I made these meringue mushrooms for Irini’s Fairy Garden Party, but they would also be great for a woodland or ladybug themed party. I saw them originally on Pinterest, here, and figured they couldn’t be too hard, and in the end, not only did they looked amazingly realistic, they were very easy to make. The only thing I would change would be to use milk chocolate rather than dark chocolate. They were a huge hit, and were the first thing to be completely gobbled up!
Meringue Mushrooms
2 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon
1/2 cup caster sugar
100g chocolate, melted
Preheat oven to 100 C (200 F) and line two large baking trays with baking paper.
Beat egg whites on medium speed until frothy, then add cream of tartar, increase speed to medium-high and beat until soft peaks form. Increase speed to high and gradually add sugar a tablespoon at a time until the mixture is stiff and glossy. Rub a small bit between your fingers – all the sugar should have dissolved.
Use a spatula to put into a large piping bag with a 1cm round plain tip.
Holding the tip close to the parchment paper and the bag upright, pipe 30 mushroom caps by using even pressure to make 2 – 2.5 cm wide discs. Use a dampened fingertip to pat down any bumps.
To pipe the stems, slowly lift the piping bag as you pipe the stems, decreasing the pressure as you lift the bag so the stems are wider at the bottom. I made each stem between 1.5 and 2.5 cm. Again, use a damp fingertip to flatten the top of the stem.
Bake for one hour, or until they lift easily from the baking paper. Allow to cool.
Spread the bottom of each cap with a thin coating of melted chocolate and allow to dry chocolate side up. Once dry, dip the small end of each stem in a small amount of melted chocolate, and stick onto a mushroom cap. Allow to dry and store in an airtight container.
Makes about 30.
