Vegan Merendeiras
INGREDIENTS
- 250 g Potato
- 250 g Sweet potato
- 250 g Pumpkin, cubed
- 450 g Sugar
- 1000 g Wheat flour
- 180 ml Aquafaba (cold, just taken from the fridge)
- 10 g Baking powder
- 150 g Pine nuts, walnuts, almonds, sultanas or candied fruit, to taste
- 1 Lemon (zest)
- 15 ml Plant milk
- 1 tsp Ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp Fennel seeds
- ½ tsp Ground cardamom seeds
INSTRUCTIONS
- 1 Prepare the veg: preheat the oven to 200 °C. Wash the sweet potato and roast it whole for about 15 minutes. On the same tray, spread the pumpkin and roast for 30 minutes, until very soft. Meanwhile, boil the potato in water until tender.
- 2 Peel the sweet potato and drain the pumpkin well. If needed, squeeze the pumpkin with a clean cloth or let it drain in a sieve. Pass the three veg through a food mill and let cool completely.
- 3 Whisk the aquafaba with an electric mixer until firm and foamy, with a consistency like stiff egg whites. Add a spoonful of the indicated sugar and whisk a little more.
- 4 Prepare the batter: lower the oven temperature to 180–200 °C. Mix the cold purée with the remaining sugar, the lemon zest and the plant milk. In a separate bowl, combine the flour with the baking powder, cinnamon, fennel and cardamom. Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the purée, mixing with your hands just until a homogeneous dough forms. Add the beaten aquafaba and fold gently, using a bottom-to-top motion.
- 5 Add the fruit: stir in the dried fruit, sultanas or candied fruit of choice. Fold delicately, avoiding over-working the dough. It should be soft, slightly sticky, but mouldable.
- 6 Shape and bake: shape the merendeiras and place them on baking trays lined with baking paper, leaving space between them. Bake straight away in the pre-heated oven for about 20–25 minutes, until golden and cooked through. Adjust the time according to size and oven, and let cool before serving.
