“These zingy, zesty and perfectly sweet desserts are sure to impress your friends! These are a vegan twist on a real classic, made even easier to share being individually portioned.”
Mini lemon meringue pies
SERVES 4
You will need 4 mini tart tins
For the sweet shortcrust pastry (you can use shop-bought pastry if preferred)
150g plain flour 20g icing sugar ¼tsp salt Grated zest of 1 lemon 75g vegan butter, cold and cubed 1½tbsp ice-cold water
For the lemon filling 100ml lemon juice 30ml soya milk 100g granulated sugar (add an extra 20g if you like it sweeter) 15g cornflour A pinch of turmeric powder (just for colour) 35g vegan butter
For the meringue
75g aquafaba (liquid from a can of unsalted chickpeas) ¼tsp cream of tartar 100g caster sugar ¼tsp agar agar powder (not necessary, but will help to stabilise the meringue) 1tsp vanilla extract or bean paste 1 For the pastry, line four mini tart tins with a small square of baking parchment. Place all the pastry ingredients, except the water, in a food processor and pulse until it has a breadcrumb-like texture. Add the water and pulse until it starts to come together into a ball. Tip it out onto a work surface and bring it together into a smooth dough, kneading gently.
2 Alternatively, if you don’t have a food processor you can do this by hand. Combine the flour, icing sugar, salt and lemon zest in a large bowl, then rub in the butter between your fingertips until it forms rough breadcrumbs. Add the water and bring together into a ball. Knead until smooth.
3 Roll out the pastry on a flour-dusted surface – or between two sheets of baking parchment, until it is around 3mm thick. Use a round cutter that is slightly larger than the size of your mini tart tins (or a mug if you don’t have a cutter), to cut out four circles of pastry. Lay the pastry over the tart tins, carefully pushing it into the sides. Place the pastry cases into the freezer to chill for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4.
4 Once chilled, fill the tins with baking beans (pie weights) or rice and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and take out the beans and parchment, then return to the oven for a further 10-15 minutes or until the edges are a light golden brown.
5 Place the pastry cases onto a cooling rack until the pastry is just warm to the touch.
6 For the lemon filling, put the lemon juice and soya milk in a saucepan with 50ml water set over a low-medium heat. Mix the sugar and cornflour together in a bowl, then add to the pan. Whisk the ingredients together over a medium heat, adding the turmeric for colouring. Whisk continuously until t
