Meringue Mushrooms

These mushrooms are the cutest treat and adored by kids and adults alike. 

2 large egg whites (at room temp)

1/4 tspn cream of tartar

1/2 cup of castor sugar

1 tspn of vanilla

1 tspn cocoa 

50g Lindt 85% dark chocolate

50g Lindt extra creamy milk chocolate

Pre heat oven to 100 deg c. 

You will need a large piping bag (mine is 45cm long) with a  1 1/2" nozzle.  Line 3 trays with baking paper. 

Whip egg whites on medium until foamy and add cream of tartar. Turn up to high and beat until stiff peaks form, then slowly add sugar and vanilla and beat til whites are very stiff and glossy. Make sure the sugar has dissolved (you can tell by rubbing some meringue between your fingers, you shouldn't be able to feel the grit of the sugar) 

Place the meringue in the piping bag. Try and get as much air out as possible. 

To Pipe Caps: Holding the pastry bag upright and close to the parchment paper, pipe the meringue with even pressure, into even rounds building up the meringue to form a 2 inch (5 cm) round that is about 1 inch (2.5 cm) high. Sharply twist the bag and stop the pressure as you slowly move the tip off the meringue. Try to make the top as smooth as possible but use a wet fingertip to smooth out any bumps.  Dust the tops of the mushrooms with the cocoa. 

To Pipe Stems: Holding the pastry bag upright and close to the parchment paper, pipe the meringue with even pressure, into a cone-shape, making the base of the stem a little larger than the top. The stem should be about 1 inch (2.54 cm) high. Try to keep the stems as straight as possible. Some of the stems may fall over on their sides during baking, so it is a good idea to make extra.

Bake the meringues for approximately an hour and 20-30 minutes or until the mushrooms are firm enough that they can be lifted from the baking sheet without sticking.  I usually let them cool in the oven to make sure they are really dry.

Once cool remove from oven and with a small sharp knife, make a small hole in the middle of the underside of each mushroom cap. 

Melt the chocolates together. Spread a little on the flat side of the mushroom tops and gently push a stem into the hole. 

Place the mushrooms, caps down, on a parchment lined baking sheet and let the chocolate set.

You can store these for about a week in an airtight container in a cool place. make sure not to put anything else in the container with them or the meringue will get soft and sticky.