Meringue Mushrooms for Yule Log

Crunchy, sweet, and utterly irresistible, Yule log meringue mushrooms are a versatile treat. Enjoy them as a dessert, give them as edible gifts, or use them to decorate your Buche de Noel or Christmas Yule log. Get ready for fun in the kitchen and pure joy when serving.

Indulging in a slice of Bûche de Noël or Yule Log is a European holiday tradition. But if you want to take your dessert game to the next level, it is time to learn how to make meringue mushrooms.

These little edible gems are not only adorable but also incredibly easy to make. With just four ingredients and basic piping skills, you can add a whimsical touch to your Christmas treats.

Your guests will be impressed by your culinary skills and delighted by the charming mushrooms atop their holiday goodness.

Why you should try this recipe

• Meringue decorations, ideal for decorating forest-themed cakes or Christmas Yule Logs, are also known as Yule Log mushrooms.

• Mushroom meringue cookies make a delightful edible gift. Just package them in small plastic bags and tie them with a festive ribbon. They also make a perfect addition to a Christmas cookie box.

• They are made with simple ingredients, without cream of tartar and lemon juice: fewer ingredients, fewer steps of preparation, cheaper the meringue dessert. Plus, you can prepare them in advance for added convenience.

• The meringue mushroom recipe is best made on a dry day and easily on a rainy day. According to Maida Heatter, who lives in a humid climate, "made these innumerable times in Miami Beach, where it is almost always humid, they [meringue mushrooms] are always perfect."

Ingredients

Here is a quick overview of what ingredients you will need. Find the recipe card below for exact amounts and detailed instructions. I recommend making the recipe as written for the best results.

• Egg whites: Use large egg whites. Separate them from the yolks using an egg separator. Allow the egg whites to come to room temperature.

• Icing sugar: Use icing sugar made with a coffee grinder or purchase powdered sugar. Alternatively, use superfine sugar: caster or baker's sugar.

• Cocoa powder: The recipe calls for unsweetened cocoa powder.

• Dark chocolate: Use melted dark chocolate (read on how to melt chocolate) or replace it with milk, white chocolate, or chocolate chips.

Dark chocolate brings a more realistic look to meringue mushrooms under the cap. You can also use royal icing or buttercream instead of melted chocolate to "glue" meringue caps and stems.

Recipe variations

• Replace cocoa powder with sifted freeze-dried strawberry powder on meringue mushroom caps.

• Use red food coloring to make meringue mushroom tops:
  • Once the meringue is ready, divide the preparation into two halves. Add a few drops of red food coloring to one half and mix for about 30 seconds.
  • Pipe the white meringue to make stems, and pipe mushroom caps using the red-colored meringue.
  • Take a small amount of white meringue with a toothpick and make dots on red meringue caps. Then bake as directed.

• Experiment with a mushroom shape and size of mushroom meringues. According to Maida Heatter, "Smaller or larger mushrooms are equally attractive." Pastry chef Caitlin Dysart exaggerates meringue mushrooms, her favorite decoration of a traditional Bûche de Noël.

• Make more realistic mushrooms by rubbing cocoa powder into the baked meringues and buffing their caps and stems.

How to make meringue mushrooms

Preheat the oven to 210°F (100°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

To make Swiss meringue, place egg whites in the clean bowl of a stand mixer or a large metal bowl.

Add powdered (icing) sugar and whip egg whites with a hand whisk a few times. Put the bowl over the bain-marie or water bath and beat egg whites with a whisk until foamy.

When the meringue mixture is hot, remove the bowl from the heat, and beat it with a stand or electric mixer until it cools completely. The meringue will have a glossy appearance with stiff peaks. Use it right away.

Transfer meringue to a large piping bag with a round piping tip ½" (12 mm). Pipe 4 meringue dots in the corners of the prepared baking sheet and place parchment paper. It will fix the paper during pipping and baking.

For the caps of the mushrooms, keep holding the piping bag upright to the baking sheet and smoothly squeeze the bag. Push the meringue into a plain round shape (photo 1).

Once the perfect shape is obtained, stop squeezing and slowly remove the bag off to the side to avoid creating a peak on top. If needed, use a wet fingertip to flatten the spike of the meringue dome.

To pipe the meringue stems, hold the pastry bag upright on the baking sheet. Start piping gently, forming a stem's base, then lift the bag while squeezing. Make sure to make the pointed end by pulling up the bag (photo 2).

Pro tip: The size of mushroom caps and the height of stems may vary: while the caps may average 1 to 2 inch (2.5 cm to 5 cm) rounds and about 1 inch (2.5 cm) high, the stems may get about 1 inch (2.5 cm) tall.

Caps and stems should be placed 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart. Sprinkle mushroom caps with cocoa powder.

Bake caps and stems for 1 hour. Once the meringues are ready, let them cool and detach them from parchment paper.

To assemble meringue mushrooms, carefully select and arrange the caps and stems to achieve the most visually appealing size and shape combinations. Melt chocolate according to any of the ways described in the chocolate mousse recipe.

Then, use one of the provided methods for assembly.

• Make a small hole on the bottom of each cap with the tip of a small paring knife. Fill the hole and the top of the stems with a little melted dark chocolate. Insert the stems into the hole under the caps. Place the mushrooms upside down and refrigerate to allow the chocolate to set.

• Slightly trim the tops of the mushroom stems evenly using a serrated knife. Using a small offset spatula, coat the bottom of the cap with melted chocolate (photo 3). Dip the tip of a mushroom stem into the chocolate and twist it gently to attach the cap and stem together (photo 4). Place the assembled mushroom upside down on a wire rack lined with parchment and allow the chocolate to set.

Pro tip: Don't worry about slightly crooked stems: they will appear perfect when flipped over. However, adjust any completely fallen stems.

Sprinkle cocoa powder on the upright meringue mushrooms to give them a freshly emerged look from a soft earth patch.

Expert Tips

1. Make sure egg whites are at room temperature.
2. Pipe different rounds and lengths of mushroom caps and stems.
3. Make a few extra stems since some of them may fall during baking.
4. Once meringue caps and stems are baked, keep the oven door slightly ajar to allow the meringues to cool, although it is optional.
5. Keep the baked caps and stems uncovered for a few days at room temperature before you assemble the mushrooms.
6. Store ready meringue mushrooms in an airtight container for a few weeks.
7. While presenting a Bûche de Noël, decorate a serving platter with meringue mushrooms fixing them with melted chocolate. It will prevent them from breaking when they accidentally fall while serving the log to a holiday table.

Storing and freezing

Once the meringue mushrooms are cooled well, store them in an air-tight container, preferably a tin box, at room temperature for up to two weeks.

Can you freeze meringue mushrooms? To freeze meringue mushrooms, place them on parchment flat and freeze them. After one hour, transfer meringues to an airtight container and keep them in the freezer for several weeks. To thaw, bring them to room temperature for about an hour. 

Recipe FAQ

Love Christmas cookies? Try these next!

• Mini Gingerbread Men Cookies
• Chocolate Banana Pecan Cookies
• Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
• Bredele Cookies
• Christmas Cookie Ornaments
• Or browse all the cookie recipes

Print

Recipe card

The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.

The recipe was originally published on May 05, 2018. It has been revised to include improved content and photos.