NEFF Recipe: Vegan Hazelnut Meringue by Chetna Makan

Serves: 8

Ingredients
200g aquafaba (from 2 tins of chickpeas)
200g caster sugar
50g peanuts
300g coconut yogurt
200g mixed berries for the syrup (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries)
4 tbsp caster sugar
200g mixed berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries)

Preparation

Dry roast the hazelnuts in a pan for 2 minutes and then chop them up roughly. Leave it aside to cool.

Drain the chickpeas and keep the water from the tin. Collect around 200ml of water. Measure the water once you have drained it from the tin and use the exact amount of sugar for the meringue. Start to whisk aquafaba in a clean bowl for 6-8 minutes until it’s fluffy and has soft peaks. Slowly add the sugar 1 tbsp at a time while whisking continuously. Now whisk for a further 5 minutes until glossy and stiff.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven at 100 C Circo Therm. Line two baking sheets with baking parchment and put eight portions of meringue on the prepared sheets. Sprinkle some hazelnuts on top and bake for 1 ½ to 2 hours until crispy and dried out. Leave it aside to cool completely.

When you are ready to serve stir the yogurt until smooth.

In a pan, add the sugar and the berries and cook on low heat for 2 minutes until they start to soften. Use a fork and mash them up and cook for another minute on low heat. Leave it aside to cool.

Place the individual meringues on serving plates, dollop some coconut yogurt, drizzle the berry syrup and place some fresh berries on top then sprinkle some hazelnuts and serve immediately.

The meringues can be made a few hours in advance but only assemble when you are ready to serve!