Daring Baker’s Challenge: Yule Log

Happy Yule Everyone!

Yule is a celebration of the Winter Solstice. It marks the longest night of the year and celebrates the re-birth of the sun and longer days to come after the darkness of winter. Christmas was transplanted onto winter solstice some 1,600 years ago, centuries before the English language emerged from its Germanic roots. The tradition of burning a Yule log is to celebrate light itself and the lightening of the days thereafter. Personal faults, mistakes and bad choices are burned in the flame so everyone’s New Year can start with a clean slate. You never burn the entire log, you save a piece for next year to start the next Yule Log. Traditionally on the eve of the Winter Solstice, at midnight, you turn off all your lights or candle lights and everyone takes a moment to sit in the dark and reflect on the darkness, then at 12:01 everyone lights their own candles, turns on all the lights and gives thanks to the sun and its life sustaining power.


I kinda got guilted into this month’s challenge. I have been so busy baking holiday cookies, Roberto and I are in the process of moving and I have been finishing up some projects that I really forgot about the challenge until Wednesday, when I realized I hadn’t even looked at the challenge for this month. I was planning to bow out of it, until I saw it was a Yule Log and since I actually celebrate the holiday of Yule (Winter Solstice), I figured I really had no excuse NOT to step up to the plate. So I scrambled all day on Thursday – my only day that did not have every second scheduled and I made my Yule Log.

It was a disaster from the beginning. First, I did not have cake flour, so I had to use all-purpose. Second, I did not have instant espresso powder, so I had to use regular espresso and then there was the issue of the butter cream. It was watery, so I decided to add some heavy cream to give it body and it was way in the back of my fridge, and apparently a little frozen and then I had chunky butter cream, which all had to be thrown away. So I was left with little choice beyond making espresso whipped cream instead, which turned out great! It looks more like a birch tree.

Then my peaks didn’t hold with the meringue and I had to finagle a way to make the mushrooms form correctly. But I am happy with the result, it tastes great and I think it looks very cute! I really hope the people will enjoy it at the party I am bringing it to today!
So if you want to make your own Yule Log next year, here is the recipe!
Yule Log
(from Perfect Cakes by Nick Malgieri and The Williams-Sonoma Collection: Dessert)
Daring Bakers Challenge #14: December 2007
Hosts: Daring Baker Founders Ivonne (Cream Puffs in Venice) and Lisa (La Mia Cucina)
Recipe Quantity: Serves 12
Cake should be stored in a cool, dry place. Leftovers should be refrigerated
Challenge Requirements:
A genoise cake using the recipe below
A coffee buttercream frosting using the recipe below (Note: For those of you that have an aversion to coffee, you can use another flavour for your buttercream, however, the buttercream must be dark in colour. We don’t want any white or cream-coloured Yule Logs!
Meringue or Marzipan mushrooms using the recipes below
Allowed Modifications:
1. Your genoise must be made using the recipe provided; however, it can be flavoured however you wish. Make it chocolate, add nuts, douse it in liquor, throw in some citrus or just leave it plain. It’s entirely up to you how you flavour it. Substitutions for health reasons are allowed but you must let us know.
2. While the outside of your Yule Log must be frosted with the coffee buttercream using the recipe provided here, you are free to fill the recipe however you choose. Fill it with fruit, jam, melted chocolate, pudding, whipped cream, or another frosting of your choice. You have complete freedom when it comes to the FILLING. Substitutions for health reasons are allowed but you must let us know.
3. At the very least, besides the coffee buttercream, you must decorate your log with mushrooms. We have provided a recipe for meringue mushrooms and marzipan mushrooms. You can choose one or the other or you can try both. But you must try at least one type of mushroom.
4. You have complete freedom, besides the mushrooms, to decorate your logs however you wish.
5. You have complete freedom to make your logs in whatever shape you like (mini logs, one huge log, an upright log, etc.)
6. High altitude modifications are allowed as long as you stay “true” to the recipe.
7. Conversion for certain dietary restrictions like gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan etc. is allowed.
8. Recipe ingredient exception allowed only if allergy or an ingredient not available or cost prohibitive in your region.
Additional Information about Challenge:
If you are not going to use the coffee buttercream to fill your log, be sure to have the filling ready once the genoise comes out of the oven. If you do fill your Yule Log with fruit or with soemthing other than buttercream, please note that you may not be able to freeze the Log because the filling may not last.
Recipes:

