They are crispy and nice and sweet which makes them the perfect accompaniment to the rich and chocolately Yule Log. But they are also very nice on their own. For a gift, package them in a party bag tied with a festive ribbon or place them in a basket. She has a recipe for Meringue Mushrooms in her lovely book " Book of Great Chocolate Desserts " which is the same recipe she used to win first prize for originality at the International Cooking Olympics.
Meringue Mushrooms are really not difficult to make. But there are a few things to keep in mind when making any meringue. First, make sure the egg whites are at room temperature and free of any specks of egg yolk. Superfine sugar makes for a smoother meringue as it is easier for the sugar to dissolve.
Make sure your bowl and whisk are clean and free of grease to obtain maximum volume. Adding the sugar gradually to the egg whites ensures that the sugar completely dissolves and does not produce a gritty meringue. Cream of tartar is used in the whipping of egg whites to stabilize them and allows them to reach maximum volume although you can use an equal amount of lemon juice.
Also, it is a good idea to use parchment paper to line your baking sheets. Distribute the caps and stems evenly on the baking sheet to ensure even baking. You can put the 'caps' on one sheet and 'stems' on another, as I have done, or you can bake them all on one baking sheet. To prevent cracking of the meringues, do not open the oven door during the first hour of the baking time. Baking the meringues in a slow oven allows for gradual evaporation of the moisture from the meringues.
You will need two baking sheets lined with parchment paper. To make all the mushrooms the same size, I like to make a template. Take a piece of parchment paper and draw 24 - 2 inch 5 cm circles, spacing the circles about 1 inch 2. Flip the parchment paper over, and place it on your baking sheet. In the bowl of your electric mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer beat the egg whites and cream of tartar, on medium low speed until soft peaks form.
Continue beating, on high speed, gradually adding the superfine sugar, until the whites are shiny and hold stiff peaks. To make sure that the sugar has fully dissolved, rub a little of the meringue between your fingers. It should feel smooth, not gritty.
They stick bad enough that you will damage them prying them off. These mushrooms are absolutely magical. They look so real, my husband was convinced I'd gone to the farmer's market without him!
The only changes I made to the recipe were in the assembly. After removing the caps from the oven, I used a pastry brush to lightly smear the cocoa powder, going for a 'wild mushroom' look. After they had cooled, I sliced the pointed tips off of the stem pieces to make them flat.
One at a time, I painted melted dark chocolate on the bottoms of the caps with a small craft brush, then pressed the cut end of the stem piece into the center. As each one was finished, I placed them cap side down in empty egg cartons so they wouldn't topple over. I left them to dry for a few hours, then sealed them in an airtight container. These were perfect on our Buche de Noel, but I can't wait until next Christmas to make these again.
I think they'll be great for Easter, too. Thank you so much, Holly! Jill Jakubiszen. Being a young adult, I hadn't heard of these small confections before. So I just had to include them into my holiday cookie gift assortments. Although many people had seen them before, my age group were just floored! A definate treat to leave an impression. I also dyed some coconut green, mixed into some corn syrup and dipped the stem bottoms in there for some added realness. For some fantasy-- we made some colored corn syrup and painted little spots to resemble Wonderland mushrooms.
Holly Wilkins. Oh and many thanks to foodaholic for the great professional-looking photos! Thanks to everyone's comments! I like the idea of using colored corn syrup to paint polka dots and make 'fantasy' mushrooms; also to make the 'gills'. So sorry about the confusion of chocolate to use. The brand I used to use was Wilton Candy Melts. Now I like to use Giardhelli sp? Note - I tried tonight to make these with the pasteurized egg whites you buy in cartons?
They did not whip to the same stiffness as natural whites though the volume seemed about the same. Maybe a little less. They are in the oven now I will report back on any major differences.
But I am thinking one should stay with the natural separate-them-yourself egg whites. I'm back! I tried to make them tall and they didn't quite stay tall.
But still fine. I've tried some new final touches too - before the chocolate hardens on some I sprinkle the tiny colored balls to look like 'spores' These were the definite show-stealer at my New Year's Party. I was SO impressed with both how easy they were, and how realistic they looked!
If you're like me and the baker at my local supermarket thinking, "What the heck is chocolate confectioner's coating? I melted 6 or 7 Hershey kisses and they did the trick perfectly. I've heard meringue can be tricky, so I made sure to slowly sprinkle the sugar one tbsp at a time, and beat it lots and lots and lots, and it worked. Thanks to hungry girl for the zip-lock bag tip. I'll be making these for years and years to come.
Thanks Holly!! These candy mushrooms are awesome. But by themselves, they make a perfect pick-up dessert at a cocktail party. Light, yet flavorful and cute enough to spark lively conversations amongst your guests.
Humidity is the enemy of meringues, so be sure to make these crispy treats on a low humidity day. If humidity is a problem in your area, make them within a few hours of their serving time. Preheat oven to degrees F.
Position two racks in the middle and lower third of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside until needed. Combine almonds and confectioners' sugar in the work bowl of a mini food processor. Process in short bursts, stopping briefly 2 to 3 seconds between pulses until nuts are evenly and finely ground.
Note: The mixture should resemble flour. Because fat breaks down meringue, it is important to release as little oil as possible while grinding the nuts. Short bursts of processing will prevent the nuts from becoming too warm and releasing too much oil.
The confectioners' sugar helps absorb the oil that is released.
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