Vegan Pavlova

Chewy meringue paired with cream and fruits is one of the best desserts enjoyed on a summer's evening (or, you know, any time of the day or year). Typically made with egg whites, this recipe uses aquafaba (chickpea water) which I've adapted from Thida Bevington's aquafaba meringues and BBC Good Food's pavlova. The best thing about aquafaba, apart from the fact that it's vegan, is that it's cheaper than egg whites, and you're not left in a state of not knowing what to do with the leftover egg yolks if you used whole eggs.

I've substituted normal double cream for coconut milk or coconut cream. This has to be left in the fridge overnight for it to harden before whipping. Discard the leftover liquid in the can and only use the firmer part - coconut cream is better than coconut milk if you have access to it.

The meringue needs a long and slow cooling in the oven once it has been switched off so either make the meringue the night before it is required or in the morning.

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Recipe

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

For the meringue:

Liquid (aquafaba) from 1 can Chickpeas

250g Caster Sugar

1 tsp Cornflour

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

For the cream:

1 can Coconut Cream or Coconut Milk

300g Summer Berries (of your choosing)

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 135°C. Line a 25cm tin with parchment paper or cut a 25cm circle of paper and place on a baking tray.

2. In a large mixing bowl whisk the aquafaba with an electric whisk until it forms stiff peaks (this will take a while - at least 6 to 8 minutes!). Once there are stiff peaks add the caster sugar one tablespoon at a time, whisking after each addition.

3. Add in the cornflour and the vanilla extract and whisk. Spread the meringue in the tin (or on the parchment on the baking tray), making the sides higher than the middle. Bake for 1 hour.

4. Once cooked let the meringue cool in the turned off oven overnight or throughout the day. Place the coconut milk/cream in the fridge overnight.

5. Scoop the thicker coconut cream out from the tin and place into a mixing bowl - discard the watery liquid in the can. Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Spread evenly over the middle of the pavlova. Top with the berries.