Plain Genoise:
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
Pinch of salt
3/4 C of sugar (use only 1/3 C)
1/2 C cake flour
1/4 C cornstarch
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter 1 10×15 inch jelly roll pan and line with parchment, then butter again on top of the parchment.
Bring a saucepan of water to a simmer.
Whisk the eggs, yolks, salt, and sugar together in a heatproof bowl like the bowl of a stand mixer. Place over the simmering saucepan of water and whisk until the mixture is about 100 degrees. It should feel lukewarm.
Whip on medium high speed until the egg mixture is light yellow, thick and foamy, and tripled in volume. It should fall off the whisk in ribbons that slowly dissolve.
While the eggs are whipping, sift together the cake flour and cornstarch.
Sift 1/3 of the flour mixture over the beaten eggs. Fold this in, then sift another 1/3 of the flour in, fold, and repeat.
Scrape the batter into the jelly roll pan and smooth the top. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes, or until the cake springs back when touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
While the cake is baking, begin making the buttercream.
Coffee Buttercream:
4 large egg whites
1 C sugar
3 sticks (1 1/2 C) unsalted butter, room temp, softened
2 Tbsp instant espresso powder
2 Tbsp rum or brandy
1 oz melted dark chocolate
Whisk the egg whites and sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer. Set the bowl over simmering water and whisk gently until the sugar is dissolved and the egg whites are hot.
Attach the bowl to the mixer and whip with the whisk on medium speed until cooled. Switch to the paddle and beat in the softened butter and continue beating until the buttercream is smooth. Dissolve the instant coffee in the liquor and beat into the buttercream.
Filling and frosting the log:
Turn the cake out of the pan onto a clean sheet of parchment and peel away the parchment on the bottom. Spread with filling. Roll the cake into a tight cylinder. Refrigerate for several hours.
Unwrap the cake. Trim the ends on the diagonal, starting the cuts about 2 inches away from each end. Position the larger cut piece on each log about 2/3 across the top. Cover the log with the reserved buttercream, making sure to curve around the protruding stump. Streak the buttercream with a fork or decorating comb to resemble bark.
Transfer the log to a platter and decorate with your mushrooms and whatever other decorations you’ve chosen.
Meringue Mushrooms:

3 large egg whites, at room temperature
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
½ cup (3-1/2 ounces/105 g.) granulated sugar
1/3 cup (1-1/3 ounces/40 g.) icing sugar
Unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting
Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Have ready a pastry bag fitted with a small (no. 6) plain tip. In a bowl, using a mixer on medium-low speed, beat together the egg whites and cream of tartar until very foamy. Slowly add the granulated sugar while beating. Increase the speed to high and beat until soft peaks form when the beaters are lifted. Continue until the whites hold stiff, shiny peaks. Sift the icing sugar over the whites and, using a rubber spatula, fold in until well blended.
Scoop the mixture into the bag. On one baking sheet, pipe 48 stems, each ½ inch (12 mm.) wide at the base and tapering off to a point at the top, ¾ inch (2 cm.) tall, and spaced about ½ inch (12 mm.) apart. On the other sheet, pipe 48 mounds for the tops, each about 1-1/4 inches (3 cm.) wide and ¾ inch (2 cm.) high, also spaced ½ inch (12 mm.) apart. With a damp fingertip, gently smooth any pointy tips. Dust with cocoa. Reserve the remaining meringue.
Bake until dry and firm enough to lift off the paper, 50-55 minutes. Set the pans on the counter and turn the mounds flat side up. With the tip of a knife, carefully make a small hole in the flat side of each mound. Pipe small dabs of the remaining meringue into the holes and insert the stems tip first. Return to the oven until completely dry, about 15 minutes longer. Let cool completely on the sheets.
Garnish your Yule Log with the mushrooms.
Marzipan Mushrooms:

8 ounces almond paste
2 cups icing sugar
3 to 5 tablespoons light corn syrup
Cocoa powder
To make the marzipan combine the almond paste and 1 cup of the icing sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat with the paddle attachment on low speed until sugar is almost absorbed.
Add the remaining 1 cup of sugar and mix until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.
Add half the corn syrup, then continue mixing until a bit of the marzipan holds together when squeezed, adding additional corn syrup a little at a time, as necessary: the marzipan in the bowl will still appear crumbly.
Transfer the marzipan to a work surface and knead until smooth.
Roll one-third of the marzipan into a 6 inches long cylinder and cut into 1-inch lengths.
Roll half the lengths into balls. Press the remaining cylindrical lengths (stems) into the balls (caps) to make mushrooms.
Smudge with cocoa powder.   http://www.leftoverqueen.com/2007/12/22/daring-bakers-challenge-yule-log

Daring Bakers: Pavlova Fun

 

By pragmaticattic

Or maybe that should be Pavlova fungi . . . . Because I made meringue mushrooms with chocolate mousse truffles!

