Meggan Leal

Name: Vegan Cheesecake Dip
Prep time: 1 min
Cook time: 2 min
Total time: 3 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: vegan yogurt of your choice; Pillsbury Creamy Supreme cream cheese frosting

Aquafaba in Baking: 8 Amazing Pastry and Dessert Recipes

February 24, 2020 // by Meggan Leal// Leave a Comment

Aquafaba in baking is a miracle of the vegan world. Replacing eggs has never been easier! Try magical bean water today!

All it takes is to crack open a can of your favorite legumes (or cook your own). Drain off the brine and use it instead of eggs in plenty of recipes. From cookies to bread to icing and more – you’ll be amazed at what aquafaba can do for your baking.

I’ve gathered a list of my own aquafaba recipes as well as a couple favorites from my friends 86eats and Gretchen’s Vegan Bakery. Let me know what you make and how you liked it!

Easiest Vegan Meringue Cookies Ever with Aquafaba

Thanks to aquafaba, vegans and other egg-avoiders can now enjoy crispy meringues whenever they want, again.

American Meringue Buttercream (vegan)

If you love Swiss meringue buttercream but hate the work it takes, this is the recipe for you! No cooking required.

Vegan Royal Icing

Royal icing has never been so easy, thanks to aquafaba! Just mix and whip and ice.

Challah Y'all, Vegan Challah

Photo Credit: www.86eats.com

The classic Jewish enriched dough bread, made vegan instead of egg-heavy thanks to aquafaba.

No-Chill, No-Spread, Vegan Rolled Sugar Cookies

Classic sugar cookies made with aquafaba instead of eggs, with the twist that they don't need to be chilled before baking.

No Chill, No Spread, Vegan, Gluten-Free Rolled Sugar Cookies

The same classic sugar cookies as above, but made both vegan and gluten-free.

Aquafaba Italian Meringue Buttercream Recipe - Gretchen's Vegan Bakery

Photo Credit: www.gretchensveganbakery.com

The most stable buttercream you can get your hands on. It's a bit of work, but well worth it!

Vegan Italian Macarons with Aquafaba

The holy grail of aquafaba recipes: macarons. Not for the faint of heart; they're tricky to master, but not tricky to eat!

Allergy-Friendly and Vegan Pastry Recipes:

Vegan Cheesecake Dip (dairy-free, nut-free, coconut-free, cream-cheese-free)

February 14, 2020 // by Meggan Leal// Leave a Comment

Two inexpensive and easy-to-find grocery items combine to perform magic in this simple but tasty twist on cheesecake. Make it tonight to impress all your people!

Ok, so this recipe almost feels sacrilegious. I feel kinda bad for even posting it but 1. it’s freaking delicious and 2. it’s freaking easy and 3. I tried so so hard to get an actual cheesecake recipe up for you guys in time for Valentine’s Day, but I fell hard from my high horse after my first attempt succeeded wildly and then I couldn’t replicate it. SO EXPECT ACTUAL CHEESECAKE SOON. But until then, this should fill the hole in your heart where cheesecake used to be.

Even though this isn’t an actual cheesecake, it tastes exactly like one. And it’s way super easy to customize to be any flavor of cheesecake your heart desires. And?? It’s free of all top eight allergens except for soy (sorry soy-avoiders, but I promise I’ve got one coming out for you shortly!).

But before you go any further… THIS RECIPE IS NOT HEALTHY. If you’re looking for a healthy recipe, just turn back now. Close your eyes and cover your ears and go back to where you came from because this is not it. My goodness, is it not. At all. But it’s a great treat every once in a while and super simple to whip up if you need something at the last minute for some bunch-of-ingredient-avoiders.

SooOooOOoo can I get a drum roll, please?!

Ingredients

That’s it. Lol.

I told you it was simple!! And not healthy. BUT SO GOOD.

1. Pick your favorite vegan yogurt – whatever you like to eat in whatever flavor you want your vegan cheesecake dip to be. Are you nut-free? Well then don’t pick one with nuts, silly. Need to avoid coconut? Don’t get that one. I used soy for mine since soy is in the second ingredient, and I didn’t want to double up on allergens.

2. Pillsbury Creamy Supreme cream cheese frosting. No, you stop it. Don’t get mad at me. I told you this wasn’t healthy!! I warned you. You’re not allowed to get mad at me for this! The readymade frosting tastes like cream cheese and sugar, which are two big ingredients in cheesecake. Badabing badaboom. It comes in both a tub and a pre-filled pastry bag. Either one works.

(Betty Crocker Cream Cheese frosting might also work, but it does have a ‘may contain milk products’ warning on it, and contains ‘natural flavors’ which are always dubious. Use at your own risk)

The yogurt is fermented (which adds cheesy tang) and has probiotics, which is awesome. But the probiotic content doesn’t negate the fact that this is totally not a health food – so stop trying to make that happen! Geeze. Just enjoy it as a treat!

What ingredients are in this frosting??

The only top allergen is soy. It’s certified gluten-free, and while it’s not certified vegan, the plant-based community has overwhelmingly decided that it is free of animal products.

Here’s the ingredient list though – just.. just don’t think it’s gonna be healthy. And don’t try to feed it to your WFPB friends.

I hate those ingredients! Can I just use your cream cheese frosting recipe??

You can give it a shot, as long as everything is cold. You’re not going to be able to warm it up or the frosting will split. It might even split if it’s cold because the yogurt has a lot of moisture and my frosting doesn’t have added emulsifiers. I’m working on a recipe for those of you who can’t use the packaged stuff, though.

I suppose if you really really really really really hate the frosting, you can go ahead and use vegan cream cheese instead. But this recipe is magnificent because it doesn’t use cream cheese! But whatever, do what you want. 😉 You’ll need to add a sweetener of some sort to it though, or it’ll just taste like fruity cream cheese. Which isn’t a bad thing, necessarily. Just ain’t cheesecake.

Wait.. did you say warm it up?

Heck yeah I did. Because the frosting has so many emulsifiers (ingredients that help water and oil become best friends instead of mortal enemies), this can be served as a warm dip! And I absolutely love it warm contrasted with some ice cold fresh fruit. Omnomnom.

You definitely don’t need to serve it warm though, and the warmer it is the thinner the cheesecake dip will actually be. So it’s up to you how you want to serve and eat it. Cold, hot, or room temp. They’re all wonderful.

Can I add anything to it?

For sure! I melted in a little cocoa butter for the pot in the photos, actually! I, believe it or not, don’t really like sweets too much, so I added the cocoa butter to calm the sugar sweetness down without compromising the viscosity/thickness of the dip. Unsweetened chocolate would also be a great choice if you wanted to go the rich chocolate cheesecake route.

Stirring in chopped, freeze dried fruit is a marvelous addition (peaches! omg freeze dried peaches in this.. hnnnggg..).

I stirred some cheesecake crust crumbles for a little bit of crunch and was not disappointed. You could try crushed Oreos or graham crackers and I’m sure it would be mouth-watering, too!

It’s so hard to hold the camera to take pictures with one hand while trying to sprinkle cheesecake crust crumbles INTO the cheesecake dip and not just around it with the other.

Oh, and if you want to add color, just stir it into the yogurt before you mix everything together.

How do I make it?

