Making meringue mushrooms
This morning I woke up early (for some reason that's how west-to-east jet lag hits me: I wake up earlier than usual) so I made these meringue mushrooms for The Sun's holiday lunch.
The meringue tops and stems are stuck together with semisweet chocolate, and the "dirt" is cocoa powder sifted on them.
The recipe is from Maida Heatter's Book of Great Desserts, and...
...it's easy, if time consuming, once you get the hang of it.
The season never starts for me until I make a batch of meringue mushrooms. It seems to be getting later and later, though. The tree is sitting on the back porch in a bucket. The cards are still in their box. I need a little snow to get me in the mood.
When my daughter was little I would start Dec. 1 and bake every day. By Dec. 24 I had cookies and pastries and breads (and meringue mushrooms) everywhere, ready to be given as gifts to neighbors and friends. Over the years, though, my conscience has gotten the better of me. Everyone has gotten older and fatter, and I've learned more about nutrition.
Not that I feel all that guilty about handing out butterscotch brownies and chocolate mint sticks. I'm more worried my friends will be watching their weight and the goodies won't be appreciated the way I think they should.
(Photo by me)
Comments
Good job! Meringue mushrooms are always a treat... as are any meringues. We just don't have the dry weather for it often enough.
Posted by: Fairfax | December 14, 2007 2:26 PM
I'm homesick.
Posted by: Gailor Large | December 14, 2007 3:01 PM
So how did the rest of the Sun staff liked it? It looked real and really good :)
Thanks! Yes, they were a hit. It's hard because I have a reputation to uphold. My husband looked at me in disbelief when he got up this morning and I was knee deep in egg whites and said, "Why don't you just buy something?" He doesn't get it.
Posted by: Eric | December 14, 2007 3:29 PM
Elizabeth, I wish you worked in my office (except when you're off to California and snickering at the rest of us of course ...)
Posted by: Darlene | December 14, 2007 5:06 PM
This is one of my most favorite memories of hanging out at your house when I was a kid!!! Sometimes I CRAVE those meringue mushrooms...mmmmmm. I got very nostalgic last year and attempted to make them myself but they weren't as good as I remembered yours to be. Hope you're well! Happy Holidays!
Posted by: Lisa Siriporn | December 14, 2007 11:49 PM