Pavlova With a Boozy Cherry Sauce

Method

• Firstly, make the meringue. Heat the oven to 150°C (fan) and drain the chickpeas and reserve the chickpea water, this is our egg substitute! You can use the chickpeas for another recipe.
• Add the cream of tartar and using an electric whisk, whip to soft peaks.
• Add the sugar, a tablespoon at a time and whisk until fully incorporated and smooth and glossy.
• Pour half of the mixture onto a lined baking tray to make two separate discs until around 5cm high and one slightly smaller than the other. Transfer to the oven and immediately turn down to 100°C. Bake for an hour, then turn off the oven and leave overnight.
• To make the boozy cherry sauce, empty the can of cherries into a small pan with the Amaretto, thyme and cinnamon and heat until it becomes thick and sticky. Allow to cool and then blend and pass through a sieve.
• For the vegan whipped cream, remove the coconut milk from the fridge (the water should have separated from the cream, if it hasn’t you may not have full fat coconut milk) and tip the whole contents of the can into a cold, clean metal bowl. Whisk the cream until light and fluffy and add the icing sugar. Whisk until incorporated and keep in the fridge until use.
• To assemble, place half of the cream and cherry sauce on the larger meringue, place the second meringue disk on top, spread with cream, the rest of the sauce and top with the fresh berries, cherries, almonds and a scattering of thyme leaves.