First step: Open the yogurt.
Next step: Put the yogurt in whatever you want to serve the vegan cheesecake dip in
Next: whisk/stir in spoonfuls of the frosting until you like the texture of the dip. Keep in mind that the more frosting you add, the sweeter it’s going to be.
Finally: stir in any additions you want and serve with whatever vehicles you want to use to get it into your mouth

Note: If you want to serve the dip warm or to add chocolate or cocoa butter, I recommend heating all the ingredients up slowly together in a saucepan before pouring into your serving dish.

What do I dip into this magical vegan cheesecake dip?

I’m not here to tell you how to run your life, but pretty much anything you wanna put in your mouth can get dipped into this cheesecake dip.

Bananas are good, oranges are bomb, and granny smith apples are totally my favorite. Fresh fruit and yogurt! Heck yeah! So healthy!! NO. STOP THAT. IT’S NOT HEALTHY.

If you’re a sugar fiend, try out some marshmallows! Or some graham crackers would be perfection to complete the cheesecake flavor profile. In the picture, I’m dipping one of my gluten free sugar cookies to keep with the whole GF theme.

Just about any fresh fruit, dried fruit, cookies, crackers, spoons, or whatever else you’d love to throw onto a cheesecake would be great in this cheesecake dip. If you dipped an actual slice of cheesecake into this vegan cheesecake dip, that would be epic and I want to see a picture.

Can I turn this into an actual cheesecake?

Please excuse me while I cry.

I totally did. And it was magnificent. I did one part yogurt to two parts frosting and froze it and it was perfect.

And then I could never make it happen again.

Sad, melting disaster of a cheesecake. 😭

If you want to give it a try, you’re more than welcome. Just don’t tell me if it works out because I will just cry more.

And if you don’t want to give it a try and need a tried and true recipe, check out Gretchen’s Vegan Bakery. Cheesecakes are totally her specialty, and she has tons of amazing recipes for them!

How can I make this vegan cheesecake dip healthier?

Please leave me alone so that I can go make it!

Ok! Geeze! Go!!

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Recipe:

Vegan Cheesecake Dip

Two inexpensive and easy-to-find grocery items combine to perform magic in this simple but tasty twist on cheesecake. Make it tonight to impress all your fans!

Prep Time 1 minute

Cook Time 2 minutes

Total Time 3 minutes

Ingredients

vegan yogurt of your choice
Pillsbury Creamy Supreme cream cheese frosting

Instructions

1. Open the yogurt and the frosting

2. Put the yogurt in whatever you want to serve the vegan cheesecake dip in

3. Whisk/stir in spoonfuls of the frosting until you like the texture of the dip. Keep in mind that the more frosting you add, the sweeter it’s going to be.

4. Stir in any additions you want and serve with whatever vehicles you want to use to get it into your mouth

Notes

If you want to serve the dip warm or to add chocolate or cocoa butter, I recommend heating all the ingredients up slowly together in a saucepan before pouring into your serving dish.

Easy Creamy Vegan Tomato Basil Sauce

February 10, 2020 // by Meggan Leal// 1 Comment

Simple ingredients with big time flavors combine to give you a creamy, luscious pasta sauce with the classic Italian taste you love and the creaminess you miss from before your dairy-free days. No nuts, no coconuts, and no funny business, but still easy as can be with amazing results.

One of the things I missed the most when I gave up dairy was a good, luxurious, comforting cream sauce for my pasta. There are plenty of recipes out there that use blended cashews or other nuts, or even coconut cream. I don’t like spending the bajillions of dollars on cashews, and I don’t really like coconut a whole lot, so that’s a no from me, dawg.

There is an amazing recipe by Oh She Glows for Cauli-power Alfredo which I’ve made and is tremendously delicious, and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to give it a go. It’s work though, including a food processor/blender and I am lazy – so I’ve only made it once despite how delicious it is.

I made a spaghetti squash lasagna with the cauliflower alfredo back in 2016 and I still dream about it to this day

What I Needed

So what was I looking for, exactly? An easy creamy pasta sauce that doesn’t take a whole lot of time, doesn’t need blenders or food processors, doesn’t use nuts, and did I mention I want it to be creamy?

Easy. Creamy. Quick. Delicious.

What It Ain’t

This isn’t an alfredo sauce or comparable. I’ve got one of those on the way, but this is a tomato-based cream sauce (my favorite before I gave up dairy). So if you’re looking for a white cream sauce, check out the one I linked above or stay tuned for mine coming out soon.

Let’s Get Down to Business

Ingredients You Need

Tomatoes: For super duper ease I used canned tomatoes. Whole tomatoes are going to be the best quality, but diced tomatoes ain’t too bad themselves. I go for diced because I like them. You definitely can use fresh tomatoes – and big, juicy vine tomatoes are going to be your besties for this recipe. Just measure out about 30oz (850g), chop them up, and give them a few minutes in your hot pan before moving on to the rest of the recipe.

Onions: I like to use sweet onions, but plain white or even yellow onions will work fine here. I buy pre-chopped onions from my store because I have arthritis and laziness.

Garlic: Again, I buy pre-minced. It works fine for me and tastes enough like garlic to make me happy. (See “onions” above for why I go this route). Feel free to use fresh, or substitute with granulated garlic if that’s your jam. Use a half a teaspoon if you use dry, though. Or more. I’m not about to tell anyone to curb their garlic usage! (I actually use way more than I put in the recipe, but I’ve been accused by a lot of people of using too much garlic and I didn’t want to offend any palates out there)

My cheat code for arthritis and laziness

Oil: In the spirit of this being Italian food, I use extra virgin olive oil. This one is my most favorite – it’s actually Tunisian. Yeah, I know, Tunisia isn’t in Italy. But most “Italian” olive oils aren’t even usually olive oil anymore, and this one is and it’s absolutely delicious. Can’t do olive oil? Use whatever neutral oil floats your boat – or just sub with your favorite vegan butter!

Basil: Basil is 1000000% my most favorite herb of all time, and if you can get it fresh it’s amazeballs. Italian basil, of course. Thai basil might be a bit too spicy for this application, but you can give it a shot if you’re feeling adventurous! If you can’t find fresh, feel free to use dried. Just follow the notes in the recipe card below. Can’t do basil? Try it out with oregano and thyme instead. Throw in a little rosemary and sage and your tastebuds will be very happy. 🙂

The Special Ingredient: as I was sitting around thinking about how I could make a creamy vegan tomato basil sauce without cream, as I often do, I scanned through my mental list of things that could possibly make it creamy as I noted above. Nuts, but expensive (and allergenic). Cauliflower, which is delicious but tedious and requires horsepower. Coconut, but blech. I could use my easy cheese sauce, but that wouldn’t give it exactly the creamy, luxurious mouthfeel I was wanting. Then.. it hit me.

Carbonara.

Carbonara is a creamy Italian pasta sauce that has absolutely zero cream in it. Its creaminess is achieved with eggs. They’re stirred in at the end to form a glossy, creamy, divinely delicious sauce with zero dairy. So what can we use instead of eggs to make a vegan version? What else but aquafa–

Just kidding.

For once I’m not using aquafaba!! I’m using something that uses it though! Mayonnaise. It’s a creamy emulsion of oil and vinegar traditionally made with eggs, but vegan mayo gives us the perfect creaminess we are needing in our sauce without the use of eggs, dairy, nuts, coconuts, or magic – well at least not much of it, anyway.

