I was fascinated to learn that the water from chick peas (aquafaba), or in fact any legumes, behaves a lot like eggs in various recipes, including meringues. As you probably know by now, I’m not a vegan but I found these meringues amazing. They have a more interesting, nutty flavour than egg meringues and the mixture is very stable. I flavoured mine with orange blossom water and almond essence but feel free to let your imagination run wild.
With an electric mixer beat 160ml (5½ fl oz) of chick pea water (about what you will get in a can of chick peas) until stiff peaks form. Add 1 cup of caster sugar, a bit at a time, until the sugar is dissolved and you have a nice glossy mixture. Flavour with 1 teaspoon of orange blossom water and half a teaspoon of almond essence. Pipe the mixture, into the shapes you want, onto oven trays which are lined with baking paper. Bake in a 120ºC (250ºF ) oven for 1½ – 2 hours depending on size and cool in the oven. Store in an air-tight container.
michelle picker cooks 