Obligatory blog checking lines: The June 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Dawn of Doable and Delicious. Dawn challenged the Daring Bakers’ to make Chocolate Pavlovas and Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse. The challenge recipe is based on a recipe from the book Chocolate Epiphany by Francois Payard.
To make the mushrooms, I piped the meringue following instructions in Maida Heatter’s Book of Great Chocolate Desserts (recipe is also in her first cookbook, as well). Maida Heatter is a genius. She won an award for originality with these meringue mushrooms at a culinary Olympics, way back when. (Okay, I know she did not invent the meringue mushroom, but she did popularize it with her version.)

First you pipe the stems and the caps. Then you dust them with cocoa.

When the meringue has cooled, you spread melted chocolate on the bottom of the caps to glue the two parts together. If you use compound chocolate or properly tempered chocolate, the parts will glue together nicely.

The charming thing about this technique is that the mushrooms look nice even if (like me) your piped caps look less than perfect. Somehow, the sum is greater than the slightly defective parts.
Another great thing: the texture of the mushroom is not crisp throughout. Rather, it has a thin layer of crispiness on the outside, and the interior of the cap and stem is marshmallow-ey. And it stays like this for days.

But, what about the rest of the recipe, you ask?
Well, I made the mousse dairy-free, using Rich’s Whip, Schmerling 70% chocolate, and Tofutti Sour Supreme. I made the mascarpone crème anglaise sauce dairy-free, as well, using Rich’s Whip, soy milk, and Tofutti Sour Supreme. For plating with the mushrooms, I rolled the mousse into a truffle and then rolled it around in the crushed meringue and cocoa left on the baking sheets after I removed the meringues. I left the sauce off the plate, but I would have drizzled it on if I were about to serve it.
What I could have done to make it more pavlova like: leave some caps stemless and pipe the mousse on top, with sauce drizzled over–faux stuffed mushrooms.
I also made an attempt at a swan. My original idea was to construct the swan with a white chocolate mousse, but, well, that just didn’t happen. The below picture mostly just demonstrates that I actually made the mascarpone sauce (or, rather, a dairy-free version).
Oh, well. The swan idea is a good one, especially for anything named for the ballerina Anna Pavlova.

(She was famous for dancing the Dying Swan. My grandmother remembered seeing her perform this dance, and it was a vivid memory to her three quarters of a century later. Amazingly, thanks to YouTube, you can see it, too.)
I just needed to put a little more work into perfecting the execution of this idea. Like this (made a couple of days later):

Anyway . . . I loved my mushrooms:

Chocolate Meringue

3 large egg whites½ cup plus 1 tbsp (110 grams) white granulated sugar
¼ cup (30 grams) confectioner’s (icing) sugar
1/3 cup (30 grams) Dutch processed cocoa powder ( I used the cocoa for dusting the mushrooms)

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 200º F (95º C) degrees. Line two baking sheets with silpat or parchment and set aside.

2. Put the egg whites in a bowl and whip until soft peaks form. Increase speed to high and gradually add granulated sugar about 1 tbsp at a time until stiff peaks form. (The whites should be firm but moist.)

3. Sift the confectioner’s sugar and cocoa powder over the egg whites and fold the dry ingredients into the white. (This looks like it will not happen. Fold gently and it will eventually come together.)

4. Fill a pastry bag with the meringue. Pipe the meringue into whatever shapes you desire. Alternatively, you could just free form your shapes and level them a bit with the back of a spoon.

5. Bake for 2-3 hours until the meringues become dry and crisp. Cool and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Note: for the mushrooms, you need to pipe stems and caps. Dust the piped pieces with cocoa. When the pieces are cool, use a sharp knife to flatten the tops of the stems. Spread a thin layer of chocolate on the bottom of the caps and attach the stems. Let the chocolate harden with the mushrooms cradled (cap side down) in an empty egg carton.

Another Note: for the mushrooms, you can bake the meringues at 225 degrees for an hour and then let cool in the oven if you want the marshmallow effect. You can bake them longer, at the 200 degrees suggested above, for the 2-3 hours also suggested above, but I am not sure that they will be marshmallow-ey inside. Instead, the might get crisp all the way through, which some people like better.

Chocolate Mascarpone Mousse

1 ½ cups (355 mls) heavy cream (cream with a milk fat content of between 36 and 40 percent) (I used Rich’s Whip)

grated zest of 1 average sized lemon
9 ounces (255 grams) 72% chocolate, chopped
1 2/3 cups (390 mls) mascarpone (I used Tofutti Sour Supreme)
pinch of nutmeg
2 tbsp (30 mls) Grand Marnier (or orange juice)

1. Put ½ cup (120 mls) of the heavy cream and the lemon zest in a saucepan over medium high heat. Once warm, add the chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and let sit at room temperature until cool.