Process Notes

One of the best tips I have included in this recipe is to microwave the garlic and onion with your olive oil. This is a nifty trick I learned from Alton Brown in his book I’m Just Here for the Food 2.0. It softens the onion and mellows the garlic perfectly to cut out a good chunk of time from your stove-top cooking. Just be aware that your microwave will smell like onions and garlic for a while.

You can use your hands to smush up the tomatoes in the traditional rustic Italian manner, but again – arthritis. I use a potato masher for a good, texturous, chunky sauce. If you don’t like your sauce to be chunky, you can totally use a blender or food processor.. Or just use tomato sauce and save yourself some dishes?

Save that pasta water! It’s important because the starches in the water bring the oils and waters together for a creamy emulsion in your sauce. Check out this awesome video for a demonstration.

As far as how much of your vegan mayo to add – it’s up to you! I recommend starting with two tablespoons, and see if you like that level of creaminess. If you want it creamier? Add two more tablespoons. Rinse and repeat.

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Do the Thing

Yield: 4 servings

Easy Creamy Vegan Tomato Basil Sauce

Prep Time 2 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Additional Time 5 minutes

Total Time 22 minutes

Ingredients

2 tsp minced garlic
2 tbsp minced onion
2 tbsp olive oil (or other neutral oil)
2 14.5oz cans of diced or whole tomatoes
handful of fresh basil, divided
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
12oz pasta, prepared according to package instructions MINUS four minutes
1/4 c reserved pasta water
4-8 tbsp vegan mayonnaise (depending on how creamy you want the sauce to be)

Instructions

Put your water and salt to boil for your pasta
Heat a large saucepan or skillet over medium high heat
Stir together your onion, garlic, and olive oil in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for one minute on high
While your onion mix is in the microwave, empty your tomatoes into your hot pan and stir, letting some of the liquid evaporate off
Add your onion mix into the tomatoes and stir well
Add your uncooked pasta to the boiling water and stir well. Set a timer for the time it takes it to cook MINUS four minutes
Tear half of your basil into small pieces and stir into the tomatoes
Use a potato masher or fork to smash your tomatoes into smaller pieces, and let the mixture cook down until thickened to your liking (I let it go for about four to five minutes at medium-high heat)
Drain your pasta and add to your tomato mixture along with 1/4c of the pasta water
Stir well and lower the heat to medium-low, allowing the mixture to thicken more for five to six minutes until the pasta is al dente
Tear the remaining basil into small pieces and add to the pasta
Remove from heat and stir in the mayonnaise for a magically cream-less creamy tomato basil sauce!
Salt and pepper to taste
Garnish with fresh basil and vegan parmesan, and enjoy immediately with some yummy carbs

Notes

If you don't have fresh basil, you may substitute 4 tsp of dried. Add it all together at the first addition rather than dividing in half

If you're soy-free, try Sir Kensington's vegan mayo! We love Hellman's, but it does contain soy.

We use gluten-free pasta and Barilla's is our favourite!

Vegan Choriqueso (Queso Dip with Chorizo)

February 1, 2020 // by Meggan Leal// Leave a Comment

The combination of spicy, acidic chorizo and smooth, creamy cheese is one of my favorite appetizers in Mexican cuisine. This warming comfort food has turned dairy-free, vegan, and allergy-friendly here, and I think you’ll love it as much as I do.

This recipe comes on the heels of my Easiest Vegan Cheese Sauce Base recipe, and is the first one I’m publishing using it! But don’t worry, I have lots more on the way. 🙂

So if you haven’t already, take a quick peek over there and acquaint yourself with it because you’re going to need a double batch for this recipe.

What is choriqueso and how do I eat it?

Choriqueso is a fondue made from melting white cheese (usually Oaxaca, which is very similar to mozzarella) and adding fried chorizo. Sometimes onion or tomato can be added, or even bell pepper. One of my favorite varieties in Mexico was served with sautéed mushroom slices!

Overall, the cheese itself is very mild in terms of flavor – but the punch comes when the chorizo is added! It’s spicy, acidic, and bright red. The flavor is addictive and pairs beautifully with all kinds of other foods. I even use it in my Quick and Easy Vegan Pozole recipe to add amazing depths of flavor that would normally take hours to develop.

It’s eaten with chips, fresh tortillas, bread, or whatever else you can get your hands on to dip and scoop it with. You’ll be in heaven if you try it over fries!

Ingredients

The ingredients you’ll need here are

1. a vegan Mexican style chorizo (Cacique soyrizo is my favorite),

2. vegan mayonnaise,

3. vegan butter or oil,

4. chopped white onion,

5. lime juice,

6. miso paste, and

7. salt.

Some fresh cilantro leaves to garnish are also lovely. And of course, you’ll need the double batch of cheese sauce.

This recipe as written contains soy – but if you avoid it, check out this spice mix and add one tablespoon + one tablespoon of vinegar to your ground meat replacement of choice, and Sir Kensington’s Fabanaise is soy-free, as well!

Equipment

Equipment and tools you’ll need are:

A stovetop burner,

a medium sized pan,

a silicone spatula,

an oven-proof bowl big enough to hold at least four cups,

a smaller heatproof bowl that can hold at least a cup,

an ovenproof platter or pan to bake the larger bowl on (in case of overflow), and

an oven to bake it in.

Process

1. Preheat oven to 400°F

2. heat your pan over medium heat, and add your butter/oil

3. add the chorizo and stir well until it starts to appear more dry (about 3-4 minutes)

4. add the onion and miso paste, stirring well to incorporate

5. once the onions are translucent, separate a third of the mixture and set aside for garnish

6. add the cheese sauce

7. stir well until completely incorporated

8. add lime juice and stir well

9. add mayonnaise and stir well

10. taste test and add more salt if desired

11. pour cheese mix into oven safe bowl (unless your pan can go straight into the oven, then do that – fewer dishes to wash!)

12. add remaining chorizo to top

13. set bowl on baking tray in oven and bake for 20 minutes

14. remove from oven, squeeze fresh lime juice and sprinkle fresh cilantro over the top, and serve the choriqueso immediately

Video Tutorial

(Currently uploading)

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Yield: 3 cups

Vegan Choriqueso

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

2 batches Easiest Vegan Cheese Sauce
2 tbsp vegan butter or oil
4 oz vegan Mexican-style chorizo (see notes in post for soy-avoidance)
1/2 c diced white onion
2 tsp miso paste (use chickpea miso if avoiding soy, or omit entirely)
4 tsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp vegan mayonnaise (see notes in post if avoiding soy)
Salt, to taste

Garnish

Juice of half a lime
1/8 c chopped cilantro leaves

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F

2. heat your pan over medium heat, and add your butter/oil

3. add the chorizo and stir well until it starts to appear more dry (about 3-4 minutes)

4. add the onion and miso paste, stirring well to incorporate

5. once the onions are translucent, separate a third of the mixture and set aside for garnish

6. add the cheese sauce

7. stir well until completely incorporated

8. add lime juice and stir well

9. add mayonnaise and stir well

10. taste test and add more salt if desired

11. pour cheese mix into oven safe bowl (unless your pan can go straight into the oven, then do that – fewer dishes to wash!)

12. add remaining chorizo to top

13. set bowl on baking tray in oven and bake for 20 minutes

14. remove from oven, squeeze fresh lime juice and sprinkle fresh cilantro over the top, and serve the choriqueso immediately

Notes

If you want to turn up the heat, try adding your favorite hot sauce!

