Guess what I used to make these meringues? FREAKING CHICKPEA WATER. And sugar and vanilla. That's it.
I had heard that you could make magical things using chickpea water. I even featured such a recipe on this site, from a guest contributor.
So the other day, when making roasted garbanzo beans, I reserved the chickpea water to try something out for myself.
I wasn't sure what I wanted to make, so I put the water in the fridge and thought about it. A day passed and I forgot about it. On day two, I remembered and made a note on my to-do list: "EITHER FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO WITH THE CHICKPEA WATER OR THROW IT OUT".
Now, I hate food waste, so that was motivation for me. I decided to find myself a recipe to utilize this freaking chickpea water.
This recipe looked simple and easy, and a good starting point, so I decided to give it a try.
I put the chickpea water (also known as "aquafaba" but I prefer "chickpea water") and some vanilla in a bowl, and started mixing.
I added some sugar in a slow, steady stream. I kept mixing.
I realized that i accidentally had put on the paddle attachment, not the whisk. Oops. I swtiched it, and kept on mixing.
I mixed this stuff for about 20 minutes, and at times, I thought nothing was going to happen. But then, after a bathroom break, vacuuming my house, and checking Facebook, it started to set.
OMG - it freaking LOOKED like whipped egg whites, you guys!
I tasted it. It tasted good. Normal. Not like a hummus byproduct. Honestly, sort of marshmallow-like.
I loaded the mixture into a bag and piped it on to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Pretty!
And I baked 'em up.
Well, I think I shouldn't have piped so decoratively nor should I have placed the meringues so close together, because this happened.
But in spite of appearances, the recipe wasn't ruined; I just cut apart the ones that were stuck together and enjoyed their new, decidedly boob-like, shape.
They looked like meringues. Boob-like meringues, but still.
They taste like meringues, with a slightly different aftertaste. But not bean-y. Just different. Sort of marshmallow-y, but without the chewiness, like sugary air.
These are very nice meringues, and naturally gluten-free and vegan. So they're great if you have vegan or gf eaters you want to please.
But mostly, do this for the magic. You'll feel like Mr. Wizard!
Chickpea water meringues
Makes about 20 - printable version here
- Liquid strained from 1 can of chickpeas (15 ounces)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/3 cup sugar
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
Pour the liquid and vanilla into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (I was so dopey, I mixed it for a few minutes with the paddle before I realized my mistake and switched!).
With the mixer running, slowly pour in the sugar in a steady stream.
Whisk for a nice long while. It took me about 20 minutes to attain peaks on the mixture; during that time I prepped a baking sheet with a silicone liner. It took a while, but when they did "set", I was totally confounded. This LOOKED and felt like whipped egg whites.
Load it up into a bag and pipe it on to your lined baking sheet. Leave space around each one.
Bake anywhere from 1 hour to 2 hours, depending on the size and shape of your cookies.