I haven’t rolled out my egg-free meringue recipe for quite a while, but having seen a bag of beautiful blackcurrant meringues in the Ottolenghi window display the other day, I thought I’d do a fruity meringue too.
These pretty pink mini-meringues are flavoured with freeze-dried strawberries, ground to a pink dust. The flavour is intensely ‘strawberry’.
I was really pleased with the results, as were my taste testers big and small, as they had perfectly gooey marshmallow centres and a crisp outer shell . In fact, I guarantee you’ll fool anyone into thinking these are conventional meringues made with eggs.
As for the look, well the ripple effect isn’t too natural – I’m not sure how you could achieve it any other way. I streaked a piping bag with lines of red food colouring gel before adding the meringue mix. It’s not necessary of course but adding a visual touch makes them look all the more tempting (thank you Good Food magazine for the idea!)
Strawberry Ripple Egg-free Meringues (dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, sesame-free, gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan)
makes about 12 smallish meringues
- 6 tbsps icing sugar, sifted
- ¼ tsp xanthan gum
- 1 tsp soya protein
- 3 tbsps cold water
- ½ tsp cider vinegar
- ½ tsp vanilla
- 1½ tsps soya protein
- 2 tbsps freeze dried strawberries ground to a powder
– Preheat the oven to 110 degrees Centigrade/Gas Mark ½
– Line a baking sheet with baking paper/parchment
– In a small bowl whisk together the icing sugar, xanthan gum and 1 tsp of soya protein. Set aside.
– In a large bowl place the water, vinegar, vanilla and 1½ tsps soya protein. Whisk on high speed for up to 10 minutes until it has increased considerably in size, and is fluffy and bubbly.
– Keeping the whisk on high add the icing sugar mix, 1 tbsp at a time. The mixture should eventually turn pure white and leave stiff peaks when the whisk is lifted out of the mix (I found the peaks were not quite as stiff as one would expect from an egg-based meringue). Whisk in the strawberry dust.
– Pipe or spoon the mix onto the lined baking sheet.
– Place in the oven for up to 1½ hours, until the meringues are totally set and easily peel off the paper.
– Remove from the oven, peel off the paper and leave to cool.
– Keep in a sealed box until ready to use.
26 Responses
Oh no you didn’t! You made vegan meringues!! They look so insanely good and pretty. Could I make these without the freeze dried strawberries..just plain? If so, how would I have to adjust the amounts of the other ingredients?
Easy, just leave out the freeze dried strawberry dust 🙂
They look great. I wonder if I could fool people at work!
I reckon… If you don’t eat them all first 😉
You have really interesting and delicious recipes! These look so good.
I have nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award. Feel free to accept it here. 🙂
http://silkandspiceblog.wordpress.com/2013/08/18/gratitude-2/
Oh thank you so much, I’m most flattered 🙂
You’re welcome! 🙂
INCREDIBLE Lucy! I’ve been wanting to make the organ no egg meringue recipe for a while but yours look so delicious and ‘real’ and definitive that I think I’ll try your recipe first! Super excited, lemon meringue pie, re-enter!! 😀
I’ve never tried the organ version, but this one definitely rocks. Let me know if you try them out x
I will do! x
They’re so pretty! Your egg-free meringues are high up on my “to make” list!
Aw thanks! They’re so easy to make if you have some soya protein powder – just make sure the bowl is totally grease-free or they won’t work! 🙂
These look SO GOOD! High on my “To Make” list too!
My family rate these as their favourite recipe ever! 🙂
I am definitely giving this recipe a go! My mum is lactose intolerant, a coeliac and can’t eat eggs either. But is constantly craving meringues! FAB FAB FAB!
I hope she likes them as much as we do. Let me know how they turn out 🙂
AMAZING! Well done Lucy!!
Thanks 🙂
Hi Lucy – loving this recipe, but my little one is also soya free. Do you know if there’s a good alternative to the soya protein? *fingers crossed*
I know you can buy pea or hemp protein powder (Pulsin in the UK sells them). I haven’t tried them out but hopefully either would work too. Let me know if you give it a go 🙂
Thanks for the suggestion. I did wonder about pea protein as M eats pea-protein yoghurts. Might have to search it out and will let you know how it goes!
These look adorable! I like to think that I’m fairly adventurous with cooking, but I always just assumed meringues would be too difficult to veganize. You rock! 🙂
Hope you give them a go – they’re amazingly like conventional meringues! 🙂
will need to find these ingredients and give them a try. you came up on a #allergyhour twitter talk last night.
I must join allergy hour this week – it’s a great idea 🙂