If you’re pressed for time, this can be made without baking - just pour into a bowl and serve!

Allergy-Friendly and Vegan Pastry Recipes:

Easiest Vegan Cheese Sauce Ever BASE RECIPE (no blender needed!)

January 31, 2020 // by Meggan Leal// Leave a Comment

Say welcome back to pizzas, pastas, grilled cheese sandwiches (toasties for you Brits!), fondue, and more – because this basic vegan cheese sauce recipe will open the door for all of them to come back into your post-dairy life! No nuts, no soaking, no blenders, no weird ingredients, and virtually fool-proof.

This is the absolute bare minimum, base level, most allergy-friendly, but still absolutely luscious and wonderful vegan cheese sauce recipe that will change the way you eat forever.

Seriously. The day you make this cheese sauce will be the first day of a new era in your kitchen.

I swore I didn’t do stories in my recipes but here I go..

I don’t usually go into ancient histories and long babbling stories here on my blog, but this post deserves a little backstory:

So in my formative years while growing up, we had a small dairy goat farm. I milked goats twice a day with my two little hands, strained, stored, and turned the milk into all kinds of amazing things. Butter, yogurt, ice cream, and.. CHEESE. So I’ve got a little bit of knowhow when it comes to cheesemaking.

A pink piece of printer paper with three goats drawn on it, and "GOATS ROCK!" in all caps. Top is captioned with 'Hoof Hearted Farm" — Lololol. A piece of original artwork by yours truly from 20 years ago. Yes, our farm was officially registered under that name.

And do you know what I realised? Guess what we made cheese out of? MILK. Not solid milk. Not milk powder. LIQUID MILK. Cheese in the simplest sense is milk + something to thicken it (rennet, bacteria, time, and/or acid). This is a way oversimplified explanation of cheesemaking which can actually get super duper complicated, but just hang with me for a minute..

Now, I know that plant-based milks don’t exactly perform in the same ways as dairy milk. Trust me, I’m not that dense. But most plant-based milks on the market today come pretty darn close to the taste and texture of dairy milk. The sweetness is just about the same (cow’s milk has around 13g of sugar per 8oz), and the viscosity is matched thanks to gums, proteins, or gelling agents that are either added or are naturally in the plant that’s being used to make the milk.

So I decided to give plant milk a shot to see if it could deliver. And boy did it.

What kind of milk do I use?

Rice milk, soy milk, almond milk, cashew milk, pea milk, and oat milk have all yielded pretty similar results with this recipe. I’m convinced that any decent tasting dairy-free milk will be able to give you a nice cheese sauce.

I use oat milk because it’s my favorite in coffee 🤷🏼‍♀️

So basically, choose your favorite plain, unflavored milk here that you love to drink on its own to make your vegan cheese sauce. Allergic to nuts? Choose one without them. Don’t like soy? Don’t use it. Hate additives and can’t find any without them? Use homemade. The world is your [vegan alternative] oyster!

What other ingredients are there?

For our bare-minimum basic vegan cheese sauce, there is only one more ingredient: tapioca starch. (This is the one I use. Don’t laugh at the name, it works great.)

Tapioca starch is a super fine powder that will. get. everywhere.

When tapioca starch is heated in liquid, not only does it thicken it but it also makes it stretchy and very.. well, cheese-like. And not only that, but the ‘cheese’ will thicken even more when it cools, and remelt when it’s heated. It’s freakin’ magic.

Can’t find tapioca starch, and can only get your hands on tapioca flour? No worries, they’re the same thing.

Allergic to tapioca? Give arrowroot powder/flour/starch a try. It performs nearly identically to tapioca.

Are both tapioca and arrowroot out for you? Potato starch (NOT flour) is a great sub and still gives you some good stretch!

What this cheese sauce ISN’T

This sauce is NOT firm cheese product which can be sliced and grated.. at least not in its natural form. I’ve got a variation that can be sliced and grated, and I’m working on getting that recipe put together for you so stay tuned!

It’s perfect for pouring and dripping, not for slicing and grating.

This sauce does NOT look appetizing while cold! Seriously. It’s gross and gloopy. But don’t judge it, heat it up, and watch the magic happen!

Refrigerated cheese sauce is goopy and semi-solid, kinda like soft jello. It melts beautifully when heated, though.

This sauce is NOT flavored! This is the BASE RECIPE – so if you want to give it a smoky mozzarella or cheddar flavor, or if you want to go a bit funky and go bleu cheese direction, you’re going to have to add some flavor to it. This recipe will taste like the milk you made it with and no more.

If you want some flavoring ideas, I highly recommend giving my friend Kat a visit at 86eats.com and browsing through her plethora of vegan cheese recipes. She’s the queen of vegan cheese and your flavor will most likely be found there! Check out what she uses for flavors and pop ’em in this sauce and you’ll be golden. I’m also adding my own recipes here as I get them put together, so stay tuned for that. (Eek I already put together the first one – my vegan chorizo queso recipe!)

I swear though, if you come at me with one star saying this sauce is bland and tasteless I’m gonna give you the angry Samuel L. Jackson stare.

How do I use it?

First of all, flavor it. Lol. Even if it’s just a little salt and garlic powder to get your feet wet. Then? The sky is the limit! Toss it with some pasta, drizzle over an open-faced sandwich before toasting, use it on pizza, in lasagna, as a dip, in soup.. Whatever your heart desires!

What equipment do I need?

Super simple here, y’all.

A saucepot. A tablespoon. A measuring cup. A silicone spatula. A stovetop.

That’s it. Really.

Sometimes I use a fine mesh sieve if I want to get some chunky ingredients mixed in for flavoring, or if I walk away and it thickens while I’m gone and gets tapioca pearls in it. But otherwise, it’s not needed.

You absolutely do not need a blender!

The Process:

The first thing you’re going to do is measure out one heaping tablespoon of tapioca starch into a measuring cup and add just enough of your plant milk to cover the starch (add in any desired flavorings now).

Mix it well until there are no lumps and the milk is smooth.

Next, add milk until you have one cup total.

Pour the mixture into a small saucepot over medium heat, and stir continuously with a silicone spatula.

As the mixture heats up, you’ll soon feel the bottom of your pan become slippery and friction fade away – keep stirring.

Once you start to see froth/foam start to appear at the top of the milk, turn your heat to low, and stir quickly. It will begin to thicken within just a few seconds.

When your mixture thickens it will look very lumpy at first, keep stirring vigorously for another minute or two until it all smooths out. This whole process should take less than ten minutes.

Once it’s smooth, turn off the heat and remove your pot from the stove so that your cheese sauce doesn’t burn.

You can use your sauce now or store it in the refrigerator for future use. It will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days.

Other cheesy things I have to offer:

Other than my sense of humor, that is..

I’ve got my vegan chorizo queso recipe here!

And if you’re wanting other dairy-free, vegan cheese options that aren’t necessarily of the savory variety, you should check out my revolutionary cream cheese frosting and my crave-worthy cream cheese danish filling!

Video Tutorial:

Watch me make it, from beginning to end:

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Pinterest image showing stretchy cheese sauce over an open faced sandwich

Printable Recipe:

Yield: 1 cup

Easiest Vegan Cheese Sauce Ever BASE RECIPE

This is the un-flavored base recipe for all kinds of cheesy creations to come.