2. Place the mascarpone, the remaining cup of cream and nutmeg in a bowl. Whip on low for a minute until the mascarpone is loose. Add the Grand Marnier and whip on medium speed until it holds soft peaks. (DO NOT OVERBEAT AS THE MASCARPONE WILL BREAK.)

3. Mix about ¼ of the mascarpone mixture into the chocolate to lighten. Fold in the remaining mascarpone until well incorporated. Fill a pastry bag with the mousse. Again, you could just free form mousse on top of the pavlova.

Mascarpone Cream1 recipe crème anglaise½ cup (120 mls) mascarpone (I used Tofutti Sour Supreme)
2 tbsp (30 mls) Sambucca (optional)
½ cup (120 mls) heavy cream (Rich’s Whip)

1. Prepare the crème anglaise. Slowly whisk in the mascarpone and the Sambucca and let the mixture cool. Put the cream in a bowl and beat with electric mixer until very soft peaks are formed. Fold the cream into the mascarpone mixture.

Crème Anglaise1 cup (235 mls) whole milk (I used soy milk)

1 cup (235 mls) heavy cream (I used Rich’s Whip)

1 vanilla bean, split or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract (I used Vanilla Bean Paste)

6 large egg yolks

6 tbsp (75 grams) sugar
1. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until the mixture turns pale yellow.2. Combine the milk, cream and vanilla in a saucepan over medium high heat, bringing the mixture to a boil. Take off the heat. .
3. Pour about ½ cup of the hot liquid into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly to keep from making scrambled eggs. Pour the yolk mixture into the pan with the remaining cream mixture and put the heat back on medium. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens enough to lightly coat the back of a wooden spoon. DO NOT OVERCOOK.
4. Remove the mixture from the heat and strain it through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until the mixture is thoroughly chilled, about 2 hours or overnight.

Assembly: Pipe the mousse onto the pavlovas and drizzle with the mascarpone cream over the top. Dust with confectioner’s sugar and fresh fruit if desired.

2. Combine the milk, cream and vanilla in a saucepan over medium high heat, bringing the mixture to a boil. Take off the heat. .3. Pour about ½ cup of the hot liquid into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly to keep from making scrambled eggs. Pour the yolk mixture into the pan with the remaining cream mixture and put the heat back on medium. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture thickens enough to lightly coat the back of a wooden spoon. DO NOT OVERCOOK.4. Remove the mixture from the heat and strain it through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl. Cover and refrigerate until the mixture is thoroughly chilled, about 2 hours or overnight.

   http://pragmaticattic.wordpress.com/2010/06/27/daring-bakers-pavlova-fun/#more-2051

Meringue Mushrooms

 

Meringue Mushrooms are a special treat at Christmas time. I've used
them to decorate Buche du Noels but I like to make them to give as gifts because they're different from the regular holiday cookies. They present nicely in a small decorative basket, a mushroom basket from the store or even wrapped up in a cello bag tied with a festive ribbon.

Things needed~1/2 c. egg whites, room temp. (3 to 4 large eggs)
1/8 tsp. table salt
1/4 tsp. cream of tarter
1 c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Unsweetened cocoa powder
6 oz. semi-sweet coating chocolate

parchment paper
baking sheets
pastry bag
1/2" plain round decorating tip
small sieve


Prep ~
Adjust 2 oven racks; place one in the highest position and the other in the lowest. Pre-heat oven to 225 F. Line the baking sheets with parchment. Secure the corners with a dab of butter.

Using a large clean bowl of an electric mixer, beat egg whites on low speed until they get foamy. Add salt and cream of tarter; beat on medium speed until whites begin to form soft peaks. Start adding sugar 1 Tbl. at a time beating 30 seconds between additions. When all the sugar has been added, add vanilla; increase speed to high and beat for an additional 8 minutes. This will insure all the sugar has been dissolved. There should be no grittiness in the mixture.

Use a 1/2" to 3/4" plain round tip.
Fill pastry bag with meringue; start by piping stems on one of the baking sheets.

Set out a small glass of water and a small sharp knife. This will help cut the stems from the decorating tip.

Hold the bag straight up from the baking sheet, gently squeeze out a stem about 1" high, slowly raising the bag as the meringue is pushed out.


Use a small knife that has been dipped in water to cut meringue from the pastry tip. You can pipe with one hand and cut with the other. It takes some getting used to but it's more efficient. I wish somehow I could show you but I know you'll figure it out. :)

Place the stems about 1 1/2" apart.

Next, pipe out the caps. Hold the pastry bag in an upright position, close to but not touching the baking sheet and squeeze out "kisses" raising the bag slightly as the meringue comes out. If you have little pointy tops smooth them out with a moistened finger.

Oh, and make sure you pipe the same number of stems to caps!

