Vegan Meringue Ice Cream Sandwiches

That’s right, you read it correctly, meringues made without eggs, AND they’re pretty easy to make (although time-consuming because of baking time), which is of course, the best part :).  It’s a wild and crazy time in the vegan food world! I, along with thousands and thousands of vegans and egg allergy sufferers around the world (literally!), have been completely obsessed with this new discovery.

I’ll try to start from the beginning. Several months ago, an amazingly talented French man, Joel Roessel, while experimenting with molecular gastronomy, discovered that if you take the liquid from a can of beans (he used kidney beans the first time) and then beat that liquid, yes that stinky stuff we usually pour down the drain, you could create a foam, similar to an egg white foam.  He published this information to the world and here in the States, another super creative and imaginative vegan named Goose Wohlt  figured out that if you whipped the bean liquid with an acid and then added sugar, it would whisk to stiff peaks and make meringue! He has aptly named it aqua faba, meaning bean water in latin, and now we are all aqua faba (aquafabulous!) devotees to this previously discarded liquid gold.

Continuing on Goose’s discovery, a Facebook page was started by Rebecca August and Goose, which in the last 3 months has gained over 6,000(!) followers and folks are experimenting and making macaroons, marshmallows, lemon meringue pies, cookies, cakes and of course lots of meringues.  It is a fabulous time to be vegan for sure! If you’re interested in following along with or joining this adventure please check out the group on Facebook. (Edit: totally spaced on adding the Official Aquafaba webpage…brain is still spinning with aquafaba ideas. Totally dreamt about meringues all night haha!)

No more throwing away that bean liquid folks! I’ve been successful with aqua faba from chickpeas and cannolini beans and others have used kidney beans as well. But then, if you’re like me, it’s all about the liquid and now I have to do something with the chickpeas themselves haha!  Hummus anyone?

A couple of things worth mentioning, since I’m sure you’re wondering :).  No the meringues don’t taste like bean, at least not with the added extracts or flavoring.  Plain it does taste a wee bit bean-y, I found less so with the cannolini beans than the chickpeas.  If you soak your beans instead of buying them canned, there have been successful meringues made with the liquid left over from soaking.  See the Facebook page for tips and tricks on that.

A special thank you to Sarah at Soy Division Blog for bringing this revolution to my attention!

Vegan Meringue Ice Cream Sandwiches (pictures follow the recipe)

• 3/4 cup aqua faba (this may take one or two cans of beans – actual liquid per can differs)
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 cup cane sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
• 3/4 cup mini vegan chocolate chips
• non-dairy ice cream (I used So Delicious Coconut Mint Chocolate Chip and Cherry Amaretto)

1. First, make sure all of your equipment is clean.  You will need a metal or glass bowl and a mixer; a kitchenaid with the whisk attachment works great for this.  If you are using a handheld mixer, it may take longer to beat.
2. Line 3 baking trays with parchment or silicone mats.  If you have three racks in your oven, you’ll probably be using them all as this creates a lot of meringue. You should be able to bake in batches though, if you don’t have three racks.  Just beat the leftover to stiff peaks again before piping and baking the second batch. The leftover will not keep in the refrigerator sadly :(.
3. Preheat the oven to 200F.
4. Add the aqua faba to the bowl of your mixer. Beat for one minute on high until frothy and then add the cream of tartar.
5. Beat on high until medium/firm peaks, when the aqua faba is starting to increase in volume and hold a little bit of shape.
6. Very very slowly add the sugar with the mixer still on high. I shake it in little by little like a salt shaker.  You can also add it in one tablespoon at a time. Do this until all the sugar is added and you have stiff peaks. Your mixture should look glossy, creamy and thick like marshmallow and hold a shape.
7. Beat in the vanilla or almond extract.
8. One thing to check before moving on.  Taste the meringue. It should not be grainy.  If it is, beat it on high until it is completely smooth.  You don’t have to worry about overbeating it.
9. Fold in the chocolate chips.
10. You can scoop tablespoons of the meringue onto the prepared baking sheets or use a piping bag, just make sure the tip is big enough so the mini chocolate chips won’t clog it.  If you do use the scoop method, flatten them a little with the back of a spoon to make the sizes as uniform as possible.
11. Bake for two hours —DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN
12. Turn off oven and prop it open a little with a dishcloth or spoon for the meringues to dry completely.  Let dry in the turned off oven for 30 minutes.  Meringues should be dry and crispy and melt in your mouth.  They may need more drying time depending on how big they are; don’t hesitate to leave them longer in the oven if necessary.
13. Meringues can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. [this may depend on the climate where you are…]
14. Before serving, put a small scoop of ice cream between two meringues. (if you are using the So Delicious ice cream, you’ll need to let it sit out 5-10 minutes before scooping) and enjoy! 🙂

UPDATE: You can make the ice cream sandwiches ahead of time and store them in the freezer. Fill them with the ice cream, wrap individually in plastic wrap and keep in an airtight container in the freezer.  Then you can snack on them whenever you want, no thawing necessary!