Prep Time 1 minute

Cook Time 9 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup plant milk (your choice, unflavored)
1 heaping tbsp tapioca starch (use arrowroot or potato starch if allergic)

Instructions

mix tapioca starch with enough milk to cover until smooth
add milk until one cup total
heat in a small saucepot over medium heat, stirring continuously
once froth rises to top, turn heat down to low, continue stirring
sauce will thicken very quickly, stir until smooth
remove from heat

Notes

Check out 86eats.com for flavoring ideas, or check back later for new recipes from me!

Use while hot, or store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.

Koala Macaron Template & Tutorial

January 13, 2020 // by Meggan Leal// Leave a Comment

To support ongoing bushfire relief efforts in Australia

Printable pdf macaron template and tutorial page. All profits will be donated to The Trustee for NSW Rural Fire Service & Brigades Donations Fund via Celeste Barber’s fundraiser on Facebook.

Name your own price, but donations of all sizes are appreciated – no matter how small. To adjust the price, simply edit the amount in the field below. Once you purchase, you’ll receive an email with the download link.

Use this template and tutorial to make your own koala macarons (also can be used for meringue cookies or royal icing transfers). Be sure to share your creations on social media and tag @cookingoncaffeine and #baking4bushfires.

Tune in to Dream Confections, LLC’s Facebook this Saturday, January 18 to watch her create them live! Click here to view the event.

Get all of my product recommendations in my Amazon Shop.

Grab all my macaron recommendations on the Macaron Recipes & Resources page so that you can feel fully prepared to make some awesome koalas and spread the #baking4bushfires love!

Allergy-Friendly and Vegan Pastry Recipes:

Silk Vegan Heavy Whipping Cream Review

January 3, 2020 // by Meggan Leal// 8 Comments

Wondering if the new dairy-free, vegan heavy whipping cream alternative from Silk is perfect? I asked the questions and found the answers.

First of all, this post is NOT sponsored by Silk or any brand other than myself – Cooking on Caffeine. What you’ll find here are my own personal, honest opinions, based on how I use the product and my own tastes.

I stumbled on this product at my local Walmart today while looking for my favorite oat milk creamer (which they didn’t have, and I am upset). It was next to the dairy whipping cream, and was flanked by their new dairy-free half and half (which I didn’t purchase).

Of course it caught my attention, and of course I bought it. I have so many questions! I have so many recipes to test! Does it go well in coffee like cream? Does it actually whip up (and stay whipped)? Does it make perfect, luscious ice cream? How does it cook? Does it give a silky mouthfeel like dairy cream? Does it separate like dairy cream? Can I overwhip it?

Whew. So many questions.

The most important question is obviously whether it’s good in coffee or not.

And I’m sure you have the same questions I do, so I’ve decided to do all the testing and post the answers here because we all need answers!

Let’s get the dairy-free whipping cream party started!

What’s it made of? Is it safe for my allergy or diet?

According to the packaging, it’s certified gluten-free, so that’s the one allergen you can be 100% sure you’re safe with here.

Unfortunately, there is a cross-contamination warning for dairy, soy, and tree nuts. What does that mean? It means this product is made in the same building that houses those allergens – they aren’t included in the whipping cream, but they can’t give a guarantee that particles haven’t found their way into it.

Super special thanks and shoutout to Raechel Carr from the Deliciously Dairy Free Facebook group for sharing the screenshot below of her email response from Silk regarding cross contamination with us!

Silk's email response regarding cross contamination risk

If you are extra sensitive and risk anaphylaxis if you consume dairy, tree nuts, or soy – this isn’t the product for you. if you are allergic to coconut, this is not safe for you as coconut is a main ingredient. It also contains fava bean protein, which is a legume – so avoid if you’ve got a legume issue. It also contains guar gum and sunflower seed oil and lecithin – so avoid if needed. See the email above for more info.

The bottom line is that if you’re avoiding animal products, this is safe. If you’re dairy-free by choice, you’re safe. If you’re only mildly intolerant of dairy, tree nuts, or soy, you make the call but you should be ok.

If you don’t have to avoid cross contamination, this is an exciting product because it’s made without soy ingredients! It has historically been very difficult to find whipped cream alternatives that are soy-free – so now the soy-avoiders can rejoice!

It’s also sugar and carb-free, so the keto/low carb community will rightfully be dancing for joy when they find this product!

You will also notice a complete lack of carrageenan – which is nearly unheard of for dairy-free alternatives.

Beyond just ingredient items, this vegan whipping cream is Non-GMO Project Certified, which will put a lot of minds at ease who are concerned about that sort of thing.

Guess what’s also missing? Palm oil. It’s pretty much a win win win win.

What does it look like?

It’s pure white and thicker than milk.

How does it pour? What’s the viscosity like?

It isn’t as thick as I imagined it would be – more like a half and half type consistency than heavy whipping cream – but definitely better than any plant milk I’ve come across, except for super fatty canned coconut milks.

What does it taste like?

It tastes like.. nothing really. It’s not sweet at all, but there are no bitter or sour notes either. It’s completely neutral.

Is it great in coffee?

Um, YES. I absolutely loved it in my coffee!

Back in my dairy days, I drank my coffee with half and half – and this is exactly like it.

I was afraid it was curdling as I poured it into my hot coffee (which I brew quite strong) since most plant milks separate right away. It looked like it was doing it, but as soon as I stirred it all smoothed out.

And guess what? It stayed that way! It didn’t separate at all over the 45 minutes I had it sitting. Huzzah!

Does it whip?

This answer is a little more complicated.

Yes, it whips. But not well. I used a cold bowl and cold beaters and cold whipping cream, and I added some pure powdered sugar since whipped cream should be a little sweet, but could only get it to very soft peaks. It would be perfect for dolloping over hot pie or fresh fruit. (Note: I was using my humble four-speed Kitchenaid hand mixer. Something more powerful may have been able to get to stiff peaks)

After mixing for a little more than five minutes on high speed, it started to separate – badly. Just like dairy whipping cream (which I guess could be considered a good thing? It’s like dairy except that I couldn’t get it to stiff peaks).

HOWEVER! I drained off the liquid “whey” (I poured the contents of the bowl into a fine mesh sieve and stirred it around with a rubber spatula, pouring out whey as I could) and whipped what was left AND IT WAS GLORIOUS. It was super stiff, fluffy, smooth, creamy, and delicious. I put some on my coffee and it was amazing.

The only issue here is that there is the faintest aftertaste of coconut since it’s concentrated, now. It isn’t bad though. I dislike coconut and it’s not enough to bother me. Other than that, it’s just like fresh dairy whipped cream!

So does it whip? Yes, no, yes.

As for the “whey”, I’m going to try using it as milk in a cake recipe. (Update: I ended up using it in my coffee as creamer and it was darn delicious)

It’s kind of disappointing that half of the whipping cream is going towards “whey”, but the quality of the concentrated whipped cream is high enough that I may just keep buying it for things like flavored butters.

Can I overwhip it?

Yes, yes you can. See the above paragraph. 😉

Does it stay whipped?

