Chocolate Meringue Mushrooms / Craig Lee / Special to The Chronicle; styling by Lindsay Patterson
Credit: Craig Lee / Special to The Chronicle; styling by Lindsay Patterson Some say art imitates life. Others believe that life imitates art.
I choose not to take sides because I am less interested in the debate and more interested in discovering how the art of baking can be as lifelike as the forms of the natural world.
Mushrooms are some of my favorite shapes to bake, and are really versatile to have on hand during the holidays.
I use a classic meringue and, because no two mushrooms are alike, I don't have to be slavishly accurate in achieving a certain design. The quirky lobes and crooked stems of real mushrooms give me permission to have a freer hand when I pipe out the meringue.
Making meringue mushrooms is a straightforward process. A fluffy meringue is flavored with cocoa and piped from a pastry bag into individual mushroom caps and stems, and joined in a later step. The key to successful ones is to think of drying them rather than baking them. If they start to color in the oven, it is too hot. Cocoa in the mushrooms makes it a bit tricky to detect when they're done, so it's best to peek into the oven after 50 minutes, and touch one to see if it feels rigid and dry. If still a bit soft, continue to bake until the meringues easily lift off the parchment or foil. Once the caps and stems are dried and cooled, they are held together with royal icing.
Meringue mushrooms are most often used at this time of year to garnish a buche de Noel, the log-shape cake which is itself a show-stopper. But there is no reason to limit them to that supporting role.
Their airy texture and sweet crispiness make a welcome addition to a plate of holiday cookies and chocolates. Or, secure them to the tops of cookies with a minuscule drop of honey or melted chocolate.
Use them to garnish ice cream sundaes or winter fruit compotes. You can even set them next to place cards for a festive - and edible - table decoration.
They also make terrific gifts. Package them in tins with snug-fitting lids to keep them airtight and to prevent them from being crushed. In any event, having a supply of meringue mushrooms on hand allows you to give your holiday desserts an artful embellishment.
You can make these several days ahead. http://articles.sfgate.com/2010-12-19/food/25207680_1_fluffy-meringue-chocolate-meringue-mushrooms-oven
I choose not to take sides because I am less interested in the debate and more interested in discovering how the art of baking can be as lifelike as the forms of the natural world.
Mushrooms are some of my favorite shapes to bake, and are really versatile to have on hand during the holidays.
I use a classic meringue and, because no two mushrooms are alike, I don't have to be slavishly accurate in achieving a certain design. The quirky lobes and crooked stems of real mushrooms give me permission to have a freer hand when I pipe out the meringue.
Making meringue mushrooms is a straightforward process. A fluffy meringue is flavored with cocoa and piped from a pastry bag into individual mushroom caps and stems, and joined in a later step. The key to successful ones is to think of drying them rather than baking them. If they start to color in the oven, it is too hot. Cocoa in the mushrooms makes it a bit tricky to detect when they're done, so it's best to peek into the oven after 50 minutes, and touch one to see if it feels rigid and dry. If still a bit soft, continue to bake until the meringues easily lift off the parchment or foil. Once the caps and stems are dried and cooled, they are held together with royal icing.
Meringue mushrooms are most often used at this time of year to garnish a buche de Noel, the log-shape cake which is itself a show-stopper. But there is no reason to limit them to that supporting role.
Their airy texture and sweet crispiness make a welcome addition to a plate of holiday cookies and chocolates. Or, secure them to the tops of cookies with a minuscule drop of honey or melted chocolate.
Use them to garnish ice cream sundaes or winter fruit compotes. You can even set them next to place cards for a festive - and edible - table decoration.
They also make terrific gifts. Package them in tins with snug-fitting lids to keep them airtight and to prevent them from being crushed. In any event, having a supply of meringue mushrooms on hand allows you to give your holiday desserts an artful embellishment.
You can make these several days ahead. http://articles.sfgate.com/2010-12-19/food/25207680_1_fluffy-meringue-chocolate-meringue-mushrooms-oven
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