Crisp Meringue Mushrooms

[2010]

Which method of meringue is the best for making crisp meringue mushrooms?

Way back when, I posted that I was making my first "official" wedding cake (meaning I'm actually getting paid!) and the bride would like meringue mushrooms as part of the decor of the cake. Her wedding is this month. I'd like to make these mushrooms a week before her wedding so they're done and out of the way.

Any suggestions? Thanks!

[onetoughcookie]

If memory serves me correctly (that's a BIG IF), I think French is the way to go.

No need to cook the egg whites, as they'll be baked in the oven.

I love meringues...I love everything about them.....the sweet taste, the sheer weighlessness

of them, and of course, the crunch!

And, they can be so pretty!

Good luck on the cake...post photos!

[MarkIsCooking]

I think the method of making the meringues is less important than using a low oven (like 200-225) and baking them for a long time (about an hour), turning off the oven and letting them dry further in the oven while the oven cools.

When we made them in school, we did a few things to make them look like 'real' mushrooms. before assembling the cap to the stem, we dipped the bottom of the cap in chocolate and then into some crushed pistacio nuts. The top of the cap and the stem we rubbed with a little cocoa powder to give them that 'dirty' look.

Best of luck!

-Mark-

[chefpeon]

I agree with Mark. I've successfully made meringue mushrooms from swiss, italian and french. But go french, because why cook something twice when you can cook it just once? Since the shrooms are baked, you don't have to go to the trouble of making a meringue that heats the whites. Work smart, not hard!

[sugarseattle]

i made these just once, and was so overly impressed by how realistic they looked. I sifted cocoa powder over the tops before I baked them, then put a little chocolate underneath the little caps before assembling. They're plus simple (I'm in paris right now so everything I say comes out a little french). Two things to watch out for...make sure your oven isn't too hot so they don't get brown, and be sure to be mindful of humidity as these will get gummy if exposed to the air too much.

Edited May 8, 2007 by sugarseattle (log)

[bripastryguy]

This is the recipe I've been using for the last few years. You can even flavor them .

Meringue Mushrooms

1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar -- sifted

3 teaspoons flour

4 egg whites -- room temp

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

2/3 cup sugar

Sift confectioner's sugar with the flour twice and set aside.

Beat egg whites until frothy. Add salt and cram of tartar. Beat at medium speed

until the whites are semi-stiff. Add the sugar very slowly, 1 T at a time.

Whip on high until stiff peaks form. Sift the confectioner's sugar and flour over

stiffly beaten whites and gently fold in. Pipe and bake @ 250 for about 40 minutes

[JeanneCake]

And if you want to guild the lily for something like meringue sticks, finely grate 2 oz of bitter chocolate (unsweetened choc) or chop it finely and put it in a food processor with the flour/confectioner's sugar and whirl it until the choc is finely chopped. Then add it at the last stage, folding to make sure it doesn't all sink to the bottom. This won't really work for mushrooms, but just in case you were thinking of how to experiment ...

I pipe sticks about 3" long with a star tip, let them sit out for an hour or so, then bake about 40 mins or so at 200. Leave them in the oven overnight if the chef isn't coming in (otherwise, he turns up the ovens when he comes in and doesn't always check them first!)

Sometimes I even half-dip them in chocolate....

[Pam R]

Am I the only one who bakes them for 2 hours at 200?

[chefpeon]

Am I the only one who bakes them for 2 hours at 200?

Nope!

/raises hand