Vegan Meringue

It is now possible to make vegan meringue, and you will never guess how! I made these tasty chocolate meringue cookies yesterday -

And I had some leftover frosting from a cake I made over the weekend, so I obviously couldn't resist putting the two together -

You can find more information, and lots of recipe ideas, on the Vegan Meringue Facebook page.

Here's how I made mine: 

Chocolate Meringue Cookies (vegan)

1-1/3 cups garbanzo bean cooking liquid
1 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/3 cup chocolate chips

Simmer the bean cooking liquid on the stove, stirring very frequently, until reduced to about 3/4 cup. Chill overnight in the refrigerator.

Pour reduced liquid into a mixing bowl (I used my Kitchenaid stand mixer), leaving behind any sediment that is stuck to the container. Whip on your highest speed setting until stiff peaks form (this took a long time for me - like 15-20 minutes).

Add sugar, 1 Tbsp. at a time, mixing well in between each addition. Add cocoa powder, vanilla, and cream of tartar. Continue to whip at high speed until stiff peaks form again (this may take another 15-20 minutes).

Fold in chocolate chips; drop by spoonfuls and bake on parchment lined cookie sheets at 220 degrees for 1.5 hours. When cooking time is up, turn off oven and crack the door, allowing cookies to come slowly to room temperature.

Store in airtight container.

Notes: 

I used homemade bean cooking liquid (and I had added a little salt during cooking); you should be able to use canned as well.

If the amount of bean cooking liquid that you have varies from the amount I've listed, you can adjust the other ingredients proportionally.