Vegan Candy Cane Meringue Kisses

Step 1

Preheat oven to 100C / 210F and line three baking trays with greaseproof paper.

Step 2

Drain the liquid from the can of chickpeas into a large clean bowl. You can keep the chickpeas for another recipe. Just add them to a container with some clean water and keep for up to 3 days in the fridge.

Step 3

Using an electric or stand mixer, whisk the liquid on a high speed until it forms soft peaks.

Step 4

At the stage, start slowly adding the icing sugar. Keep whisking until it reaches stiff peak stage (the mixture stands upright on the whisk).

Step 5

Mix the vanilla and peppermint in at the last minute.

Step 6

Meanwhile, open out your icing bag and carefully use the red dye and a teaspoon or a clean paint brush to paint red lines onto the inside of the icing bag. Starting from the bottom, stopping about 1/3 way from the top.

Step 7

Transfer the mixture to the icing bag and start piping your meringue shapes. Squeeze the meringue near the surface of the baking sheet and then pull up to peaks.

Step 8

Add the trays to the oven and bake for two hours. My oven tends to run a little hot so I used a wooden spoon to prop the oven door open slightly. If you have this problem too, you may need to do the same.

Step 9

After two hours, turn the oven off and let them remain in the oven for another hour to cool.

Step 10

They should be crunchy on the outside and soft and mallow-y on the inside.

Step 11

It's important to keep them in an air-tight tin as they will start to soften if left out too long.

Step 12

Enjoy!