Tom Hunt’s Aquafaba meringues with blood orange and chocolate sauce

These meringues are sweet treats, converting something that is usually wasted – aquafaba – into a dessert to-die-for. Especially when topped with gin, blood oranges and melted chocolate.

Serves 6

Ingredients

225g rapadura or unreﬁned caster sugar
170ml aquafaba
½ tsp cream of tartar
2 unwaxed blood or navel oranges
slosh of gin, optional
2 tbsp cacao nibs
100g good-quality dark chocolate
140g yogurt

Method

Preheat the oven to 110ºC/225ºF/Gas Mark ¼ and line two large baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper.
To make the meringues, blend the sugar to a powder and put to one side. Place the aquafaba in a clean, grease-free metal or ceramic bowl and beat on medium-high speed with an electric mixer for 10 minutes. Sprinkle in the cream of tartar and whisk to combine. Add the sugar, one tablespoon at a time, whisking all the time and allowing 20–30 seconds between each addition. Once all of the sugar has been incorporated, check the consistency and, if necessary, continue whisking until the mixture is smooth, silky and stiff peaks have formed.
Spoon six large blobs of meringue onto the lined baking sheets and bake for 2 hours – without opening the door. Turn off the oven, keeping the door closed, and leave the meringues to cool down for a minimum of 2 hours.
Meanwhile, cut the oranges into slices and arrange them in a serving bowl. Slosh over the gin, if using, and sprinkle with the cacao nibs. Set aside to macerate while you make the sauce.
To make the chocolate sauce, break the chocolate into small pieces and place in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of hot, but not boiling, water. Stir until the chocolate has melted.
To serve, arrange the meringues on a plate and top with the blood orange slices, chocolate sauce and yogurt.