Ingredients

Total Time: 140

Serves: 4-6

Meringues

• 1 x 400g tin of chickpeas, drained – use the water (aquafaba) to make the meringues. Use the chickpeas for another recipe or freeze them for another time)

• ¼ tsp cream of tartar

• 100g/½ cup caster sugar, preferably golden

Whipped Cream

• 250ml/1 cup thick coconut cream, eg Blue Dragon

• ⅛ tsp cream of tartar

• 2 tbsp caster sugar

OR

Cheatin’ Cream Alternative

• 1-2 tubs Oatly Creamy Oat Fraiche, a vegan crème fraiche. Keep chilled until just before it is needed

• Syrup eg agave or maple, to taste

Raspberries

• 250-375g fresh raspberries (about 2-3 fresh punnets) OR a large box of defrosted frozen raspberries – or other berries/fruit of choice

Method

Meringues

1. Line 1-2 baking trays with baking paper – crumple the paper first as this makes it sit on the tray more firmly.

2. Using a glass or metal bowl, whisk the chickpea water with an electric whisk until it starts to turn white and frothy. Add the cream of tartar and whisk in.

3. Add the sugar, a tablespoon at a time and whisk until it is glossy and stiff. Depending how powerful your mixer is, this can take from 10-20 minutes. You should be able to turn the bowl upside down without the meringue fluff falling out.

4. Midway through the beating, pre-heat your oven to 100°C/200°F/just under Gas Mark ¼.

5. Transfer the stiff meringue mixture to a piping bag and pipe small dollops onto baking paper on a baking tray.

6. Bake at for two hours then turn off the oven. Unclick the door and leave to cool for an hour before taking out. Gently peel away from paper. Once they’re cooled, store in an airtight container until the dessert is assembled.

Whipped Cream

1. Chill the coconut cream overnight – or in the freezer for half an hour but don’t let it actually freeze!

2. When you’re ready to serve, beat it in a glass with the electric whisk and add the cream of tartar. Add the sugar gradually. Chill again until needed.

Cheatin’ Cream Alternative

1. Mix the well-chilled Oatly Crème Fraiche with the syrup until it is sweet enough for you.

To assemble the Eton Mess

1. Mix the raspberries into whichever cream you are using then fold in the meringues. Spoon into glasses and serve immediately.

2. Or see the photograph for serving ideas – we used a mixture of raspberries and blackberries as well as fresh mint leaves and a dusting of icing sugar! We also used a combination of whole and broken meringues for texture.

Maryanne Hall, Viva! Vegan Recipe Club www.veganrecipeclub.org.uk

Instagram: @veganrecipeclub