less water, the longer it will stand.

Pour the hot liquid (be careful!) into a stand mixer. Add the 2nd teaspoon of vanilla, cream of tartar, and the salt. Begin to mix the mixture on low for about 5 minutes until frothy. Increase the speed to a medium high speed until liquid is thick. Turn the mixer on high and let mix for about 15 minutes or until you begin to notice peaks that stay in place.

You're done! That's it! The first day is always the best day to use this meringue, but it can be stored in an air tight container in your fridge for about 5 days. Enjoy!