Dust with cocoa powder using a very fine sieve.
I like Dutch Process because it's not bitter but you can use whatever you have.

Bake ~Place stems on upper rack and caps on the lower. The amount of time depends on your oven and the humidity factor. Check them after 1 hour. The meringue should easily peel away from the parchment without any sticking and the bottoms should be firm. If your meringues are not this way continue to bake them checking every 2o minutes. This could take a couple hours or more. When they are ready, turn off the oven and open the door slightly and allow them to cool in the oven.

At this point the dry meringues can be stored loosely in a basket or a bowl uncovered in a cool, dry location at room temp for up to 3 weeks. If your kitchen is more humid I would place them in a ziplock bag.

Assemble ~Melt coating chocolate. I prefer to do this in the microwave, 50% power for 30 seconds until melted perfectly. I use coating chocolate because it doesn't need tempering and it hardens fast without having to refrigerate it. Meringues don't like moisture so placing them in the frig is not a good idea.

If your stem is sliding off the cap, egg cartons make great holders until the chocolate is set. Place the mushrooms upside down in the egg cup of an empty carton.

Better make extras because once you have one melt in your mouth it'll be hard to save them for gifts!

I'm making sparkly meringue stars later this week.
I hope you'll come back then!

Have a great week!
  http://pinkmartinisandpearls.blogspot.com/2010/12/meringue-mushrooms.html

Fluffy meringue mushrooms

By Flo Braker

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 

Meringue Mushrooms

by Alice Medrich

Be the first to rate this Recipe

Crisp, sweet, festive, and fun. Meringue mushrooms are a classic trompe l'oeil sweet. Use them to garnish a traditional Yule log cake, add them to a cookie tray, or package them in little produce baskets wrapped in cellophane like real mushrooms and give them as gifts. They keep well for many weeks, even months if stored airtight. They never fail to amaze and delight.Yields about 40 mushrooms with 1-1⁄4-inch caps

---

3 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
3/4 cup (5.25 oz.) granulated sugar
About 2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, cut into small pieces

---

Preheat the oven to 200°F. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven.
In a clean dry bowl with an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until soft peaks form when the beaters are lifted. On high speed, gradually add 1/2 cup of the sugar about a tablespoon at a time. The mixture should stand in stiff peaks when the beaters are lifted. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Scrape the meringue into a large pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip. Pipe pointed "kisses" about 1 inch high to make "stems" on parchment-lined cookie sheets. Do not worry if the tips bend over or sag. Pipe domes to make mushroom "caps."

To pipe mushroom stems: Always pipe the mushroom stems first, while the meringue is still stiff enough to stand high. Hold the bag perpendicular to the cookie sheet, with the tip openening a fraction of an inch away from the sheet. Start squeezing gently, without moving the bag at first (to form a wide base for the stem), then raise the bag as you squeeze. Continue to raise tha bag after you've stopped squeezing, to form a tall point. It's OK if the tip bends over.

To pipe mushroom caps: Hold your pastry bag completely perpendicular to the cookie sheet and as far from the sheet as the height of your intended dome--1/2 inch from the sheet that will be 1/2 inch tall, 3/4 inch above the sheet for a dome 3/4 inch tall--regardless of the diameter. Hold the bag perfectly still while you are squeezing the bag; do not move it up and down or around. Squeeze until the meringue fills the space between the baking sheet and the pastry tip--and keep squeezing if you want a wider diamter. When you stop squeezing, don't move the bag. When no more meringue is coming out, don't lift the bag up. Instead, move it in a tiny circle and then sideways away from the dome--still without squeezing. If you still end up with a pointy top, you can smooth it out with a wet finger. Sieve a light dusting of cocoa over the caps and stems and fan them or blow on them vigorously to blur the cocoa and give the mushrooms an authentic look.

To bake and assemble the mushrooms:
Bake 2 hours until crisp and completely dry. Rotate the pans from top to bottom and from front to back halfway through the baking time to ensure even baking. If not assembling immediately, store caps and stems airtight as soon as they are cool to prevent them from becoming moist and sticky.
Place the chocolate in a small bowl set directly in a wide skillet of barely simmering water. Immediately turn off the heat and stir the chocolate until melted and smooth. Use a sharp knife to cut 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch off of the tip of each stem to create a flat surface. Spread a generous coat of melted chocolate over the flat side of several mushroom caps. Allow the chocolate to set partially before attaching the cut surface of the stems. Repeat until all of the mushrooms are assembled. Set aside the assembled mushrooms until the chocolate has hardened and the caps and stems are "glued" together. To prevent them from becoming sticky, put them in an airtight container as soon as they are cool. May be stored airtight for 3 to 4 weeks.
 

