Meringue Mushrooms

Ingredients:

1 egg white
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder

Method:

Preheat oven to 110 °C.

Line a big baking tray with parchment paper; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk egg white with cream of tartar till very foamy.

Gradually, add-in sugar and continue whisk till stiff peak form.

Spoon the meringue into a cone shape plastic bag with 1/2 inch round tip.

By holding the bag perpendicularly 1/2 inch about the surface of parchment paper, alternatively pipe the mushroom caps by squeeze out a half sphere meringue (diameter about 1.25 inch) and pipe the mushroom stems by squeeze out a 0.75 inch base and pull bag upward for tapering off to a point at the top with 1 inch tall.

With a damp fingertip, gently smooth the pointy tips of mushroom caps.

Dust mushroom caps with cocoa powder.

Bake the meringues in the preheated oven for 1 hour, or until dry and firm to handle.

Remove from oven, carefully make a small hole in the flat side of each caps with the tip of bamboo skewer.

Brush the flat side of each caps with chocolate paste.

Dip stem tip into chocolate paste and insert the tip into the hole of mushroom cap to join.

Set complete mushrooms aside to cool completely and firm.

Yield 14 pieces of mushrooms.