Meringue Mushrooms

By mariannefeldman

http://www.cooksillustrated.com/recipes/3316-meringue-mushrooms

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
• 2 large egg whites, room temperature
• Pinch table salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

Step 1

MERINGUE MUSHROOMS
Published November 17, 2006.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
We wanted a recipe for a showcase roulade, with a velvety texture and a not-too-sweet chocolate flavor. Our best roulade recipe used bittersweet or semisweet chocolate for maximum chocolate flavor, six eggs, and a combination of cocoa and flour for structural support. We found that unmolding the cake onto a kitchen towel rubbed with cocoa powder prevented sticking and that rolling the cake up while it was warm with the towel inside, cooling it briefly, and then unrolling it resulted in a cake that retained its rolled memory and was easily filled and rolled later on.

MAKES ABOUT 30

If the caps and stems become soggy during storage, crisp them in a 200-degree oven for 30 minutes before assembling the mushrooms.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Adjust oven racks to middle and lowest positions and heat oven to 200 degrees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Combine water and sugar in heavy saucepan. Cover and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Boil, swirling pan once or twice, until sugar has dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. If necessary, wipe down any sugar crystals on side of pan with damp pastry brush. Cook, uncovered, until temperature registers 238 degrees on candy thermometer, about 10 minutes.

3. While sugar is cooking, place egg whites in bowl of standing mixer fitted with whisk. Beat at medium-low speed until frothy, about 1 minute. Add salt and cream of tartar and beat, gradually increasing speed to high. until whites hold soft peaks, about 1 minute.

4. With mixer at medium speed, slowly pour hot syrup into egg whites, avoiding whisk. Increase speed to medium-high and continue to beat until meringue cooks to room temperature and becomes very thick and shiny, 5 to 10 minutes. Using rubber spatula, fold in vanilla.

5. Fit pastry bag with 1/4-inch pastry tip and fill with meringue. Pipe about 30 caps and equal number of stems onto prepared pans, (see illustrations).

5. Bake meringue for 2 hours, turn off oven, and leave meringue in oven until very dry and crisp, about 30 minutes longer. Cool mushroom caps and stems on baking sheets. (Caps and stems may be stored in airtight container for up to 1 week.) To assemble mushrooms, use ganache to glue caps and stems together, (see illustrations).

STEP-BY-STEP

FORMING MERINGUE MUSHROOMS


1. Holding pastry bag 1/4 inch above parchment, pipe 30 rounds to form mushroom caps. Dip finger in cool water to smooth top of cap.


2. To shape mushroom stems, hold pastry bag perpendicular to pan. Squeeze meringue through tip as you pull bag up to form 1-inch tall stems.


3. Use small paring knife or skewer to make indentation in underside of each baked meringue mushroom cap.


4. Using tip of knife or toothpick, place small dot of ganache into hole in each cap and onto tip of each stem. Gently press cap onto end of stem.