Since avian flu turned eggs into a luxury item, pastry chef Annie Clemmons has spent countless hours in her Maryland workshop, racking her brains about how to replace them in her recipes.

"It won't taste like chickpeas!" she told AFP as she poured aquafaba -- the watery byproduct of the cooked pulses -- into the bowl of her electric mixer.

A customer had recently ordered a meringue-based red fruit pavlova, and requested that it be delivered the same day.

Instead of beating egg whites until they are stiff, as in the traditional recipe, Clemmons uses an alternative well known to vegan and egg-intolerant cooks.

"It takes a bit longer," she said, adding: "you won't see the difference in color or taste."

And for the custard, she uses cornstarch as a thickener.

"It won't be as creamy," she said, adding a spoonful of cardamom to enhance the........

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