Get ready to fall madly in love with these magical meringues. They transform into the prettiest shade of mauve-tinted pink, have a beguiling fruity & slightly tart taste that is reminiscent of (but much tastier) than cotton candy.  Irresistible! 

The natural colour & delectable taste are a result of our Alchemist’s Brew tea, a zesty & refreshing herbal tea made with hibiscus, rosehips, citrus, spearmint & a hint of cinnamon. Alchemist’s Brew transforms into a tantalizing deep reddish pink hue when you brew it (& also happens to make mouth-watering iced teas, tea slushies & tea popsicles too!). 

The texture of these meringues is a perfect balance of chewy & crunchy, even though it’s a plant-based recipe made without eggs. Aquafaba, which is the leftover liquid produced from cooking chickpeas, is the secret ingredient that replaces eggs. Source it from canned chickpeas when you strain them, or make your own aquafaba by cooking up home-made chickpeas. For more fun ways to use aquafaba, check out our Tea Mayonnaise + Aioli recipe.

Enjoy the meringues as a dessert treat, or add some frosting to turn them into macarons. 

Accompany the Alchemist’s Meringues with a cup of hot or iced tea. They are divine with Alchemist’s Brew tea, or with any of our fruity, citrusy or tart teas including Wildberry Wave, Mango Shade, Peach Paradise, Sour Cherry, Sublime & Philosopher’s Brew. 

Healthy Tip When you’re eating carbs or sweets, it can also be a great idea to reach for teas that help counteract these effects. 

Mulberry tea has been used in Asian traditional medicine for hundreds of years as a way to support blood sugar balance & assist weight management. Studies are starting to support these ideas, & are finding that the mulberry can help block carbohydrate absorption. 

Detox tea may be an even better choice when having rich or higher-fat foods, as well as carbs & sweets, as the herbs in it were traditionally consumed to counteract all three of these.

Accompanying treats or rich foods with a cup of Detox or Mulberry tea, or having these teas half an hour or an hour after eating, may be a healthier & smarter way to indulge. 

Recent studies show that a HOT BATH can have similar benefits as exercise! Effortlessly burn calories, stimulate the metabolism, manage blood sugar & more. Click HERE to discover how to optimize your bath & learn about the surprising benefits of a bath. 

We love seeing what you're making! ⁠Share & tag your Silk Road recipes with the hashtag #SilkRoadCommuniTEA - you’ll find us on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, TWITTER & PINTEREST.

Get inspired with more tips, techniques & recipes - watch & learn directly from Tea Master Daniela Cubelic in this captivating VIDEO SERIES.

Learn how to make chai tea soup, tea hot chocolates, mulled cider teas, tea infused oatmeal, ice cream tea floats, tea lemonades, iced teas & more. You’ll also discover fascinating facts & info about the health benefits of tea, tea history & secrets for tea brewing.

THE ALCHEMIST'S MERINGUES

gluten-free, dairy-free & vegan

makes approximately 40 small meringues

INGREDIENTS
1 cup aquafaba* 
2 tablespoons ALCHEMIST’S BREW tea
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
¾ cups white sugar

*You can usually get this amount of aquafaba from 2 cans of chickpeas, 15-ounce (425 g) size. If you have bigger tins, or are making your own aquafaba, adjust accordingly.

DIRECTIONS

1. Strain the aquafaba liquid from the chickpeas (save the chickpeas for use in another recipe). Measure out 1 cup of aquafaba into a container & stir dry, loose tea leaves of ALCHEMIST’S BREW tea into it. Cover the container & place in the fridge overnight, or for 8 to 12 hours. 

When ready, strain tea from aquafaba, then measure out ½ cup of this tea-infused liquid. Allow it to come to room temperature.

2. Preheat oven to 210°F. Prepare a large baking sheet with a layer of parchment paper. If you have one, prepare a piping bag with a large tip. You’ll get a fancier shape with a piping bag, but if you don’t have one, you can drop the meringues free-form onto the baking sheet.

3. Pour tea-infused aquafaba into a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl—your meringue will increase several times in volume as you whip it. Add cream of tartar. Using a whisk attachment for your stand mixer, or an electric hand mixer, whisk mixture on medium speed until soft peaks start to form. Note that it takes longer for peaks to form with aquafaba than with a traditional egg-based meringue. For that reason, we don’t recommend trying to whisk these by hand. You’ll be glad you used an electric hand mixer or stand mixer. 

4. Once soft peaks have arisen, start to add sugar very slowly, a tablespoon at a time—this will take approximately 15 minutes . Continue whipping until glossy stiff peaks form.  Don’t worry if your meringue stays a bit softer than usual, the tea in this recipe can affect the texture, but should not be a problem for your finished meringues. Finish your meringue by whipping briefly on high-speed.  Immediately fill your piping bag & pipe out 1-inch rosettes of meringue, with about an inch of space between. If you do not have a piping bag, use a tablespoon to create small dollops of meringue.

5. Place tray in oven & bake for approximately 90 minutes—do not open the oven as they bake. When done, they should be firm & come away from the parchment easily. If they stick to the paper, continue to bake for about 10 more minutes & then check them again. Once fully baked, turn off oven & allow meringues to cool inside of the oven—this will help ensure they are fully dry.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2–3 days.