Print

Meringue Mushrooms

Meringue mushrooms on a marble board.
Print Recipe
Save Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 16 reviews

Crunchy, sweet, and fun to make, these 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.

Ingredients

Scale

For Swiss meringue:

  • 4 large egg whites, room temperature
  • 2 cups (250 g) powdered (icing) sugar

For the finish:

  • 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
  • 2 oz (60 g) dark chocolate 

* If needed, please refer to Baking Conversion Charts.

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 210°F (100°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. 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. Place the bowl over a bain-marie (water bath) and beat the egg whites with a whisk until foamy.
  3. 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 be glossy with stiff peaks. Use it right away.
  4. Transfer meringue to a large piping bag with a round piping tip 1/2" (12 mm). Pipe 4 meringue dots in the corners of the prepared baking sheet and place parchment paper. This will keep the paper in place during piping and baking.
  5. 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 the pointed end by pulling up the bag.
  6. For the caps of the mushrooms, keep the piping bag upright on the baking sheet and squeeze smoothly. Push the meringue into a plain round shape. Once you have the perfect shape, stop squeezing and slowly remove the bag to the side to avoid creating a peak on top. If needed, use a wet fingertip to flatten the spike of the meringue dome.
  7. Mushroom cap size and stem height may vary: caps may average 1 to 2 inches (2.5 cm to 5 cm) in diameter and about 1 inch (2.5 cm) high, while stems may be about 1 inch (2.5 cm) tall. Place caps and stems 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart. Sprinkle mushroom caps with cocoa powder. Bake caps and stems for 1 hour. Once the meringue is ready, let it cool, then detach it from the parchment paper.
  8. To assemble meringue mushrooms, carefully select and arrange the caps and stems to achieve the most visually appealing size and shape combinations. Melt chocolate in a double boiler or microwave.
  9. Then use one of the provided assembly methods. Don't worry about slightly crooked stems: they will appear perfect when flipped over. However, adjust any stems that have completely fallen.
  10. 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. Dip the tip of a mushroom stem into the chocolate and twist gently to attach the cap and stem. Place the assembled mushroom upside down on a wire rack lined with parchment and allow the chocolate to set. 
  11. Another way to assemble the meringue mushrooms is to 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 set the chocolate.
  12. Sprinkle cocoa powder on the upright meringue mushrooms to give them a freshly emerged look from a patch of soft earth.

Notes

  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 may fall during baking.
  4. Once the meringue caps and stems are baked, keep the oven door slightly ajar to let the meringues cool, though this is optional.
  5. Keep the baked caps and stems uncovered for a few days in an airtight container before you assemble the mushrooms.
  6. Store ready-made 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. This prevents them from breaking if they accidentally fall while you serve the log to the holiday table.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://www.bakinglikeachef.com/meringue-mushrooms-by-chef-philippe/