Meringue mushroom cookies for woodland party
So cute: meringue mushroom cookies
For my daughter’s baby shower, we decided on a woodland theme. These meringue mushroom cookies were simple to make, fun to display and delicious to eat – the trifecta!
Jump to RecipeWe found tons of fun woodland themed foods, including acorn cookies and a delightful hedgehog cheeseball. For great snack ideas, check out this post: 7 snacks for a woodland theme party
And we came up with such great decorations, which you can find here: woodland decorating ideas
What you’ll need for meringue mushroom cookies
- Egg whites
- Granulated sugar
- Cream of tartar
- Chocolate chips
- Cocoa powder
Tips for crafting these meringue mushroom cookies
Using a pastry bag to make the shapes
I’m no expert on piping things from a pastry bag, but luckily, these meringue mushroom cookies are very forgiving.
We used a gallon-size baggie and snipped off the edge.
To make the top of the mushrooms, we piped a round blob of meringue about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. We tapered it slightly at the bottom and then smoothed the peak at the top.
For the mushroom stems, we pipe columns of meringue about 3/4 inch round and about 1 1/2 inches tall. It’s OK if they fall or tilt – it just makes them look more realistic.
How to assemble the mushrooms
Before you put the mushrooms together, dust the mushroom tops and stems with cocoa powder. You don’t want an even look. They appear more realistic if the cocoa powder varies from mushroom to mushroom.
With a thin knife, carefully carve out a small indentation in each mushroom cap so you can attach the stems.
Melt chocolate chips in the microwave. Heat them on high for about 30 seconds. Stir. If you need to melt it more, continue for 10-second intervals. Be careful not to burn the chocolate.
Dip one end of the mushroom stem into the melted chocolate and then attach to a mushroom cap. Hold it gently for a minute as it sets.
Meringue mushroom cookies
Course: UncategorizedDifficulty: EasyMeringue mushroom cookies are perfect for a woodland themed party.
Ingredients
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup chocolate chips, melted
Cocoa powder to sprinkle over cookies
Directions
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees and line cookie sheet pans with parchment paper.
- Beat egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar until glossy with stiff peaks. This takes about 8 minutes, depending on the type of mixer you’re using.
- Spoon mixture in to pastry bags or into a gallon-size baggie with the corner snipped off.
- Pipe mushrooms and stems onto parchment-paper lined cookie sheets. To make the top of the mushrooms, pipe a round blob of meringue about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. You want it to taper at the top. With a spoon, smooth down the peak at the top. To make the mushroom stems, pipe columns about 3/4 inch round and about 1 1/2 inches tall.
- Bake at 200 degrees for 1 hour, 30 minutes. They should be crisp on the outside but still a little soft on the inside. As they cool, they’ll get harder. Let cool completely before moving to the next step.
- Carefully carve out a small indentation in each of the mushroom caps. This will allow you to attach the stems.
- Using a fine sifter, dust the mushroom tops and stems with cocoa powder. You don’t want an even look. They appear more realistic if the cocoa powder varies from mushroom to mushroom.
- Melt chocolate in the microwave.
- Dip one end of the mushroom stem into the melted chocolate and then attach to a mushroom cap. Hold it gently for a minute as it sets.
- Store in airtight container at room temperature. Don’t refrigerate or they’ll lose their crispness.
More fun shapes to make with meringue
There are so many fun things to do with meringue. For Chinese New Year, I made dragon shaped meringue cookies.
If you really want to become an expert at meringue, read this great post by Brown-eyed Baker.
