Directions: |
Directions:Butter 2 baking sheets, (not the insulated kind). Or line baking sheet with parchment paper and butter the paper. This works best. Beat egg whites with the cream of tartar until they hold stiff peaks. Resist the temptation to beat them too long because they won't shape as well into the mushrooms. Gradually beat in the sugar until they hold stiff peaks again, but do not over beat. Spoon into a pastry bag with a #12 tip, (3/4 inch). Begin piping rounds for the mushroom caps, about 1 to 1½ inches in diameter. Hold pastry bag straight over prepared pan about 1/2 inch from pan and squeeze, not moving hands, until there is a round shape. Wet your finger and smooth out any points on the tops of the mushroom caps. Pipe an equal number of "stems" by holding the pastry bag vertical and pulling up to pipe a stem wider at the bottom, pointed at the top, and about 1 inch tall. Leave a small amount of space between the caps and the stems.
Bake in a preheated 200º oven for about 1 hour, or until they are crisp and dry. Cool on a rack.
To assemble the mushrooms, first melt the chocolate chips in a small bowl in the microwave or the top of a double boiler. Cut a tiny cone shaped depression with the tip of a small knife in the underside of each "cap". Dip the pointed top of the "stems" in a little melted chocolate and join the two sections. After the chocolate hardens, put the powdered cocoa on a plate. Dip the tops of the mushrooms into the powdered cocoa and shake off excess. Rub the powder in if necessary to make it look like dirt on the mushroom top.
Store in air-tight container to keep them crispy. Moisture in the air will make them soft. |
This recipe for Meringue Mushrooms is from