It will if you fridge or freeze it immediately. Within an hour, the room temp whipped cream was already super soft and melty. Because of this I don’t recommend trying to put it between cake layers unless the cake layers are absolutely frozen, going straight into the freezer, and going to be served while cold. To see the before and after freezing, check the paragraph below – but here is a before and after of the room temp whipped cream:

And here is a before and after of my refrigerated whipped cream, two hours between photos:

Does it freeze well?

After being whipped, YES! Here is a before and after photo of it being whipped, separated, and whipped again (as outlined above) as a small sample:

**I have a bit of un-whipped in the freezer overnight and I’ll test it in the morning and update here with results** I’ll also be testing homemade ice cream with it in the near future. (Update: it whipped up fantastically!)

Does it heat/cook well?

Oh, does it.

It’s a thing of beauty, y’all. Even if you have zero interest in trying to make whipped cream, you’ll love cooking with it! I made a five minute alfredo to test if it would 1) heat without curdling, and 2) tolerate an acid (lemon juice) being introduced and still hold up. It also has salt, and a handful of other seasonings for testing.

I’m happy to report that it passed with flying colors! And it was delicious. I’ll get the recipe up soon!

Does it curdle/separate?

In coffee it does not (YAY!) but it does while whipping after soft peaks. You’re safe to cook with it, though!

Is it everything I’ve been dreaming of?

Well, maybe not everything. I wish it whipped up stiffer right out of the carton, but apart from that I am super impressed! I’m having visions of all kinds of pasta sauces, flavored vegan butters, and of course – delicious coffee.

If you want whipped cream though, you’ll have to work for it and chill it right away. And if you don’t want to do all that work, I suggest trying my American meringue buttercream recipe and letting it whip for 15 or so minutes. You’ll get a light and silky faux whipped cream that’s much more stable than this one.

Overall, I think this is a quality product and I will definitely be purchasing it again. I hope that they can get rid of the cross contamination risks so more folks can enjoy it. Despite its shortcomings though, it’s exciting that we have things like this becoming commercially available, and I can’t wait for them to get better and better!

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Allergy-Friendly and Vegan Pastry Recipes:

Vegan Quick and Easy Mexican Red Pozole/Menudo (Instant Pot)

January 1, 2020 // by Meggan Leal// Leave a Comment

Deep, rich, spicy, and flavorful red pozole is a classic comfort food in Mexico – especially during the winter holiday season. It’s a chili based hominy soup and usually simmered all day with cuts of pork or chicken (or beef tripe for menudo). My version is vegan, easy, and can be made in less than an hour thanks to the Instant Pot.

Pozole: a brief

First of all, pozole is pronounced poe-SO-lay.

Traditional red pozole (pozole rojo) is made by slow simmering pork or chicken in a rich broth made of blended red chili peppers and onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, bay leaf, and a host of other herbs and spices that change based on who is making it and how their abuelita taught them. The same dish, but made with tripe instead of meat is known as menudo.

White or yellow hominy is added and it’s garnished with cabbage, radish, cilantro, onion, and lime juice. Avocado and tostadas (baked or fried corn tortillas) are also frequently enjoyed with pozole.

It can be simmered for hours to days, and is a labor of love, and a holiday tradition passed down through generations of Mexican families. It’s a beautiful dish rich in both flavor and history, and once you’ve tried it you know you’ll be craving it again and again.

As beautiful as the thought is of simmering it for days according to an ancient family recipe, I ain’t got time for that. Plus, I want it to be vegan. So I’m gonna make it convenient with quick ingredients, pre-ground and mixed spices, and an Instant Pot to cook it in less than an hour.

Ingredients:

Here’s a breakdown of our ingredients for this quick and easy vegan pozole:

The first ingredient I use in my quick and easy vegan pozole is soy chorizo. Yup. I know. That’s weird. But trust me.

Chorizo actually has a ton of the same spices and flavors as traditional pozole: chili, garlic, some acidity, and lots of gorgeous natural red. Yes, red. That’s important because we are making red pozole. Your red pozole should not be lacking in red.

Can’t do soy? No worries! Just skip the soyrizo. 🙂

The second ingredient is portabella mushrooms. Or portobello. Or giant creminis. Whatever you want to call them, they’re meaty and absorb all the pozole flavors wonderfully. Slice them thickly so they give plenty of chew.

I use baby portabellas because they give smaller chunks that are more manageable.

Before slicing your mushrooms, please please please wash them. The brown stuff you see on your mushrooms isn’t dirt. And trust me, you don’t want to eat it.

Next is veggie broth. I love that the manufacturer has already slow-simmered this for hours and hours so that I don’t have to! Yay! Complex flavors in an instant. Life doesn’t get much better than that.

The most important ingredient of all is menudo spice. Menudo spice is an intricate and balanced mixture of a TON of herbs and spices. You can definitely mix your own, and there are thousands of recipes online if you decide you want to give it a go. I don’t. Lol. I’ve been there, done that, inhaled way too much chili pepper, and I don’t want to go down that road again. So I buy pre-made.

There are a lot of different brands out there! Fiesta is the most popular where I am, but La India and Gebhardt are very good, too. Actually, I’ve never tried one I didn’t like – so find what you can, check the ingredients for anything you’re avoiding, and use what’s safe. I’m using Gebhardt in this because I went shopping for it ON NEW YEARS EVE (when everyone is making pozole) and literally all the menudo spice was sold out except for this one because it was hidden on an end cap on the opposite end of the store.

Lastly, hominy. Humble hominy is a larger and tougher variety of corn than what most Americans are accustomed to. It’s actually the corn used to make grits! There is a yellow and a white variety, and either one will work wonderfully here. Find it close to the canned corn or in the Hispanic section of your grocery store.

Cacique is my favorite brand of soy chorizo because the flavor is amazing, so is the price, and the meatiness is scary convincing – all while being gluten-free

INGREDIENTS: WATER, SOY FLOUR, SOYBEAN OIL, DISTILLED WHITE VINEGAR, PAPRIKA, SALT, MUSTARD POWDER, SPICES, GARLIC POWDER, CARAMEL COLOR AND POTASSIUM SORBATE (TO MAINTAIN FRESHNESS).

Let’s get started!

Step one: Turn your Instant Pot on sauté on medium heat and gather all your soup ingredients. First, add the chorizo and give it a good stir. Add about two cups of broth as needed to keep it from burning.

If you have whole mushrooms, you should cut them into about 1/2″ (about 2.5cm) slices. They don’t have to be exact. If you have sliced mushrooms, just toss them in!

Add your mushrooms to the pot.

Stir the mushrooms to coat with chorizo and juices.

Add about two cups of broth (16oz, 480ml) and stir well. The broth will keep it from burning on the bottom.

Open your hominy and drain it.

See? Corn! really ugly corn, but still corn.

Dump your drained hominy into your pot and stir well.

Now it’s time for the menudo spice! Hold your breath as you dump this in. You don’t want to breathe in chili powder. Use whatever brand you can find and tolerate. And use the amount indicated for 2-3 pounds of meat.

Delicious flavor and color, coming right up!

Stir everything really well.

IMPORTANT INSTANT POT INFORMATION!!!

My Instant Pot is a 6 quart Duo. It has a line inside that marks 2/3 capacity with a note that says “PC Max”. This is the max fill line for pressure cooking. DO NOT FILL YOUR POT UP PAST THIS POINT. If you have a smaller pot, are using any dehydrated ingredients that will increase in volume during cooking, or you are not confident about filling yours up to this point, stop here, cover, and cook now.

