Vegan Strawberry Rose Eton Mess

Anyone that has had the Dishoom Eton Mess knows how delicious it is, but if like me you’re lactose intolerant/allergic and also can’t have egg whites, that dessert is a no go. I’ve made it vegan, using some ingredients you may not have though about using before to make an extra special dessert for a special meal. Treat yourself without feeling heavy and bloated.

prep/baking time: 4 hrs - overnight

serves: 4-5 portions (with extra meringue)

Ingredients

For the Meringue:

1 can of chickpeas (preferably organic, and in water- no salt or any other nasties in there)

1/2 cup (89g) caster sugar

1/2 tsp ground cardamom

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to fan 120°C. Line a baking sheet with a silpat or some parchment paper.

2. Open your can of chickpeas and drain out the liquid into a bowl. Reserve the chickpeas for another use. Check the consistency of the liquid. You want it to be the same viscosity as egg whites. If it’s too liquid, pour the water/aquafaba into a small pot and let reduce until it thickens slightly, 3-4 mins. Pour the aquafaba into a bowl and let cool completely before using- the liquid will thicken as it cools, so don’t reduce too much or you wont have enough aquafaba to make the meringues.

3. Into a clean bowl, add the cooled aquafaba. Using a stand mix or electric beaters, whisk until the liquid starts to foam. Little by little, add in the sugar whilst continuing to mix until all the sugar granules have dissolved, and the aquafaba has turned from liquid to stiff glossy peaks - this will take 10-20 minutes depending on your stand mix or electric whisks. When the mixture has reached stiff glossy peaks, add in the cardamom, and whisk until fully incorporated.

4. If using a parchment lined baking sheet, dollop a little bit of meringue mixture in the 4 corners of the baking sheet under the parchment so that it sticks to the sheet (the meringue mix is very light and won’t weigh it down.) Spoon 2 tbsp worth of meringue mix onto the parchment, spacing the dollops out by 1cm.

5. Bake for 1 hour. After the hour, turn the oven off, leaving the meringues in for another 2 hours until they fully cool. Do not open the oven door until after the 3 total hours.

6. When the meringues have finished baking and cooling, take them out and store in an airtight container.

For the coconut whipped cream:

400ml can of coconut cream

2 tsp caster sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

1. Place the can of coconut cream in the fridge overnight - this will separate the cream from any coconut water.

2. The next day, scoop the solid part of the coconut cream into a bowl discarding the liquid, and with an electric whisk or manually, whip it until it becomes fluffy, and increases in volume. It should resemble whipped cream. Transfer the whipped coconut cream into a bowl, cover and keep in the fridge until needed.

For the Macerated Strawberries:

2 cups (282g) fresh or thawed strawberries, sliced into 2cm chunks

1 tsp- 2 tbsp caster sugar

1/4 tsp lemon zest

Method:

1. In a bowl, add the strawberries - dependent on how sweet they are, add between 1 tsp to 2 tbsp of caster sugar. If you’re using thawed strawberries, you most likely will need little to no sugar as they should be sweet. In contrary, if you’re using fresh berries in winter (they have little to no flavour and are most likely a little sour) they will need a lot more sugar. Add in the lemon zest and mix together, let macerate for 15 minutes.

For the Strawberry Rose Jam and Garnish:

3 tbsp strawberry jam (my favourite to use is St.Dalfour as there’s no extra sugar added)

1/2-2 tsp rose water

2 tbsp de-shelled pistachios

Method:

1. In a small bowl add the strawberry jam and rose water. Start with adding 1/2 tsp working up to 2 tsp if the flavour isn’t strong enough for you.

2. On a chopping board, roughly chop the pistachios. Set aside.

Assembly Method:

As soon as you assemble the Eton mess, you need to serve up and eat immediately. So, having everything reading makes it a lot easier.

1. Break up the meringue into smaller pieces to fit into your ramekins/small glasses.

2. Layer the meringue, coconut whipped cream, strawberries, jam and pistachios into the dishes until full. Serve immediately with some extra meringue on the side.