Variations

Coffee Meringue Mushrooms: Stir 1-1/2 tsp. instant coffee or espresso powder into the portion of sugar that is gradually beaten into the egg whites.
Chestnut Meringue Mushrooms: Mix 3 Tbs. chestnut flour with the 1/4 cup of the sugar that is folded in at the end.

photo: Deborah Jones

From Book Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy

October 4, 2010

Meringue Mushrooms

 Yield Makes enough to decorate one Bûche de Noël

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 4 large egg whites
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder plus more for dusting
• 3 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate

Directions

1. Heat oven to 225 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside.
2. In a small saucepan, heat sugar and 1/2 cup water over low heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid reaches 248 degrees.(hard-ball stage) on a candy thermometer.
3. Meanwhile, in the bowl of an electric beater fitted with the whisk attachment, whip egg whites on low speed until soft peaks form. Increase speed to high, and add hot syrup in a steady stream, beating constantly. Continue beating until cool and stiff, about 5 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Fold in cocoa powder.
4. Spoon meringue into a large pastry bag fitted with a coupler and large plain tip. Pipe meringue onto prepared baking sheet to form 2-inch domes. Pipe a separate stem shape for each dome.
5. Sprinkle cocoa powder lightly over meringues. Bake until dry, about 2 hours. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.
6. To assemble mushrooms, melt chocolate in a double boiler or in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Trim off points from tops of stems. With a small offset spatula, spread chocolate on underside of a cap and place trimmed end of stem into center of cap. Place mushroom, stem side up, in an egg carton to harden. Repeat with remaining mushrooms; refrigerate until set.   http://www.marthastewart.com/256145/meringue-mushrooms

Buche de Noel (Holiday Yule Log) and Meringue Mushrooms

These meringue mushrooms might just be the cutest little treat I've ever made! I'll be making them again and again - they were definitely easier than I'd anticipated.

If you don't have time for the full Buche de Noel, make just the meringue mushrooms (the kids will love them), or just the cake without all the fixin's (you can do just the roulade without shaping it into a yule log and without mushrooms or other decorations; it still looks elegant).

There are some great videos on the Food Network site of Malgieri rolling up the cake and making the marzipan decorations (I ran out of time for the marzipan). I strongly recommend watching them, at least the one where he rolls up the cake!

And remember, leave a post by tomorrow night on the Chocolate Bombes post for a chance to win Julia Child's book, My Life in France.

Chocolate Genoise (from Nick Malgieri)

3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
A pinch of salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup cake flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup Dutch process cocoa (You should reall use Dutch process)


Spray a 10" x 15" jelly pan with baking spray; line with parchment paper; spray again.

Preheat the oven to 400F; set an oven rack in the middle of the oven.

Set a medium saucepan of water on the stove, with about 2-3" of water; bring to a boil. Keep at a simmer.


Whisk the eggs, yolks, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Place over the simmering water (the water should not touch the bottom of the bowl). Whisk constantly for about a minute - you just want to heat the mixture to lukewarm - not hot. If you heat it too long, the cake will be dry.

Remove from heat, and attach the bowl to the stand mixer. Beat on medium-high with the whisk attachment until the mixture is cool (the outside of the bowl should be completely cool) and has tripled in volume. This will take several minutes.

While that's whipping, whisk together the cake flour, cornstarch, and cocoa in a dry bowl until the cocoa is full incorporated.

When the egg batter is ready, sift about 1/3 of the flour mixture over the batter, and gently fold it in with a rubber spatula. Repeat two more times. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Bake for about 10-12 minutes. It will be firm to the touch and begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Don't overbake or it will be dry.

Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan, then flip onto a piece of parchment paper on a cooling rack.

Genoise cakes can often be dry. I like to pour a little flavored simple syrup over the cake before rolling. I used a Frangelico flavoring for this cake.


Mocha Buttercream (adapted from Nick Malgieri)


Nick Malgieri does a coffee buttercream, but I like the darker color of the mocha for the yule log.



4 large egg whites (or 4.5 ounces egg whites)
1 cup sugar
3 sticks butter, softened
2 tablespoons Frangelico or Kahlua (or water)
1-2 tablespoons espresso powder (I think it's too strong with 2 personally.) (optional)
4 ounces semi-sweet or bitter-sweet chocolate, melted (do not use chips)

Whisk the egg white and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer (or in another heat proof large bowl if using a hand mixer). Set the bowl over simmering water, and whisk constantly until the sugar is dissolved and the egg whites are hot (if you touch the whites, you'll need to immediately remove your finger). Remove from heat, and attach the bowl to your stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium until the bowl is room temperature (it should feel like it was never on the pan of simmering water). This will take 5-10 minutes or so.

While you're waiting, dissolve the espresso powder (if using) in the liqueur (or water if you don't want to use alcohol).

