Meringue Mushrooms
Easy meringue mushrooms made with just 5 ingredients, perfect for decorating holiday cakes (like yule log!), garnishing holiday tables, and enjoying as-is. They can be made ahead and assembled in minutes.
Servings 20 mushrooms
Equipment
Ingredients
Meringue Mushrooms
- 1 large egg white
- 1/16 tsp cream of tartar less than 1/8 teaspoon
- 1/4 Cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 2 tsp cocoa powder for dusting (optional)
- 1/8 Cup (28g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°F (93°C) and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Make sure the bowl of your stand mixer and whisk attachment (or large bowl and hand mixer attachments) are clean and residue-free. Then, add the large egg white and 1/16 teaspoon of cream of tartar (measure 1/4 teaspoon of the cream of tartar, then divide that in half, then in half again) into the bowl. Beat together on high speed until foamy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl and paddle in between to make sure the ingredients are combined. Turn the mixer to high speed and slowly add the sugar. Beat until stiff glossy peaks form, about 1-2 more minutes.
- Add the meringue into a piping bag fitted with a large round piping tip (I use Tip 2A) or simply snip off about 1/2 inch opening. On the prepared baking sheet, pipe the mushroom caps by hovering your tip 1/4 inch away from the surface and squeezing while slightly pulling up to create a shape that resembles a hershey's kiss, then quickly swirl the tip to the side so you get an even top. I like to dab the tops with a wet fingertip to make them smoother. I piped some smaller mushroom tops (a little less than 1 inch diameter) and some larger (about 1 1/2 inch diameter) for variety. Pipe the mushroom stems to look like taller hershey's kisses (1/2 to 3/4" diameter at the base) and squeeze the bag while you pull up to 1"-1 1/2" height). You'll have enough meringue for about 15 mushroom caps and stems.
- Bake the mushroom meringues for 2 hours (don't open the oven before this point), then remove and allow to cool completely to room temperature. Once cooled, use a paring knife to create a little hole on the underside of the caps and dust the tops with a little cocoa powder. Carefully slice off any pointy ends from the mushroom stems. Then, melt the chocolate in the microwave in 15-20 second intervals, stirring after each one, and place the melted chocolate into a piping bag. Snip off the end and pipe chocolate into the little hole you created on the bottom of a mushroom cap. Carefully press a mushroom stem into it and hold it there for a few seconds to secure it. Continue this assembly process with the rest of the mushroom caps and stems and allow them to dry completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature until ready to decorate.
Notes
Make Ahead Instructions: the unassembled mushrooms can be made ahead and stored at room temperature in an airtight container for 1-2 weeks as long as they are stored in a dry (not humid) place. Humidity tends to soften the meringues. After assembling with chocolate, they can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days, but I recommend assembling on decorating day for best results.
Yield: this recipe yields about 15 meringue mushrooms but can easily be doubled or tripled for more.