Light yet indulgent dessert
The Floating island dessert dances on memories of my childhood and embodies the magic of trasformation of one of my favourite versatile plant-based ingredients: aquafaba.
This exquisite treat seasmlessly combines the velvety creaminess of the vanilla custard with the etherial lightness of the clound-like whipped aquafaba merengue, creating a symphony of flavors that is both nostalgic and indulgent.
Unlike my usual accessible recipes, this one brings a touch of magic, featuring unique ingredients like agar powder and corn syrup. Don’t be daunted, the result is worth the process and the rest of my blog is filled with delightful, everyday recipes you’ll love.
This dessert is perfect to serve your guests on a special occasion – it embodies the joy of sharing and the celebration of life’s sweet moments of joy, awe or belongingness.
Understanding the Substitutes:
Aquafaba is used to recreate the egg-white consistency of the traditional merengue. Aquafaba is simply the liquid left after boiling chickpeas. I recommend using aquafaba from canned chickpeas as it tends to be more concentrated and it does offer more consistent and reliable results.
Agar-agar is a plant-based gelatine made from algae that helps achieve a marshmallow-y texture for our merengue. Agar is very versatile and can be used to add texture to purees, gels and so on. A general rule of thumb is adding 0.8 g agar-agar per 100 ml liquid. Agar is thermo-sensitive, meaning that it needs to be cooked to around 86 degrees C to activate its gelifying properties.
This recipe has 2 servings
Custard
– 230 ml soy milk
– 30 ml agave syrup
– 15 g cornstarch
– a pinch of vanilla & salt
– a pinch of curcuma/turmeric
Merengue
– 50 ml aquafaba (reduced from 120 ml)
– 65 g caster sugar
– 20 ml glucose syrup/corn syrup
– 10 ml water
– 1.5 g agar
– 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- Start by reducing the aquafaba and let it cool down.
- In a mixer fitted with paddles/egg beater add the aquafaba and start mixing on low-medium speed until stiff peaks (8-12 minutes).
- In the mean time, mix the sugar with the agar powder and set aside.
- Add the water and glucose/corn syrup to a pan along with the agar and sugar, and cook on low heat until it reaches around 110 degrees C – it will look slighlty darker in color and thicker in consistency.
- Pour the syrup into the merengue and start mixing again on low-medium speed for a few more minutes. The mixture will get glossy and will appear to loose its volume but don’t worry, as soon as it cools down it’ll set again.
For the custard:
- Mix 30 ml of milk with the cornstarch and set to the side.
- Add the rest of the ingredients to a pot and simmer.
- Add the milk with cornstarch to the pot and mix vigurously.
- Cover with cling film to touch the custard and let it cool down.
Assembly:
Serve the vegan custard cold in your favourite bowl and top it off with some plant-based merengue clouds, scooping them with a spoon. Hope you’ll enjoy!
Chef's tip:
You can store the custard in the fridge for 3-4 days in an air-tight container. The merengue can be stored for 1-2 days in the fridge too, without losing its airyness.