Remove the whisk attachment, and put on the paddle (or my favorite, the beater blade). Be sure that your butter is softened (you can microwave it just a little, or squeeze it with your hands if it's already room temperature). On medium speed, add the butter, and beat until smooth. This will take about 3-5 minutes. Beat in the liqueur/coffee mixture, then the melted chocolate.

You really want your meringue cooled completely and your butter soft - this will speed up the beating process, and keep your buttercream from breaking. If it does break (appear curdled), don't throw it out! It's not ruined. See Baking 911 for tips on fixing your buttercream. If it's curdled before you add the chocolate, the warmth of the melted chocolate may fix it. Add the chocolate while still somewhat warm, in a few additions, if this is the case.

The frosting should be very light and fluffy now.

Assemble the Cake: (Watch Nick Malgieri's video!)


Lay the genoise on a large piece of parchment paper (flip the cake out of the pan onto parchment paper on a cooling rack; when cool, flip again onto the large sheet of parchment).

Use an offset spatula to spread buttercream over the entire surface of the genoise. You should have about 1/2" layer; this will use a little more than half the buttercream.


Lifting the parchment paper, make a fold in the cake about an inch or two in, lengthwise. Use the parchment to help you roll up the cake. Once rolled, use a baking sheet to tighten the roll and keep in cylindrical. The video is great for this, I really suggest you watch it. A few times.

Freeze or refrigerate the cake for at least 30 minutes.

Remove from the fridge, and slice one end of the log diagonally (cutting the minimal amount of cake off the log). Slice about 3" off the other end, also diagonally; this piece is your branch. Either lay it (round edge against the cake, diagonal edge away from cake) next to the log or on top of the log. Cover the whole thing with buttercream. Make it a little rough looking to imitate the bark. Draw more lines in the cake with a fork, if desired, to further enhance the bark look.

Make your decorations!

Meringue Mushrooms (adapted from East Village Kitchen, adapted from Maida Heatter)
(makes about 20 complete mushrooms)

1/2 cup egg whites (roughly 3-4 large eggs) at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
cocoa for dusting
3 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate

Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Place one oven rack on the top level, one at the bottom. No need to preheat just yet.



On low-medium speed with your stand mixer, beat the egg whites for about a minute until they get foamy. Add the salt and cream of tartar, and beat on medium for another 1-2 minutes or until the whites are starting to approach the soft peak stage (i.e. almost ready to begin holding a shape). Very gradually, begin adding the sugar, about a tablespoon at a time (that would be about 15-16 additions), beating steadily. Be sure the sugar has been incorporated before adding more. When half the sugar has been added, beat in the vanilla extract. Once all the sugar has been added, beat another 8-9 minutes on high (not the very top setting on your stand mixer, but close). The meringue should be very stiff (it will hold its shape, even upside down), and the sugar should be dissolved (rub a little meringue between your fingers; if it's gritty, the sugar isn't all dissolved.) It should be a gorgeous white color, shiny and stiff.

See the gritty specks? That's undissolved sugar. Keep whipping!

(You can use a hand mixer, but a stand mixer will be significantly quicker. I usually use a hand mixer for whipping cream and egg whites, but I went with the stand mixer this time. Beating times above based on a stand mixer, and may till vary somewhat depending on your mixer.)

If you parchment/foil isn't laying flat, glue down the corners with a little meringue.

Preheat the oven to 225F.


Put a plain round 3/4" tip in a decorating bag (or a large zip-lock bag with a 3/4" hold cut off one corner). As soon as the meringue is ready, fill the decorating bag with the meringue. Push it down towards the tip (it may not all fit, depending on the size of the bag, but you can refill), and twist the top. You want to hold the bag and apply pressure from this twisted part of the bag, not the base. If you need to, you can hold the bag near the tip with the other hand to guide, but I prefer to do it one-handed, using the other hand to hold down the paper and hold the knife).


First, pipe the stems: hold the bag vertically, right above the baking pan. Begin applying pressure to pipe the meringue. Wait just a sec, and then slowly lift the bag up as you pipe. Waiting that half a second or so will give you a slightly broader base for your mushroom stems. You want the whole stem to be about 1 - 1.5 inches tall. When you've reached the desired height, stop applying pressure and use your non-dominant hand to cut off the meringue at the tip with a butter knife. After you've piped them all, use your finger to flatten the tops. It won't be perfectly flat, but you'll fix this later with a grater. You should be able to make about 20 stems and 20 tops. Don't worry if the stems aren't perfectly vertical, they're pretty adorable when they lean a little! Here's mine:

Now, pipe the tops: again hold the bag vertically, right above the baking pan. Without lifting the bag vertically, apply pressure to pipe the tops. You want a 1.5" - 2" round blob of meringue, with just a slightly rounded top/peak. After you're done piping, use your finger to gently flatten the tops.

