This little egg, refined sugar, dairy, soy and gluten free dessert is something for those once a year special occasions when you fancy something fancy.
This experiment was inspired when I saw a recipe on the back of the egg replacement I was buying and I thought it looked really interesting. I mean, how do you make meringue with no egg? Meringue is basically egg and sugar? So then I thought, if you could make it without egg, can you make it without egg and sugar (eg. using a sugar substitute)? Well, I did the experiment and found out the answer is yes:-).
The recipe which inspired this one can be viewed on the Orgran website here (or on the box of Orgran NoEggTM). I’ve put my substitutions and alterations to the method below.
Basic ingredients:
- 90g Orgran NoEggTM replacement
- 1/2 tsp pectin (I’ve used citrus pectin from the health food shop)
- 1 cup of cold water
- 125g Homemade Gluten-Free Icing “Sugar” (see below for how I made it sugar free)
- 1 tbs Homemade Soft Brown Sugar (see below for how I made it)
Making your own Homemade Gluten-Free Icing “Sugar”
- 125g Sugar or sugar substitute (I used xylitol as I had some left in the cupboard from a previous experiment. If I were to make these with sugar I’d try them with something like rapadura).
- 1/2 tbsp arrowroot powder
Method:
Grind the substitute (or sugar) in a coffee grinder on the fine setting until it has completed (this will look and smell like icing sugar), using a small hand whisk, mix in the arrowroot powder so it is all combined.
Making your own Homemade “Soft Brown Sugar” for this recipe
- 1 tbsp sugar substitute (eg. xylitol)
- 1/4 tsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Method
Grind the sugar substitute in a coffee grinder on the coarse setting, and transfer to a separate dish, add the maple syrup and mix thoroughly, leave to stand for 10-20 minutes then mix it again. It might look like it is clumping but there is a lot of whisking in this recipe and I found it blended in to the meringue quite easily.
How to make the Meringue
How it looks after the second batch of mixing with the electric mixer.
- Preheat oven to 130degrees C
- Combine the pectin and egg replacement and cold water using an electric mixer for 5 minutes on high speed until the mix looks light and fluffy.
- Once mixed, add the Homemade “Brown Sugar” and mix in well.
- Next add the Homemade Icing Sugar 1 tbsp at a time until it is all added and then mix for a further 5 minutes with the mixer (see picture above).
- Line a tray with baking paper and spoon out meringue mix (2 dessert spoons to a biscuit) and then flatten the centres with the dessert spoon (to leave a well).
- Cook for 2.5 hours on 130 degrees C. (it will still feel a little “sticky” to touch).
- Transfer to a dehydrator (I’ve used an Excalibur) and dehydrate on 115 degrees (Excalibur setting which is in Farenheit) overnight. They may be a little fragile as you transfer them from the oven to the dehydrator. You can wait for them to cool, or transfer them warm. Dehydrate until they are no longer sticky. They should be crisp and light (if you were to snap one in half). Dehydrate for 5 to 8 hours.
- Once they are ready, you can dress them with 1/2 -3/4 tbsp whipped dairy and soy free cream and fresh or thawed frozen berries, peaches, mango or kiwi fruit.
Before cooking
After dehydrating
Yummy as they are, I wouldn’t eat these everyday, better to save them for special occasions and certainly limit the amount given to children as too much of some sugar substitutes can cause diarrhea and affect mineral absorption (Dills, 1989). In addition, using certain sugar substitutes are not appropriate for people with FODMAP (fermentable, oligosaccharide, disaccharide, monosaccharide and polyol) intolerances (Shepherd Works website).
References
- Dills, WL Jr. (1989) Sugar alcohols as bulk sweeteners. Annual Review of Nutrition 9: 161-186.
- Orgran http://www.orgran.com/recipes
- Shepherd Works Website. http://shepherdworks.com.au/disease-information/low-fodmap-diet
