Meringue Mushroom Cookies
Mushrooms are some of nature's most fascinating creations. I am personally blown away by their existence on a daily basis, so why not make mini sugar versions in our own kitchens! These little mushroom cookies are so fun to make. They come together in a few simple ingredients, and make any dish look like a woodland fairy dreamscape. These are so sweet on cakes, especially yule logs! They can also dress up a fun charcuterie board, picnic, or tea party.
I use vanilla bean paste in this recipe, which can be swapped for vanilla extract, but I highly recommend vanilla bean as it really elevates the flavor of these cookies. They can also be colored easily with natural dyes! I have a few ideas mentioned in the recipe below.
Tips for making the best meringue!
- Meringue is very sensitive to humidity, so these cookies will soften quickly if there is moisture in the air. I don't recommend making these on rainy days, unless you eat them right away!
- 'Stiff peaks' essentially means that the meringue can hold its shape. If you lift up the whisk and the meringue droops down, keep mixing. If it holds shape, then you have a perfect meringue!
- If your cookies come out of the oven golden in color, the temperature was too high. Try checking the temp, and lowering if needed.
The Steps!
INGREDIENTS:
2 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
pinch of salt
2 tsp vanilla bean paste
1/4 cup chocolate chips, melted
Optional: 1/4 tsp beetroot powder, cocoa powder, or turmeric powder
First, preheat the oven to 225 degrees F. Begin your meringue by carefully separating your egg whites. I prefer to do this by cracking an egg into a small, clean bowl. Then slowly scoop the yolk out with your fingers and allow all excess egg whites to fall between your fingers. Be careful not to let the yolk break. Any yolk residue will effect the egg whites, so if the yolk does break, start over.
Next, add egg whites and cream of tartar to the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, or use a handheld mixer. Whisk on high until the mixture is foamy, about 2 minutes. Slow down the whisk speed, and gradually add in the sugar. Once the sugar is added, increase speed to high and whisk until stiff peaks form, about 7 minutes. Now add in vanilla bean paste and salt. This is your meringue base!
If you'd like to add any color to the cookies, scoop a little bit of the meringue into a separate bowl and add beetroot powder for pink, cocoa powder for brown, or turmeric powder for yellow! Start with very small increments of powder and add more until you reach the color desired. Note that these will effect the flavor, so taste the meringue as you go!
Add your meringue to a piping bag, or a plastic bag if you aren't fancy! (like me hehe) You can use any size piping tip that is small and round, or cut a small hole in the corner of your bag.
Now is the fun part, piping the mushrooms! Lucky for us, mushrooms grow in all shapes and sizes, so there really isn't a wrong shape.
.
To begin, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. To pipe the stems, carefully and lightly squeeze the meringue out of the bag and pull your hand in an upward motion, slowly. Once you reach your desired height, release your squeeze and pull the bag away. You can play around with this until you find a rhythm! Remember that wider bases will help the mushrooms to stand steadier.
To pipe the tops, squeeze the bag and keep your hand in place to create a small mound. Release once you reach your desired size. To flatten the pointy bit at the top, press it down very lightly with your finger. It helps if your finger is a bit damp!
Bake for one hour. They should be crisp on the outside, and soft on the inside. If they feel sticky to the touch, bake an additional 10 minutes.Time for mushroom assembly! Once the cookies have cooled, melt your chocolate. With a chopstick or lollipop stick, poke small holes into the underside of the top pieces. Be mindful to not pierce the cookie all the way through!
Spread a small amount of the melted chocolate over the hole, and place the tips of the stems inside. The chocolate works as glue to hold together the mushroom. They will be more stable once the chocolate cools and hardens.
Sprinkle powdered sugar or cocoa powder over the cookies to make them look fresh out of the earth!