The failed Lemon Meringue
I can’t say it was a complete failure because it was certainly edible and although not exactly favourable, I developed a craving for the leftovers, however my first attempt at a vegan lemon meringue was somewhat unsuccessful (as far as meringues go). I used a recipe off the internet (actually a number of recipes) combined and was highly dissapointed. From one site I took a gluten free rice flour crust which was tasteless and dry; from another I took a meringue filling (which was loaded with cornstarch creating a gelatinized mess instead of a firm custard); and a Bryanna’s “meringue” topping which claimed you could beat ener-g egg replacer for a solid 12 minutes and somehow form peaks (Ok I was naive for attempting this). *sigh*. All in all my meringue was literally a flop. The fluffy white topping was a sea of liquified sugar. This does not mean that a vegan meringue is impossible. It does however mean I might have to give in and buy a copy of Hanna Kaminsky’s “My sweet vegan”. On another note I am currently trying to work out a pumpkin and corn mixture. Last night I attempted pumpkin corn flour muffins and although not terrible they weren’t exactly delectable. Today I think I shall attempt to create a corn meal and pumpkin pancake since I have a mass amount of pumpkin innards left in my fridge from last nights experiment. If all goes well there shall be an interesting recipe coming up and if not don’t worry there will be more recipes anyhow!
Gluten replacements
Although these ingredients can be hard to find (and by no means do I expect you to have them on hand), xanthan gum and guar gum are wonderful gluten substitutes when combined with Gluten-free flours. I never thought I would see these ingredients on my local supermarket shelves but just recently I stumbled upon both of them while at the Bulk Barn (a food store found in Canada). Here is a little bit about these strange ingredients:
Most gluten-free flours will require the addition of xanthan or guar, a substitute binder used to compensate for the lack of gluten. The amount needed to add will depend on the type of product and it’s reliance on the gluten structure. Breads rely heavily on gluten for their structure, cakes to a lesser extent, and cookies almost none. Typically the starchier and/or more refined the crumb, the less the reliance on gluten. Xanthan gum tends to be almost three times as expensive, and in the US is grown off of corn syrup (but tests out corn-free in the lab after processing). Some gluten-free groups discourage the use of guar because of the higher fiber (and therefore possible laxative effect) of large amounts of guar gum use. Try both and see. If these gums are not appropriate for you, some suggest the use of mung bean (AKA green bean) flour (1/8 of cup to every cup flour) or pre-gelled potato flour.
Suggestions for the addition of xanthan or guar: For every cup of wheat-free/gluten-free flour use:
½ tsp. Xanthan/guar gum for cakes
1 tsp. Xanthan/guar gum for breads or pizza
½ tsp. to no xanthan/guar gum for most cookies.
(http://whatscookingamerica.net/Q-A/ZanthanGum.htm)
Egg and Milk Replacements
For those Vegans and or dairy/egg sensitive people, I have taken the liberty of posting some ideas for replacing those pesky ingredients that cause us headaches and moral dilemmas. Sadly some Vegans have not ventured farther than a banana or mushy tofu when replacing eggs and even more shocking some have not put down the soy milk to try a little almond breeze. Well the time to start the experiments has begun! Let’s get crakin’!
Egg replacements:
1 egg = 2 Tbsp. potato starch
1 egg = 1/4 cup mashed potatoes
1 egg = 1/4 cup canned pumpkin or squash
1 egg = 1/4 cup puréed prunes
1 egg = 2 Tbsp. water + 1 Tbsp. oil + 2 tsp. baking powder
1 egg = 1 Tbsp. ground flax seed simmered in 3 Tbsp. water
1 egg white = 1 Tbsp. plain agar powder dissolved in 1 Tbsp. water, whipped, chilled, and whipped again
1 egg = 1/4 cup of tofu (try silken and remember to blend it VERY well before using)
1 egg = 1/4 cup of banana
1 egg = 1 tbsp flaxseed (ground up) with 3 tablespoons of water. Make sure that the mixture has gelled before using it.
1 egg = 2 tbsp water mixed with 1 tbsp of oil and 2 tsp of baking powder. Mix together well before adding.
1 egg = 1 heaping Tbsp soy flour or bean flour mixed with a 1 Tbsp water.
1 egg = 2 Tbsp cornstarch beaten with 2 Tbsp water.
1 egg = 1 Tbsp corn starch, 1 Tbsp potatoe starch with 2 Tbsp water.
1 egg = 1 tsp Ener-g Egg replacer with 2 Tbsp water.
Milk replacements:
(Use as you would regular milk)
Almond milk
Soy milk
Oat milk
Hemp milk
Rice milk (quite thin and sometimes you don’t need as much of this as you would normally use cow’s milk)
Coconut milk (quite thick at times and surprisingly it doesn’t really have much of a flavour so it is fairly versatile).
Sources from:
http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/DummiesArticle/id-1081.html
http://www.vegcooking.com/vegcooking-eggreplace.asp
http://www.wikihow.com/Replace-Eggs-in-Your-Cooking
And: my own experience
