Meringue Mushrooms

 

Last summer, I attended a rustic wedding celebration.  At the reception was a beautiful chocolate cake which I found out was covered in edible meringue mushrooms - so fun!

Since I’ve recently become confident in my ability to make meringues, I decided I wanted to give the mushrooms a try.  

You guys!  They were so fun and super convincing!

Set right next to a real mushroom, you can tell the difference, but when I brought the leftovers to the staff lounge, several people did a double take at the “mushrooms” sitting there on the table!

And the best part?  They were super tasty.  The ones I took to work were gone quickly and the ones on the cake I’ll share next were enjoyed as well!

Meringue Mushrooms

Recipe from Natasha’s Kitchen

Meringues

Whites from 2 large eggs

½ cup granulated sugar

⅛ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

To Finish

Cocoa powder

2 tablespoons semi sweet or white chocolate, melted

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place the egg whites, sugar, salt, and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Beat on high for 5 minutes, then check.  Continue to beat another 1-2 minutes or until stiff, glossy peaks form.  To test if the mixture is ready, flip the bowl upside down.  If the meringue stays put, it's ready!

Transfer the meringue into a large piping bag fitted with a large tip (like a Wilton 2A or Ateco 804).

Pipe mushrooms onto the prepared parchment.  The stems will look like tall chocolate chips and the caps should be 1 to 1 ½ inches in diameter with a smooth top.  To smooth out any bumps, lightly wet a finger and gently tap down any bumps.

Bake in the preheated oven for 1 ½ hours.  Once done, the meringues will be crisp and hollow and easily removed from the parchment.  Remove from oven, then carefully lift the parchment and place on a wire rack to allow the meringues to cool off the pan.

Once completely cooled, use a paring knife to drill a small hole in the bottom of each mushroom cap.  Sprinkle the caps with cocoa powder.  I like to dip a paintbrush (I have one dedicated to dessert tasks that I don't use for paint) into the cocoa and then tap the excess off onto the mushrooms.

Melt the chocolate.  Dip the tops of the stems into the chocolate, then fit them into the holes in the caps to construct the mushrooms.  Allow the chocolate to set, then serve.

Makes about 30 mushrooms, depending on size