Mushroom Meringues

These friendly fungi fit right in with your Halloween desserts.

By Joy ChoPublished: Aug 9, 2024

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Mike Garten

Yields:

Total Time:

2 hrs 50 mins

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These fabulous fungi are equal parts adorable and realistic, and make a wow-worthy dessert topper (or a fun sweet to pop in your mouth!). They’re easier to make than you think: Pipe a basic meringue into caps and stems, bake until dry, then adhere them together with melted chocolate. A dusting of cocoa or matcha powder completes the woodsy, whimsical look.

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Ingredients

2
large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 tsp.
cream of tartar
Pinch of kosher salt
1/3 cup
superfine sugar
1/4 tsp.
pure vanilla extract
2 oz.
bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
Unsweetened cocoa powder or culinary-grade matcha powder, for dusting

Directions

1. Step 1Heat oven to 200°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Step 2In large bowl, using stand mixer with whisk attachment, beat egg whites on medium-high until foamy, about 45 seconds. Add cream of tartar and salt and continue to beat until soft peaks form, 11/2 to 2 minutes.
3. Step 3With machine running on high, add sugar 1 tablespoon at a time and beat until incorporated, about 1 minute. Continue to beat until stiff, glossy peaks form, 2 to 4 minutes more. Beat in vanilla.
4. Step 4Transfer meringue to piping bag fitted with 1/2-inch round tip. Holding bag vertically, pipe about twenty 1-inch and twenty 11/2-inch rounds on prepared sheets, spacing 1 inch apart (these will be the mushroom caps). Holding bag vertically and releasing pressure as you draw bag upward, pipe forty 1-inch- to 11/2-inch-tall mushroom stems, tapering tops. (Tip: Vary stem heights.) Using wet finger, smooth tips on mushroom caps if necessary.
5. Step 5Bake, rotating positions of pans halfway through, until meringues are dry to the touch and beginning to turn matte, 1 hour 30 minutes to 1 hour 35 minutes. Let cool completely on sheets, about 30 minutes.
6. Step 6In small bowl, microwave chocolate in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until smooth and melted. Using sharp paring knife, carefully shave tops of stems to create flat tops to adhere to caps.
7. Step 7Working with 1 stem at a time, dip top of stem in melted chocolate and press onto cap, flat side up, holding in place for a few seconds to adhere (match smaller caps with shorter stems and larger caps with longer stems). Transfer, cap sides down, to baking sheet. Let sit 1 hour (chocolate will be mostly set but still a little wet). Carefully turn mushrooms right side up and dust caps with cocoa powder or matcha powder.
8. Step 8Store leftover mushrooms in dry, airtight container for up to 2 weeks (chocolate may bloom after a few days).