If you’re ok filling it up, go ahead and add another four cups of broth or until you reach the max fill line according to your Instant Pot instruction manual.

Close your lid and turn your valve to the sealing position.

Set the Instant Pot to pressure cook on normal/medium pressure for 20 minutes. It should come to pressure rather quickly since the pot is full and it’s already hot.

Once it’s done, let it natural release for ten minutes before carefully turning the valve to ‘venting’. Allow it to vent until the button drops and it’s safe to open.

If you opted to not fill your pot to the max fill line earlier, go ahead and add the four remaining cups of broth now and stir well.

Stir and serve your soup! Top with cilantro and chopped white onion, shredded cabbage, radish slices, and plenty of lime juice. It can also be enjoyed with avocado and tostadas.

Store it in the fridge for up to four days and reheat portions rather than the whole pot for best food safety.

If you don’t have an Instant Pot, don’t fret! Follow the instructions but in a slow cooker for 4-5 hours, or on a stovetop over a medium simmer for 1.5-2 hours.

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Video:

Coming soon!

Recipe:

Yield: servings 8-10

Vegan Quick and Easy Red Pozole

Deep, rich, spicy, and flavorful red pozole is a classic comfort food in Mexico - especially during the winter holiday season. Mine is vegan, and cooks quickly in the Instant Pot.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Additional Time 20 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

1 lb (452g) soy chorizo
24 oz (680g) baby portabella mushrooms, sliced
2 30oz (850g) cans of hominy, drained
64 oz (1.8L) vegetable broth
3.25 oz (92g) menudo spice mix

Garnishes

Cilantro
Finely chopped white onion
Thinly sliced radish
Shredded cabbage
Fresh limes

Instructions

In the Instant Pot on the sauté function, stir together the chorizo, sliced mushrooms, and two cups of broth
Drain and add the hominy, and stir well
Add the menudo spice and two more cups of broth and stir well
If you’re worried about overfilling your Instant Pot, you can seal and cook now. I have a 6qt Duo and this recipe fills it exactly to the 2/3 max fill line. DO NOT GO OVER YOUR 2/3 MAX FILL LINE. SEE YOUR INSTANT POT’S INSTRUCTION MANUAL FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
Add the remaining four cups of broth now (or after cooking if you’re worried about overfilling the Instant Pot)
Pressure cook on medium for 20 minutes, and allow to naturally release for 10 minutes before venting, stirring, and serving
Garnish with fresh cilantro, chopped white onion, shredded cabbage, sliced fresh radishes, and fresh lime juice

Notes

Please use caution while using your Instant Pot, and follow the user’s manual exactly.

This can also be prepared in a slow cooker on high for 3-4 hours, or on the stovetop over a medium simmer for 1-2 hours - until the mushrooms are cooked through.

If you're avoiding soy, omit the soy chorizo and check the menudo spice mix and veggie broth well for it. If you're avoiding corn, swap the hominy for chickpeas and check your menudo mix for cornstarch and your veggie broth for corn.

Easiest Vegan Meringue Cookies Ever with Aquafaba

December 23, 2019 // by Meggan Leal// Leave a Comment

Thanks to aquafaba, vegans and other egg-avoiders can now enjoy meringue whenever they want, again. Here, we are making the ever-loved crispy meringue cookies enjoyed by people around the world, but with a twist that makes them easier than even egg-white meringues.

What is Meringue?

Meringue (pronounced murr-ANG, with a soft g like in “sang”) is the product of whipping egg whites (or in our case, the vegan alternative aquafaba, which is the water from cooked or canned beans and other legumes).

Black bean aquafaba pour — Any legume’ll do. Garbanzos are the most commonly used, but any bean will give you whippable aquafaba!

When you whip them at high speed they turn foamy, then fluffy, and then the fluff firms up and can be baked or torched, or folded into batters to make super light and airy bakes.

Meringue has traditionally been used for a plethora of different recipes an applications: Angel food cake is made using it, macarons and macaroons are made with meringue, meringue buttercream and royal icing are both meringue-based sweets. It is used to cover baked Alaska and meringue pie and to make marshmallows. It’s even used to top some types of cocktails!

And then there is the humble meringue cookie.

What is a Meringue Cookie?

The meringue cookie is, at its simplest, dehydrated meringue. The fluff is prepared with sugar and sometimes different flavorings, then dolloped or piped onto a lined baking tray (or dehydrator tray) and baked at a very low temperature until all the moisture evaporates out.

What you’re left with is a crispy, sweet cookie that melts in your mouth in an instant. It’s basically the crunchy version of cotton candy/fairy floss.

They can be enjoyed on their own, made into “pops”, or used to adorn other desserts.

What can I add to it?

Unfortunately, meringue is a very unstable mixture. It won’t hold on its own in raw form without stabilizers like agar agar and xanthan gum, and once it’s baked it needs to be kept absolutely dry or it will absorb any and all moisture in the air and turn into sticky marshmallows (which isn’t normally a bad thing, but when you want crispy cookies it’s not exactly a celebratory occasion).

Beyond that, oil will immediately deflate your meringue if it’s mixed in, or will prevent it from ever fluffing in the first place if introduced at the beginning.

The oil thing is important, because it severely limits us on what we can mix into the aquafaba for meringue: Flavoring oils can deflate it instantly. Even citrus peels have been known to do it because of their high oil content. Cinnamon and turmeric will kill it. Cocoa powder has enough oil that it will also destroy it. Butter and coconut oil are no-gos.

In this same token, you need to make sure that all your utensils and bowls you’re using to make the meringue are free from grease. I do this by wiping everything down with vinegar before I start.

Things you CAN add to your meringue include alcohol-based flavoring like vanilla and almond. You can also add citrus juice. I like to add drink powder like KoolAid or Tang. You can fold in nuts or chocolate chips or even candy cane bits for a minty treat during the holidays.

Just make sure that your additions are not oily/greasy and that they won’t release fats at low baking temperatures.

Feel free to add sprinkles, edible dust, or spray color before they bake (as long as they’re oil/grease-free) for some added pizzazz, as well.

Sprayed with silver before and dusted with gold after dehydrating for New Year’s treats.

You can also drizzle them, dip them, or coat them with chocolate after they’re dehydrated and it will keep the crispness safe.

Cute little Santa hat meringues made by dipping the dried meringue in white chocolate and sprinkles

Cooking vs Dehydrating

There’s a difference between what we are doing here and baking/cooking the meringue. The meringue itself has already been cooked during the bean-making/canning process, so we don’t need to do it again. And if we did, we would melt it.

Cooking our meringue at temperatures higher than 210°F or 99°C will turn them to delicious, sweet, candy soup. The aquafaba will return to liquid form because the sugar melts and it has no structure to hold on to, anymore.

The sugar we add into the aquafaba crystalizes while whipping and gives us the framework for our meringue. The millions of minuscule bubbles formed as we incorporate air hang onto that sugar framework, and it’s what allows the meringue to stand. If you melt the sugar, the whole thing is going to go down with it.

Now, sugar itself doesn’t melt until 337°F/170°C so I’m not talking about the sugar melting from the heat. It melts because your aquafaba starts to boil. Water boils at 212°F/100°C, and our aquafaba is made primarily of water. So it boils, all its bubbles pop, it dissolves the sugar, and you get a puddle instead of crispy cookies.

