Recipe
3 hr
Meringue Bracket-Style Mushrooms
We're making traditional meringue mushrooms for our yule log cake, and bringing them back to nature.
Time
3 hrYield
Makes 30 meringue mushroomsWhy This Recipe Works
Meringue mushrooms are a classic feature of bûche de Noël. More often than not, however, the logs are adorned with button mushrooms—not exactly the type you'd see growing out of a fallen log. The bracket-style mushrooms can be made up to two weeks in advance as long as they're stored in an airtight container directly after cooling. This recipe will make more mushrooms than you need, so you can select your favorites for decorating your Yule log. For the best results, attach them to the log no more than 10 minutes before serving.
Ingredients
3 large egg whites
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
Pinch table salt
⅔ cup (4⅔ ounces/132 grams) granulated sugar
Equipment
Instructions
Cook along with these step-by-step instructions
- Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 200 degrees. Using pencil, draw 15 half-circles ranging from 1 to 2 inches wide on 1 sheet of parchment paper, leaving at least 11⁄2 inches between half-circles. Repeat with second sheet of parchment. Place parchment pencil side down on 2 rimmed baking sheets.
- Using stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip egg whites on medium speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Add cream of tartar and salt, increase speed to medium-high, and whip until soft peaks form, about 1 minute. With mixer running, slowly add sugar. Increase speed to high and whip until very thick and stiff peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Fit pastry bag with 1⁄4-inch round pastry tip and fill with meringue. Using half-circle as guide, pipe concentric arcs of meringue, either smooth or frilly, until half-circle is filled. Repeat with remaining half-circles. Pipe a stem, about 1⁄2 inch wide and 1 inch long, onto straight side of each half-circle. Moisten your fingertip with water and smooth any unwanted peaks. Bake meringues for 2 hours, turn off oven, and leave meringues in oven until dry and crisp, about 30 minutes. (Meringues can be stored in airtight container for up to 2 weeks; store directly after cooling.)
- No more than 10 minutes before serving, use paring knife to make small incision in side of log. Gently insert mushroom stem into incision until straight side of mushroom rests against log. Repeat with desired number of mushrooms.
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