Last Updated on May 29, 2023 by Heather Reseck

Belief Bakery

This recipe originally appeared in the March 11, 2023 issue of Guide magazine, a publication for children ages 10-14. It is the eleventh in a series of 28 installments called “Belief Bakery” which uses a hands-on cooking project to illustrate the 28 fundamental beliefs of Seventh-day Adventists.

This project is in collaboration with my husband, Greg Reseck, an educator, who tests the recipes with the students in his classroom.

We emphasize the love of God and Biblical concepts and tie them into fun cooking projects with healthy plant-based recipes.

Tasty Transformation

A plant doesn’t have to try to grow or photosynthesize. Neither do you have to try to grow. You can’t grow or change yourself through determination or any power of your own. (Zechariah 4:6) It’s the transforming power of God at work in you through His Word and the Holy Spirit to make you more like Him.

This cooking project illustrates the transforming power of God. This recipe is easy. Just four simple ingredients. But it will take some time and patience—just like with growth and transformation.

You’ll never guess what these meringue cookies are made from. They are made from the liquid leftover from a can of chickpeas. Yes, really! It’s called aquafaba, which is the combination of the Latin words for water and bean.

You’ll discover how something normally discarded is transformed into a dessert worth sharing.

Just like we can’t see the Holy Spirit, the air whipped into the plain, beige liquid creates a remarkable transformation, creating pillowy marshmallow fluff-like clouds of meringue. You won’t believe it until you see it—and taste it—for yourself!

Transformation Aquafaba Meringue Cookies

Information for Kids

Adult supervision is recommended for inexperienced junior chefs.
Difficulty: Easy

Before you begin

Read through the recipe, variations, and tips.
Arrange to buy any ingredients that you need.

Steps to get ready to cook

Wash your hands with soap and water.
Gather the equipment.
Gather the ingredients.

Equipment

Oven
2 rimmed baking sheets
Parchment paper
Colander
8-cup glass or metal mixing bowl
Measuring spoons
Liquid measure
Electric mixer
Rubber spatula
1 gallon zip-top bag
Scissors
Timer

Ingredients

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzos) (preferably unsalted)
¼ teaspoon lemon juice or cream of tartar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract (preferably alcohol-free)
¼ cup sugar

Directions

Heat oven to 200°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Drain the chickpeas in a colander or strainer over a 2-quart glass or metal mixing bowl so that you collect the liquid. Transfer the chickpeas to a container, cover, and refrigerate them for another use. (See ideas at the end of the recipe.)
Measure ½ cup of the chickpea liquid; save the rest or discard it. Pour the chickpea liquid back into the bowl. Add the lemon juice or cream of tartar.
Whip with an electric mixer on low speed until foamy, about 30 seconds. Gradually increase the speed to high. Keep whipping until the mixture is white and soft peaks begin to form (when the mixer is stopped, the meringue barely stands up when the beaters are lifted out), about 1½ to 2 minutes.
Keep whipping until stiff peaks form (when the mixer is stopped, the meringue stands straight up when the beaters are lifted out), about 2 minutes.
Gradually add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, about 30 seconds apart, while whipping at high speed, about 2-3 minutes.
Add the vanilla and whip until mixed in.
Stop the beaters and check that the sugar has dissolved by tasting a spoonful. If you crunch on sugar granules, continue whipping. If it is smooth, glossy, very stiff, and the meringue clings to the beaters when lifted out, it’s done. It should look like marshmallow fluff. If not, continue whipping and test again in 2 minutes.
Scoop the meringue into a large zip-top bag and seal it. Cut ½ inch off of one corner. Hold the open corner of the bag over the baking sheet and carefully squeeze out 1-inch-wide mounds that are about 1-inch high, lifting up as you go to create pointy tops. Leave about 1 inch between cookies so they don’t stick together. Continue until the baking sheets are filled. It’s okay to lick the beaters when you are done!
Bake for 1 hour. Rotate the pans between the oven racks.
Bake for another 30 minutes. Check one cookie by removing it from the oven and letting it cool. Break it in half. If it is dry inside, the cookies are done. If not, bake another 10 minutes. Check another cookie. If not done, bake another 10 minutes. Check another cookie.
When the cookies are done, turn off the oven and leave them in the oven for 1 hour. (If you want to eat some cookies right away, remove them from the baking sheet and let them cool before eating.)
Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 weeks, or in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks. Or freeze up to 3 months. Makes about 60-70 meringue cookies.
Remember to wash the dishes and clean up.

Variations

Add food coloring to part or all of the meringue. Or color half of the meringue and put the white and colored meringue together in the zip-top bag to create swirls when it is squeezed out.
Instead of squeezing the meringue from a bag, use a small spoon (like you use for eating) to scoop the meringue; use a second spoon to scrape it off into a small mound on the baking sheet.
Sprinkle with cake sprinkles before baking.

Tips

The meringue cookies will harden as they cool.
Any type of oil or fat will cause the meringue to deflate.

Ideas for serving chickpeas

Mash with about ¼ cup mayonnaise and a little salt to make a sandwich filling.
Toss with pasta or add to curry.
Make hummus. See Belief Bakery number 9: Edible Diorama Featuring Veggies with Hummus.
Add to a green salad.

Health Bite

Chickpeas and other beans are a top food to eat often because they provide a good source of protein—an essential nutrient your body needs for growth, development, and repair.

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