Field Guide to Candy: How to Identify and Make Virtually Every Candy Imaginable (67 page)

Store in an airtight container between sheets of wax paper for up to 1 week.

General Description:

Dainty meringue mushrooms are a sweet replica of the real thing
. They are piped from a stiff batter and most often found adorning a yule log, a traditional Christmas cake.

History:

The yule log, or
bûche de Noël
, is a European Christmas tradition. A clever pastry chef noticed the resemblance of a jelly roll to a tree log and embellished the cake with frosting and decorations to enhance the resem-blance. Over the years, chefs have made these traditional cakes ever more elaborate and fanciful, adding woodland creatures, holiday trimmings, and even Santa’s sleigh. Meringue, a mixture of whipped egg whites and sugar, is prized as a soft, pipe-able decorating paste that dries to preserve the piped form.

Serving Suggestions:

Meringue mushrooms are at home on a yule log, a gingerbread house, or on the petits fours tray along with
marzipan
fruit.

Candy-Making Notes:

Do not worry about piping the mushrooms uniformly: Variation in size and shape only adds to the realism. To get rid of any unwanted peaks or ridges in piped meringue, smooth it with a moistened fingertip before it dries.

Recipe:

1.
Preheat oven to 250°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

2.
In stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar and whisk until soft peaks form.

3.
With the mixer running, add the sugar in a slow, steady stream and whisk until the meringue holds very stiff peaks.

4.
Place the meringue in a pastry bag fitted with a ½-inch plain tip.

5.
To pipe the caps, hold the pastry bag at a 90° angle to the baking sheet and pipe 2-inch rounds, releasing the pressure before pulling away for a smooth finish.

6.
To pipe the stems, hold the pastry bag at a 90° angle to the baking sheet and pipe 1-inch cylinders, releasing the pressure as you pull up for tapered tops.

7.
Bake the caps and stems for 45 minutes to 1 hour, rotating sheets halfway through. The mushrooms should be dry and firm to the touch. Let them cool completely on wire racks.

8.
Using a toothpick, poke a small hole in the underside of each mushroom cap.

9.
Melt white chocolate in the microwave or in a metal bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Dip the top of each stem in the melted chocolate and insert into the hole of a mushroom cap. Place mushrooms cap down on a baking sheet to set, about 30 minutes.

10.
Sift cocoa powder over the tops of the mushrooms.

Yield:

About 30 meringue mushrooms

Storage:

Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.