FOOD + DRINK
THE LIFE OF PIE CONT .
Vegan Aquafaba Lemon Meringue Pie
Recipe by : Maryanne Hall from Viva !' s Vegan Recipe Club , veganrecipeclub . org . uk
Cook time : 2 hours 40 minutes Ingredients :
For the pie shell
• 1 sheet ready-rolled shortcrust pastry , e . g . Jus-Rol
For the lemon filling
• 550ml soya or almond milk
• 80g custard powder in a tub , not a packet .
• Zest of 1 unwaxed or organic lemon ( do the zesting first before squeezing the juice )
• 125ml lemon juice
• 100g caster sugar
• Generous pinch of turmeric
For the meringue topping
• 125ml aquafaba
• 1 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 / 2 cup caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
Method :
1 . Preheat the oven to 200 ° C / Gas Mark 6 .
2 . Line the tart tin ( s ) with shortcrust pastry . Place baking paper on top and fill with baking beans . Blind bake in the hot oven for 15 - 20 minutes , until the edges turn pale golden brown . Switch off the oven and let it cool .
3 . To make the lemon filling , mix one third of the plant milk with the custard powder , sugar and turmeric . Whisk to remove any lumps . Pour into the non-stick saucepan with the remaining milk and lemon zest . Heat , stirring continuously , until the custard is thick . Stir in the fresh lemon juice and pour into the pre-baked pastry shell . Let it cool while you make the meringue .
5 . Pre-heat the oven to 100 ° C / Gas Mark 3 / 4 . ( You ’ ll have to guess a bit but it ’ s a very very low oven basically !)
6 . Slowly add the sugar to the meringue mix , 1 tablespoon at a time , mixing in thoroughly after each addition . Keep mixing until you have a bowl of fluffy meringue mix . You should be able to tip the bowl upside down without it falling out ! It takes about 15 - 25 minutes .
7 . Transfer the meringue mixture into the piping bag .
8 . Line a shallow baking tray with baking parchment . If making a large tart , use the tart tin as a guide and draw round it onto the parchment , using a pencil . Fill the circle you ’ ve drawn with pretty , piped pyramids of meringue that touch each other and join up to make the complete meringue topping . See the picture ! If you ’ re making smaller tarts , this can be done without the drawing as the surface area is smaller .
9 . Bake in the very low oven for 2 hours without opening the oven . Use an oven timer or phone . Turn the heat off and allow the meringues to cool . Just before serving , carefully transfer the meringue topping ( s ) to the prepared lemon tart ( s ).
10 . Eat the dessert on the same day it ’ s made .
TOP TIP : Most readyrolled pastry is vegan – just avoid the ‘ butter pastry ’ type obviously !
4 . Using a good electric whisk , blend the aquafaba for 5 minutes . Add the cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks form . It ’ s not a quick process but you can ’ t overbeat .
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