A decadent plant-based meringue dessert with a soft marshmallow center. Enjoy with a variety of toppings, including fresh berries, fruit, strawberry sauce, blueberry sauce, lemon curd, vanilla pudding, yogurt, coconut whipped cream, or chocolate sauce. The sky’s the limit!
Reduce the Aquafaba. Pour the aquafaba into a small saucepan and simmer it over medium to medium-high heat until it is reduced in half. You should have about ¾ cup aquafaba.
Remove from heat, cool slightly, and transfer to an air-tight container to cool completely in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake.
Preheat the oven to 275° F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly dust with cornstarch. Set aside.
Wipe your stand mixer bowl thoroughly with vinegar, then fit it with the whisk attachment (or with a hand mixer).
In the bowl, combine the aquafaba with the cream of tartar, xanthan gum, corn starch, and vanilla. Mix on low then increase to medium speed until well combined and foamy, about 1-2 minutes.
Increase the speed to medium-high speed and slowly add in the sugar, 1-2 tablespoons at a time, until it is all added and fully incorporated.
Increase the mixer to high speed and mix until the meringue has smooth, glossy, and stiff peaks. Mine resembled marshmallow crème.
Spoon the whipped aquafaba in a 6-inch round cake-like shape*** on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Smooth the sides slightly, with a slight dip in the center, adding decorative peaks, if desired. *** See note below to make individual servings. To create a more uniform pavlova, draw a large circle on the paper using a cake pan or plate as a reference.
Bake for 2 hours or until the outside of pavlova is firm and crisp. Turn off the oven and leave the pavlova in the oven for 4-6 hours or overnight. The outside should feel firm.
Once cool, store on the counter in an air-tight container for up to two days.
Just before serving, adorn with desired toppings and enjoy!
Notes
* Aquafaba is the liquid in cooked beans. Simply drain aquafaba from canned or home-cooked chickpeas or northern beans. One can should produce ¾ cup aquafaba. Also important to note: Aquafaba should resemble the viscosity of egg whites. If your aquafaba looks thin, try refrigerating the aquafaba with the beans. Not sure why this works, but it does. Certain brands are thinner or thicker than others. I usually cook my own beans and find that chilling the beans with the aquafaba creates the best aquafaba viscosity.
** You can make your own superfine caster sugar by processing 1 cup granulated sugar in your food processor until very fine but not powdery, about 30 - 60 seconds.
*** To make smaller individual pavlovas, spoon the whipped aquafaba into four or six smaller rounds on the lined baking sheet. Follow the instructions, except bake for 70-90 minutes, or until firm and dry.
Sprinkle the parchment paper with cornstarch to help the pavlova come off easily.