2 egg whites, room temperature ……….......... about 1/8 tsp cream of tartar
6-8 TB sugar………….....…..................................... 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Unsweetened cocoa powder for garnish
Powdered sugar for garnish
Preheat oven to 250. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks ~ add sugar, 1 TB at a time, beating well after each addition, until sugar is dissolved and mixture is stiff and glossy ~ beat in vanilla. (This may take 5 minutes or so). NOTE: A 7-qt Kitchenaid mixer bowl is too large and the paddle can't find the egg whites) Transfer meringue to large pastry bag fitted with 1/2” plain pastry tip (or put into freezer zip-lock bag, seal and carefully cut the point off one corner).
For the caps: pipe 12 mounds (about 1-1/2” diameter) onto baking sheet. For the stems, position pastry bag tip/end about 1/4” above baking sheet and pipe out 12 stems (about 1”), pulling straight up while squeezing pastry bag.
Bake meringues until dry to touch and still white (30-45 min). Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet. DO AHEAD (can be done 1 day ahead ~ store airtight at room temp). …
Melt chocolate chips in microwave; spread a little on bottom of each cap and “glue” stems to caps (may have to trim end of stem). When chocolate is set, dust mushrooms with powdered sugar and/or cocoa powder.
1 tube almond paste (marzipan)
sliced almonds
optional: green candy wafers (melting chocolate) * cocoa powder
The hardest part about these is finding the marzipan. You can always find it at specialty groceries like Whole Foods, but even a regular grocery should have it at the holidays (check the International or gourmet aisle). Shape the marzipan into pinecones (fatter on one end). I did some standing up and some on their sides. Knead the marzipan as you do this (to soften it); then stick the sliced almonds into the marzipan. Put them onto waxed paper to harden up (so the almonds stick in there). I lightly drizzled a little melted green candy wafer over the top and lightly dusted with cocoa powder.
This is my new FAVORITE DECORATION! Just melt any type of chocolate that you want! Chocolate chips are easiest (semi-sweet or dark are good) ~ about 1 minute in the microwave. Stir until completed melted; then thinly spread over a big sheet of parchment paper. Roll the parchment up tightly and stick it into the refrigerator. When you're ready to use it, just unroll. The chocolate will crack into long "bark" slivers that you can just "glue" onto your Yule log with melted chocolate (or adhere before the top of the log hardens).
Decorator Icing POINSETTIAS
I used tubes of green & red decorator icing, and the leaf tip tube that comes with them. 4 red leaves for the flower; then 4 small green leaves tucked in there. I put 3 tiny gold ball sprinkles in the center. I piped these onto a sheet of waxed paper and let them sit on the counter overnight, so that they hardened up. They were definitely hard enough to pick up and handle the next day. |