Place your meringue trays in the oven for about 75-80 minutes. You want them very dry, but they shouldn't brown (browning here means they are over done, and they won't taste as good). They should easily come off the foil.

Mushroom tops, after baking (they're whiter than they look in this picture)

Assembly:


Melt the chocolate, and let cool slightly. (I always use a microwave to melt the chocolate - 20-30 second intervals, stirring in between; chocolate sometimes holds its shape in the microwave, so it may be melted even though it doesn't appear that way)

Use a microplane grater to flatten the tops of the meringue stems. You want a flat surface to adhere to the chocolate and top. You can grate the tiny little tips off the mushroom tops also, but don't grate too much or it will be visible.


Have a clean, dry egg carton handy to place your mushrooms in to dry. With a spoon, gently cover the flat side of one mushroom top with chocolate, and then place the flat top of the mushroom step on top. You're now holding the full mushroom upside down in your hands. Carefully place it (still upside down) in the egg carton to dry. Repeat with the rest of your mushrooms. You should not be overwhelmed with the adorable appearance of your meringue mushrooms!

When the melted chocolate is completely dry, you can add some dirt! Use a small sieve to dust the tops of the mushrooms with cocoa powder. Rub some cocoa on your fingers and touch the base of the mushroom stems to darken them a little (it should look like the mushrooms are a little dirty, though in all honestly, they're pretty cute plain too.) Be very gentle, as the meringue is very delicate.


Serve! If you're not serving immediately, store in a cool, dry place (not the fridge), not in an airtight container.

Happy holidays!! http://zuccherodolce.blogspot.com/2009/12/buche-de-noel-holiday-yule-log-and.html
 

Meringue Mushrooms Recipe

 

 These take a bit of work and time, but are spectacular. They are highly prized for Christmas gift-giving! As with other meringue recipes, these should only be made on a dry day. You will need a pastry bag with a plain tip. If you can save some green plastic berry baskets from the summertime, these mushrooms look totally realistic placed in them.

Ingredients of Meringue Mushrooms Recipe

1/2 cup egg whites

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

4 ounces chocolate confectioners' coating

Description of Meringue Mushrooms Recipe

Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F (110 degrees C). Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

In a large glass or metal bowl, use an electric mixer to whip egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar, salt, and vanilla. Continue whipping until the whites hold soft peaks. Gradually sprinkle in the sugar so that it does not sink to the bottom, and continue whipping until the mixture holds stiff shiny peaks.

Place a round tip into a pastry bag, and fill the bag half way with the meringue. To pipe the mushroom caps, squeeze out round mounds of meringue onto one of the prepared cookie sheets. Pull the bag off to the side to avoid making peaks on the top. For the stems, press out a tiny bit of meringue onto the other sheet, then pull the bag straight up. They should resemble candy kisses. Do not worry about making all of the pieces exactly the same. The mushrooms will look more natural if the pieces are different sizes. Dust the mushroom caps lightly with cocoa using a small sifter or strainer.

Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until the caps are dry enough to easily remove from the cookie sheets. Set aside to cool completely. Melt the coating chocolate in a metal bowl over simmering water, or in a glass bowl in the microwave, stirring occasionally until smooth.

Poke a small hole in the bottom of a mushroom cap. Spread chocolate over the bottom of the cap. Dip the tip of a stem in chocolate, and press lightly into the hole. When the chocolate sets, they will hold together. Repeat with remaining pieces. Store at room temperature in a dry place or tin.

Meringue Mushrooms Recipe

Prep Time:45 Min Cook Time:1 Hr Ready In:1 Hr 45 Min

Source - Allrecipes.com

Meringue Snowflakes

Ingredients

• 2 egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• Dash salt
• 1/2 cup superfine sugar
• White or light blue decorating sugar

Directions

1. Place egg whites in a medium bowl. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or foil. Draw six 3-1/2-inch circles on each sheet of paper or foil. Set aside.
2. For meringue: Add cream of tartar and salt to egg whites. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks forms (tips curl). Gradually add the 1/2 cup superfine sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high speed until stiff peaks form ( tips stand straight) and sugar is nearly dissolved.
3. Transfer meringue to a decorating bag fitted with a 3/8-inch round tip. Pipe snowflake shapes on top of circles on paper or foil. Sprinkle with the decorating sugar.
4. Bake all of the meringues at the same time on separate oven racks for 10 minutes. Turn off oven; let meringues dry in oven with door closed for 1 hour. Lift meringues off paper or foil. Transfer to wire racks; cool completely. Makes 12 meringue snowflakes.   http://www.bhg.com/recipe/cookies/meringue-snowflakes/