INGREDIENTS:
- 1 ¼ cups sugar
- 5 egg whites, at room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¼ cup dark chocolate chips
- ¼ cup dark chocolate cocoa powder
INSTRUCTIONS:
- PREPARE SUPERFINE SUGAR: Preheat the oven to 200 °F. Pour the sugar into a blender or food processor fitted with a metal blade. Cover the machine with a towel to reduce the amount of escaped sugar dust. Blend for 1 minute to make superfine sugar.
- WHIP EGG WHITES: Place the egg whites and cream of tartar in a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk at medium speed until the eggs form soft peaks. Increase the speed to high and continue beating the eggs while slowly adding the superfine sugar. Blend until the meringues form stiff peaks and the egg whites are glossy.
- SHAPE THE MERINGUES: Spoon the egg whites into a piping bag fitted with a round tip. Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking tray. To create the mushroom caps, hold the bag perpendicular to the parchment paper and squeeze out round discs of meringue about 1 ½ inches wide. To create the stems, squeeze some meringue onto the sheet, then pull the bag up to create a cone shape just under 1 ½ inches tall. Be sure to create an equal number of caps and stems.
- BAKE AND DRY: Bake the meringues for 90 minutes. Turn off the heat and open the oven door slightly and let the meringues sit overnight to complete the drying process.
- ASSEMBLE THE MUSHROOM CLOUDS: Melt the chocolate chips. Spread a small amount on the bottom of a mushroom cap then gently press the cap on the top of a stem and let the chocolate dry. Once dried, carefully brush the bottom of the stem with cocoa powder to give the mushroom an extra-explosive look.
- Assembling Mushroom Clouds: Once dried, the meringue mushroom caps are attached to the stems using melted chocolate chips. This step gives the mushrooms their characteristic appearance. Cocoa powder is brushed onto the bottoms of the stems to simulate the soil and enhance the visual effect.
Enjoy these whimsical meringue mushroom clouds as a delightful treat with a unique and playful presentation!
Here are a few variations you can consider for the Meringue Mushroom Clouds recipe:
1. Raspberry Twist:
- Add a twist of raspberry flavor by folding in some freeze-dried raspberry powder or crushed freeze-dried raspberries into the meringue mixture before piping.
- For the caps, create a small indentation in the center and fill it with raspberry jam or compote before attaching the stems.
2. Pistachio Dream:
- Replace the dark chocolate chips with finely chopped pistachios for a nutty twist.
- Dust the stems with ground pistachios to give them a greenish hue and enhance the flavor.
3. Citrus Zest:
- Add a burst of citrus flavor by incorporating lemon or orange zest into the meringue mixture.
- Optionally, use white chocolate chips instead of dark chocolate to complement the citrus flavor.
4. Caramel Crunch:
- Incorporate caramel flavor by adding a teaspoon of caramel extract to the meringue mixture.
- For added crunch, roll the bottom of the stems in crushed caramel or toffee bits.
5. Minty Fresh:
- Add a touch of mint flavor by folding in a few drops of peppermint extract into the meringue mixture.
- Use white chocolate chips with a drop of green food coloring to create a mint chocolate variation.
