So, I started the process by taking each mushroom head and putting a hole in it with a paring knife, they looked something like this:

I then started to melt my milk chocolate in a double boiler, oh what a joy that was.. I have still not mastered the art of the double boiler, maybe it’s the fact that I don’t own the right pans, or maybe the idea of steaming hot water bubbling under the surface of a bowl freaks me out too much to concentrate, I haven’t decided.

It all started out well, I was confident, my chocolate was just beginning to melt, and I thought that maybe, just maybe, this would be the time that my chocolate would cooperate…

As you can see from this picture, the chocolate was melting pretty nicely, the aroma was very inviting, I was looking forward to eating the leftovers on graham crackers, strawberries, marshmallows, and the possibilities were endless. But my fears got the best of me, and I accidentally tilted the bowl right after this photo was taken, and about a teaspoon of water got into the melted chocolate. Now we all know what happens when you mix melted chocolate with water, and for those of you who don’t, here is a photo:

Needless to say, I was pretty disappointed, but I was not about to give up. So I threw that down the garbage disposal and took out a new bag of chocolate, this time white, in hopes that the different color would make me forget of the tragedy of wasting 12 ounces of beautiful milk chocolate.

Ahhhh, yes. Exactly what I was looking for! (I have to admit, I got a smaller pan, so that my fingers weren’t so close to the boiling water, it helped a great deal!) Now onto the fun part, the construction of the mushrooms. I smeared the white chocolate onto the bottom of each mushroom head with a small cheese knife-

After sticking the base into the top of the mushroom, I used an empty egg carton to let the mushrooms set in, it was a pretty good idea in theory, but my mushrooms were a bit small, and they all sort of tipped over..

I was a bit impatient and did not let them set as long as they probably should have. I would say, leave them alone for a good 10 minutes, and then transfer them onto a cookie sheet, just to see how cool they look standing up! (If they can..)

Well there you have it folks, meringue mushrooms, in all their glory! Wait till you see how cool they look on the ‘psychedelic’ birthday cake I made!

*I used 1 whole bag of Ghiradelli Chocolate chips (2 if you count the little mess up..) and I put the stove top on medium-high until the chocolate melted to a consistency that I could lift it with my spatula and it would fall in a ribbon shaped pattern. Once it came to its appropriate consistency you have to watch it, or else it WILL over heat and change the consistency of the chocolate, so work fast!

I began by putting the egg whites into the mixer and whipping them on low for a few minutes till it became slightly frothy.

I then added in the salt and cream of tartar and whisked it for a few more minutes till it began to look like this:

At this point the recipe tells you to begin adding the 1 cup of sugar, one tablespoon at a time. Now it took me a good 10 minutes before I figured out that 1 cup equaled 16 tablespoons, but in the long run it made this process a whole lot easier. After every addition of sugar I let it mix for about 30 seconds. Once I got halfway through (8 tablespoons) I added the vanilla and let it mix thoroughly. Once I finished adding the remainder of the sugar I set my stand mixer on high and walked away. After about 12 minutes I returned and to my surprise was greeted with meringue that looked like this:

It resembled the consistency of Cool Whip, but was much tastier, and had no evil trans-fats. After adding the meringue into a disposable pastry bag fitted with a #12 tip from Wilton’s Master Tip Set, I was in business!

I began by making about a million and a half (ok, I’m exaggerating) mushroom tops and bases. I made sure I alternated one base – one top so that I would always know I had enough to go around! To make the base all I did was hold the bag upright, then began squeezing and making the fattest part of the base about the size of a nickel and slowly lifted my hand to create the mushroom stems, they turned out to be about an inch tall, but you can make them any which way you’d like, short and fat, tall and skinny, the skies the limit.

To make the mushroom tops you use the same tip, and hold the bag in the same position, but you leave the tip where it is and let the meringue slowly fan out into a perfect circle, again making them as big or as small as you’d like.

Then begins the fun part, dusting the cocoa on top!

As you can see, I take my meringue dusting very seriously!

That is what they should look like before.. now it is important that you dust them before you bake them. It may sound strange, but your hard work and patience will be rewarded. I baked these cookies at 225° for an hour and fifteen minutes, then I shut off the heat, opened the oven and let them come to room temperature for about an hour.

And this is what it should look like after, can you see the realistic brown speckles? This would not happen if you dusting them after the baking process.

I would call these meringue mushrooms a success, 95% of them came out unharmed! Some were not so lucky… word of advice, buy a Silpat!

Part 2 coming soon!