Meringue Mushrooms Recipe
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These stunning sweet meringue mushrooms are an easy snack to make and a charming decoration for any baked good, especially during Christmas. I love how pretty they look once they are finished in just over an hour, and you can even make them in advance for a simple holiday treat.
Whether it is the holidays or just a simple weeknight dinner, my family always ends the meal with something sweet. If you are like us and want to take your dessert skills up a notch this holiday season, I would love for you to make my Christmas Yule Log Cake and decorate it with these cute little edible meringue mushrooms that I am about to show you how to make below.
Meringue Mushrooms
Making cakes, tortes, or baked goods look more appealing has been a big trend over the last 15 to 20 years. For confirmation, just look at all the baking shows on TV. These meringue mushrooms are a nice way to spruce up your cakes, especially when added to a Bûche de Noël.
I think meringue is such a fun thing to work with because you can shape it into almost anything. If you want to decorate a cake but mushrooms do not quite fit the theme, then make whatever shape you want. This same recipe works for stars, hearts, swirls, or any little decoration you want to bring to the table.
For my meringue mushroom I simply use 5 ingredients, egg whites, cream of tartar, fine sugar, chocolate, and cocoa powder. If you follow my step by step directions, you will be showing off your baking skills to your family and friends in no time, so let us jump right in and get started.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Egg Whites – I make sure they are completely separated from the egg yolks.
- Cream of Tartar – This help stabilize the meringue.
- Fine Sugar – Caster sugar is preferred, but if you do not have access to it, simply process regular sugar in a food processor spice grinder for about 1 minute.
- Chocolate – I use melted semi-sweet or dark chocolate works fine too.
- Cocoa Powder – Any good cocoa powder from the grocery store will work.
How to Make Meringue Mushrooms
Whip the egg whites: I add the egg whites and cream of tartar to the bowl of my stand mixer and whip on medium speed with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form, which takes about 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the sugar: Next, I turn the mixer to medium high and slowly add in the sugar until it is fully mixed in.
Whisk to stiff peaks: I increase the speed to high and whisk for 2 to 3 minutes or until stiff peaks have formed.
Prepare the piping bag: I transfer the meringue to a piping bag fitted with ½” round tip.
Pipe the caps: I use half of the meringue to pipe round dollops onto a parchment lined cookie sheet tray, moving the bag in a gentle circular motion. Each one should be about the size of a silver dollar.
Pipe the stems and bake: I use the remaining meringue to pipe the mushroom stems by squeezing the bag onto a parchment lined cookie sheet tray and pulling straight up once about 1 inch of meringue is on the paper, and it is completely fine if a sharp peak forms on top. I bake them at 250 degrees for about 45 minutes, then let them cool at room temperature for roughly 20 minutes so they can harden.
Make a hole in the caps: I use the end of a skewer to make a small hole in the bottom of each mushroom cap.
Add the chocolate gills: I brush some of the chocolate over the bottom of each mushroom cap, making sure to coat the little hole as well so it looks like natural gills.
Assemble the mushrooms: I press the pointy end of each stem into the hole on the bottom of the cap and set it aside. Then I repeat the process with the remaining pieces.
Dust with cocoa: I lightly dust the tops of the mushrooms with cocoa powder.
chef tip + notes
Taking an extra minute to dry out the meringue in the oven with the heat turned off is key because it helps the mushrooms keep their shape and prevents them from getting sticky later. Once the baking time is up, I crack the oven door and let them sit inside for another 15 to 20 minutes so the residual heat can pull out any extra moisture, which gives me crisp caps, sturdy stems, and a perfect texture for decorating cakes.
- Use the right piping tip: I used the Wilton 1A tip for this recipe. It gives the caps and stems a clean round shape.
- Adjust the color: I sometimes brush the mushrooms with cocoa powder for a darker look. It adds a pretty earthy finish.
- Bake for white mushrooms: If I want the mushrooms to stay completely white, I bake them at 200 degrees for about 1 hour and 15 minutes. This keeps them pale and smooth.
- Skip the gill look: You can also simply add a small amount of the melted chocolate into the created hole of the mushroom stem to help it stick if you do not want the “gill” look.
- Make caster sugar: If caster sugar is not available, then process regular sugar in a food processor spice grinder for about 1 minute.
- No pastry brush needed: If you do not have a pastry brush then simply use a butter knife.
Serving Suggestions
As I mentioned earlier, I love making these meringue mushrooms every time I bake my yule log cake and I place them around the cake with a handful of sugared cranberries for the ultimate holiday treat. I also enjoy serving them with coffee or tea, especially alongside a slice of my homemade lemon tart, they are the perfect combination in my opinion.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: You can make these up to 3 days ahead of time.
How to Store: I cover and keep at room temperature for up to 5 days. Do not refrigerate or freeze.
More Holiday Dessert Recipes
- Chocolate Mousse
- French Silk Pie Recipe
- Perfect Crème Brûlée
- S Cookies
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls
Meringue Mushrooms Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 egg whites
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar
- ¾ cup fine sugar
- ½ cup melted dark or milk chocolate
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 250°.
- Add the egg whites and cream of tartar to the bowl of a stand mixer along with the whisk attachment and whisk medium speed using the whisk attachment until soft peaks have formed, which takes about 3-4 minutes.
- Next, turn the speed to medium-high and slowly add in the sugar until it is mixed in, which takes about :30 to :45 seconds to pour in.
- Turn the speed to high and whisk for 2 to 3 minutes or until stiff peaks have formed.
- Transfer the meringue to a large piping bag with a ¼” to ½” round tip.
- Use half of the meringue to make round dollops using a circular motion onto a cookie sheet tray lined with parchment paper. They should have the diameter of a silver dollar about be about a ½ to ¾” in height.
- Next, use the remaining meringue to make the mushrooms stems by squeezing the piping bag onto a cookie sheet tray lined with parchment paper and immediately pulling up on the bag and while stopping squeezing once 1 inch of the meringue is onto the parchment paper helping to taper it off. It’s ok if it has a sharp peak on top.
- Bake in the oven at 250° for about 45 minutes.
- Cool at room temperature for about 20 minutes to harden up.
- Using the end of a skewer make a small hole into the bottom part of the mushroom cap.
- Brush some of the chocolate all over the bottom part of the mushroom cap using a pastry brush including in the created hole to give it the appearance of gills.
- Press the pointy end of the mushroom stem into the hole of the mushrooms cap on the bottom and set it aside right side up. Repeat the process.
- Lightly dust the tops of the mushrooms with cocoa powder.
Fabulous!
THANK YOU 😊 🙏🏻