An experimental creation – did you know that whipping the liquid from a can of chick peas produces a light foam that looks almost like whipped egg whites? I was quite mindblown. Aquafaba is the liquid leftover from cooking legumes and is often found in the form of a milky, mucilaginous liquid harvested from cans of chickpeas. The science behind it is that it contains amphiphilic proteins (which creates stable bubbles), starch (which reinforces the microstructure) and some free sugar (which is hygroscopic so prevents water from weeping out). This allows glossy, stable meringues to be formed without the use of eggs.

And the natural question is whether it can be made into meringue – answer is yes and there has been successful Aquafaba macarons even (which to me is the ultimate test as we all know how finicky these are even with normal egg whites. Plus it means that the texture can withstand baking temperatures).

Verdict:

1. Does it work? Surprisingly.. Yes! Whipped up nicely, took the same amount of effort as normal egg whites. It was relatively less stable, but it is to be expected, and as long as it goes into the oven while it is still foamy it should be fine
2. Flavor: There are tinges of saltiness and briny-ness, but I guess its not something that can be controlled. I think that’s why Aquafaba pairs well with dominant flavors like Chocolate, and something that can be balanced with salt.
3. Texture: Since we had to freeze the chocolate mousse cake in order to set it, it came out a bit icy. Not ideal, but for a vegan compromise it’s not the worst. Just tastes like a homemade chocolate popscicle.
4. Stability – did it hold up at room temperature? Again, not as well as a normal chocolate mousse cake lightened with egg white meringue or cream. So either continue experimenting with proportions or just.. Eat fast before it turns into soup!

In conclusion, not something I’d serve at a proper birthday event, wedding or something I would sell, due to the suboptimal stability and saltiness that I’d rather be able to control with my flavors. But if its for research/experimenting purposes, or for a vegan friend, I’d happily make it again, and am open to experimenting with aquafaba for macarons or frosting variations.