Lemon meringue pie might seem unlikely if you have a vegan diet. But no longer! This recipe is sweet, tangy and the ideal dinner party pudding.
Ingredients
- 1 vegan pie pastry
- 200g caster sugar
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 pinch of sea salt
- 350ml water
- 125ml lemon juice
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 3 drops lemon extract
- 1-2 drops organic yellow food colouring
- 1 tbsp vegan butter
- 1 small pack silken tofu
For the egg-free meringue
- 10 tbsp aquafaba
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 115g caster sugar
- 5 drops vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon xanthin gum
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C
- Roll the pie pastry to about 1/8" inch thick and place in a 9" pie baking tray
- crimp the edges and prick the bottom of the pastry several times
- Bake the crust for about 10-12 minutes until its golden, then set aside to cool.
For the lemon pie filling
-
Combine the sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt in a saucepan, then stir with a whisk.
- Place the pan over a medium-high heat and add the water, lemon juice, lemon zest and lemon extract. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 3-5 minutes until the mixture is thick.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the vegan butter and food colouring. Then stir until combined and set aside.
- In a food processor, blend the tofu until smooth. Add the lemon mixture, then blend until smooth. Put this mixture back in the saucepan and over a low heat while you make the meringue.
For the meringue
- Pour the liquid from one can of chickpeas in a bowl and add the cream of tartar. Then mix for a minute until the mixture is frothy.
- While mixing the chickpea brine, add one tbsp of sugar at a time. Once its all added, continue to mix on a medium heat until soft peaks form.
- Add the vanilla and xanthin and keep mixing until stiff peaks form.
Assemble and Bake the Pie
- Spoon the warm lemon custard onto the pie crust, then top with meringue.
- With a spoon, push the meringue to the edges of the crust making sure they touch. Then make wispy dollops of meringue on the top.
- Bake for 20 minutes until the meringue begins to brown. Turn up the heat to 200°C and cook for another 5-10 minutes until the meringue has golden edges.
- Remove from the oven and cool for an hour, then refrigerate!