Meringue mushrooms are a classic dessert that can add a touch of whimsy to any occasion. They are made with a combination of egg whites, sugar, and flavorings, and they can be shaped into a variety of different shapes, including mushrooms. Meringue mushrooms are light and airy, with a delicate and crispy texture. They can be served on their own or decorated with a variety of toppings, such as chocolate, nuts, or fruit. In this article, we will explore the different steps involved in making meringue mushrooms, as well as provide a few tips and tricks for creating the perfect meringue.
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MERINGUE MUSHROOMS
These take a bit of work and time, but are spectacular. They are highly prized for Christmas gift-giving! As with other meringue recipes, these should only be made on a dry day. You will need a pastry bag with a plain tip. If you can save some green plastic berry baskets from the summertime, these mushrooms look totally realistic placed in them.
Provided by Holly Wilkins
Categories World Cuisine Recipes European French
Time 1h45m
Yield 36
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F (110 degrees C). Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
- In a large glass or metal bowl, use an electric mixer to whip egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar, salt, and vanilla. Continue whipping until the whites hold soft peaks. Gradually sprinkle in the sugar so that it does not sink to the bottom, and continue whipping until the mixture holds stiff shiny peaks.
- Place a round tip into a pastry bag, and fill the bag half way with the meringue. To pipe the mushroom caps, squeeze out round mounds of meringue onto one of the prepared cookie sheets. Pull the bag off to the side to avoid making peaks on the top. For the stems, press out a tiny bit of meringue onto the other sheet, then pull the bag straight up. They should resemble candy kisses. Do not worry about making all of the pieces exactly the same. The mushrooms will look more natural if the pieces are different sizes. Dust the mushroom caps lightly with cocoa using a small sifter or strainer.
- Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until the caps are dry enough to easily remove from the cookie sheets. Set aside to cool completely. Melt the coating chocolate in a metal bowl over simmering water, or in a glass bowl in the microwave, stirring occasionally until smooth.
- Poke a small hole in the bottom of a mushroom cap. Spread chocolate over the bottom of the cap. Dip the tip of a stem in chocolate, and press lightly into the hole. When the chocolate sets, they will hold together. Repeat with remaining pieces. Store at room temperature in a dry place or tin.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 38.7 calories, Carbohydrate 7.1 g, Fat 1.3 g, Fiber 0.1 g, Protein 0.6 g, SaturatedFat 0.7 g, Sodium 21.9 mg, Sugar 5.6 g
MERINGUE MUSHROOMS
Use this recipe to make our Buche de Noel.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Dessert & Treats Recipes
Yield Makes enough to decorate one Buche de Noel
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Heat oven to 225 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside.
- In a small saucepan, heat sugar and 1/2 cup water over low heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid reaches 248 degrees (hard-ball stage) on a candy thermometer.
- Meanwhile, in the bowl of an electric beater fitted with the whisk attachment, whip egg whites on low speed until soft peaks form. Increase speed to high, and add hot syrup in a steady stream, beating constantly. Continue beating until cool and stiff, about 5 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Fold in cocoa powder.
- Spoon meringue into a large pastry bag fitted with a coupler and large plain tip. Pipe meringue onto prepared baking sheet to form 2-inch domes. Pipe a separate stem shape for each dome.
- Sprinkle cocoa powder lightly over meringues. Bake until dry, about 2 hours. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.
- To assemble mushrooms, melt chocolate in a double boiler or in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Trim off points from tops of stems. With a small offset spatula, spread chocolate on underside of a cap and place trimmed end of stem into center of cap. Place mushroom, stem side up, in an egg carton to harden. Repeat with remaining mushrooms; refrigerate until set.
CREMINI MERINGUE MUSHROOMS
Provided by Gina Marie Miraglia Eriquez
Categories Chocolate Dessert Bake Christmas Christmas Eve Gourmet Kidney Friendly Vegetarian Pescatarian Peanut Free Tree Nut Free Soy Free Kosher
Yield Makes about 25 meringue mushrooms
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Heat oven to 200°F with racks in upper and lower thirds. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Beat egg whites with cream of tartar and salt in bowl of stand mixer on high speed until they just hold soft peaks. Beat in sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition, and continue to beat at high speed until meringue is very stiff, about 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla and beat again until very stiff.
- Sift cocoa over meringue, and fold it in gently but thoroughly.
- Spoon meringue into a pastry bag fitted with tip. Holding bag vertically, about 1/2 inch above baking sheet, pipe meringue into 25 mounds, ranging in size from about 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter, to resemble mushroom caps.
- Still holding pastry bag vertically, pipe remaining meringue vertically into 25 "stems," 1 1/4- to 1 1/2 -inch-long lengths (make different lengths), making each base about 1 inch in diameter and tapering top end by pulling up on bag. (Pipe extra caps and stems with any remaining meringue in case of breakage.)
- With a finger dipped in water, gently tamp down any peaks of meringue on caps to make a smooth mushroom cap.
- Bake, switching position of sheets halfway through, until mushrooms caps are crisp and firm to touch, about 1 hour 45 minutes.
- Turn off oven, then leave meringues in oven, with door closed, 30 minutes to dry. Slide parchment with meringues from baking sheets onto racks to cool. Cool completely.
- With tip of a sharp paring knife, cut a small hollow the diameter of the tapered top of mushroom "stem" in center of the underside (flat side) of each mushroom cap.
- Spread chocolate generously over flat bottom of a cap with offset spatula or back of spoon, then insert narrow end of stem. Let cap rest, stem end up, on a tray or baking sheet. Attach remaining stems to remaining caps, and let stand, stem ends up, at cool room temperature until chocolate is set, about 1 hour.
MERINGUE MUSHROOMS
Steps:
- Combine egg whites with cream of tartar in bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually sprinkle in sugar, beating at high speed until mixture is very stiff and dull looking.
- Scrape meringue mixture into pastry bag. Pipe round, button shapes to make mushroom "caps". Pipe pointed "kiss" shapes about one inch tall to make "stems". Dust with cocoa. Bake two hours in 200 degree oven until crisp and completely dry. Assemble the mushrooms: Place chocolate in a small bowl. Set bowl in a skillet of barely simmering water. Immediately turn off heat and stir chocolate until melted and smooth. Spread a little melted chocolate on the flat side of each meringue mushroom "cap". Use a sharp knife to cut off and discard the pointed ends of meringue "stems". Attach stems to caps while chocolate is still soft. Set assembled mushrooms aside until the chocolate has dried and caps and stems are "glued" together. Meringue mushrooms may be made 3-4 weeks in advance and stored in an airtight container.
MERINGUE MUSHROOMS
Yield 36 Mushrooms
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- 1.Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F (110 degrees C). Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil. 2.In a large glass or metal bowl, use an electric mixer to whip egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar, salt, and vanilla. Continue whipping until the whites hold soft peaks. Gradually sprinkle in the sugar so that it does not sink to the bottom, and continue whipping until the mixture holds stiff shiny peaks. 3.Place a round tip into a pastry bag, and fill the bag half way with the meringue. To pipe the mushroom caps, squeeze out round mounds of meringue onto one of the prepared cookie sheets. Pull the bag off to the side to avoid making peaks on the top. For the stems, press out a tiny bit of meringue onto the other sheet, then pull the bag straight up. They should resemble candy kisses. Do not worry about making all of the pieces exactly the same. The mushrooms will look more natural if the pieces are different sizes. Dust the mushroom caps lightly with cocoa using a small sifter or strainer. 4.Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until the caps are dry enough to easily remove from the cookie sheets. Set aside to cool completely. Melt the coating chocolate in a metal bowl over simmering water, or in a glass bowl in the microwave, stirring occasionally until smooth. 5.Poke a small hole in the bottom of a mushroom cap. Spread chocolate over the bottom of the cap. Dip the tip of a stem in chocolate, and press lightly into the hole. When the chocolate sets, they will hold together. Repeat with remaining pieces. Store at room temperature in a dry place or tin.
Tips:
- To make perfectly stiff meringue, ensure your egg whites are at room temperature and free of any yolk or shell fragments.
- Beat the egg whites gradually, starting at a low speed and increasing it as the whites become foamy.
- Add the sugar slowly, one tablespoon at a time, while continuing to beat the egg whites.
- Beat the meringue until it reaches stiff peaks, which means it should hold its shape when you lift the beaters out of the bowl.
- Use a piping bag fitted with a star tip to pipe the meringue into mushroom shapes onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake the meringue mushrooms at a low temperature (200°F or 93°C) for 1-2 hours, or until they are dry and crisp.
- Allow the meringue mushrooms to cool completely before filling them with your desired filling.
Conclusion:
Meringue mushrooms are a delightful and versatile treat that can be enjoyed on their own or used to decorate cakes and other desserts. With careful preparation and attention to detail, you can create beautiful and delicious meringue mushrooms that are sure to impress your friends and family. Whether you prefer a classic vanilla flavor or something more adventurous, there's a meringue mushroom recipe out there for everyone. So get creative and experiment with different flavors and fillings to find your perfect meringue mushroom recipe.
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