So that being understood, we want to keep our temperature low and slow, here – under that boiling point of 212°F/100°C. We want to slowly evaporate the moisture out of the cookies rather than cook them.

If your oven doesn’t have a setting that low, you can turn it to the lowest it does have and keep the oven door cracked open. My favorite technique for this is just to stick a wooden or silicone spoon in the door to keep it from closing.

Apart from the oven, an actual dehydrator machine will work beautifully for these guys.

What equipment do I need?

For this recipe, you need a small saucepan and stovetop/burner. A silicone spatula will also be useful.

You’ll need a large mixing bowl, either glass or stainless steel (or the bowl of a stand mixer).

You’ll need a mixer, either a stand mixer with a whisk attachment or a handheld mixer will work. You can use a regular whisk and do this by hand – but I don’t recommend it at all. I’ve done it and it took almost two hours and I was sore for days after.

You need a baking tray. I recommend light colored aluminum, but if all you have is glass or dark colored metal, just turn your temperature down another 10°F.

You need either parchment paper or a silicone mat to line your baking sheet with.

You need a large spoon or ice cream scoop if you want to make rustic-style dollop meringues, or a piping bag and large tip/nozzle if you want to pipe them.

Different ways of piping or scooping your meringue cookies

And you need either an oven or a dehydrator.

What ingredients do I need?

The ingredients here are really simple!

Aquafaba and granulated white sugar.

Everything else is optional.

For the optionals, I’m going to include a quarter teaspoon of something acidic to help the meringue fluff a bit. Acidity strengthens the structure, so you can add vinegar, cream of tartar, or even lemon juice and it’ll help the meringue to be more successful.

Oil-free flavors and colors are also optional. Just remember to forgo cinnamon, cocoa, turmeric, and other ‘strong’ flavors as they can melt your meringue. Vanilla is highly recommended though (if you’re not allergic) because it’ll make your meringue taste like marshmallows!

If your aquafaba is unsalted, you may want to add a pinch of salt to offset the sweetness a little.

The process: how to make the easiest vegan meringue cookies ever

Preheat your oven or dehydrator to the lowest temperature it will go. If it won’t heat lower than 210°F/100°C, keep them oven door ajar.
Line your baking sheets or dehydrator trays with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Shake your can of beans (or homemade beans) and pour your aquafaba into a small pan (make sure to thoroughly clean the rim of the can first).
Pour half the amount of aquafaba in sugar to the pan (pour the sugar in until it forms a small mountain whose ‘peak’ is slightly above the aquafaba).
Over medium heat, stir the mixture until the sugar has completely dissolved.
Once the sugar has fully dissolved, turn off the heat and pour the aquafaba syrup into your mixing bowl
Add a 1/2 tsp of vinegar or lemon juice, or 1/8 tsp of cream of tartar, or your acid-based drink powder now if you’re using them.
With your mixer with whisk attachment or beaters, whip on medium speed until the mixture is foamy, then add your vanilla.
Turn the mixer up to high until you get stiff peaks. This means that the peaks that form when you lift the whisk don’t bend or fall over, but keep their shape.

Spoon, scoop, or pipe your meringues onto your lined baking sheets in whatever shapes you’d like

Put into your preheated oven or dehydrator and bake/dehydrate for two hours or until the cookies come clean off the baking sheet when cool and are dry all the way through.

How do I store them?

Store your crispy little cookies in an airtight container with either dry rice or silica packets to absorb any humidity. As long as they are kept like this, they will be good indefinitely.

If they happen to get sticky from humidity before you get a chance to put them away, just pop them back into the oven/dehydrator until they dry back out.

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Video Tutorial:

Coming soon!

Recipe

Easiest Vegan Meringue Cookies Ever with Aquafaba

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 2 hours

Additional Time 1 hour

Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

1/4-1/2 c aquafaba, any plain
1/8-1/4c granulated sugar, vegan

Optional

1 tsp alcohol based flavor extract (such as lemon, vanilla, or almond)
Gel or powder food coloring
1/2 tbsp citrus juice for flavor
2-4 tbsp chopped nuts, chocolate, or candy bits
1/4 tsp acidity: vinegar, lemon juice, cream of tartar, etc.

Instructions

Preheat your oven or dehydrator to the lowest temperature it will go. If it won’t heat lower than 210°F/100°C, keep the oven door ajar.
Line your baking sheets or dehydrator trays with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Shake your can of beans (or homemade beans) and pour your aquafaba into a small pan (make sure to thoroughly clean the rim of the can first).
Pour half the amount of aquafaba in sugar to the pan (pour the sugar in until it forms a small mountain whose 'peak' is slightly above the aquafaba).
Over medium heat, stir the mixture until the sugar has completely dissolved.
Once the sugar has fully dissolved, turn off the heat and pour the aquafaba syrup into your mixing bowl.
Add a 1/2 tsp of vinegar or lemon juice, or 1/8 tsp of cream of tartar, or your acid-based drink powder now if you’re using them.
With your mixer and whisk attachment or beaters, whip on medium speed until the mixture is foamy, then add your vanilla.
Turn the mixer up to high until you get stiff peaks. This means that the peaks that form when you lift the whisk don’t bend or fall over, but keep their shape.
Spoon, scoop, or pipe your meringues onto your lined baking sheets in whatever shapes you’d like.
Put into your preheated oven or dehydrator and bake/dehydrate for two hours or until the cookies come clean off the baking sheet when cool and are dry all the way through.

Notes

Store your crispy little cookies in an airtight container with either dry rice or silica packets to absorb any humidity. As long as they are kept like this, they will be good indefinitely.

If they happen to get sticky from humidity before you get a chance to put them away, just pop them back into the oven/dehydrator until they dry back out.

Macaron Fillings

December 22, 2019 // by Meggan Leal// Leave a Comment

From buttercream to ganache and more, find all the dairy and egg free plant-based fillings you need to make your vegan macarons stand out in a crowd:

You can also browse my Amazon Store at www.amazon.com/shop/cookingoncaffeine where you can find all the supplies and ingredients I use and recommend.

Meggan Leal

Allergy-Friendly and Vegan Pastry Recipes:

Ingredients

What ingredients are in this frosting??

I hate those ingredients! Can I just use your cream cheese frosting recipe??

Wait.. did you say warm it up?

Can I add anything to it?

How do I make it?

What do I dip into this magical vegan cheesecake dip?

Can I turn this into an actual cheesecake?

How can I make this vegan cheesecake dip healthier?

Please leave me alone so that I can go make it!

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What I Needed

What It Ain’t

Let’s Get Down to Business

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Do the Thing

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What is choriqueso and how do I eat it?

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Video Tutorial

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Garnish

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I swore I didn’t do stories in my recipes but here I go..

What kind of milk do I use?

What other ingredients are there?

What this cheese sauce ISN’T

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What equipment do I need?

The Process:

Other cheesy things I have to offer:

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To support ongoing bushfire relief efforts in Australia

Allergy-Friendly and Vegan Pastry Recipes:

What’s it made of? Is it safe for my allergy or diet?

What does it look like?

How does it pour? What’s the viscosity like?

What does it taste like?

Is it great in coffee?

Does it whip?

Can I overwhip it?

Does it stay whipped?

Does it freeze well?

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Is it everything I’ve been dreaming of?

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Allergy-Friendly and Vegan Pastry Recipes: