Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hours, 45 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 egg whites
- 1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
- 6 Tbsp. sugar
- 1/4 tsp. vanilla
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon milk chocolate chips
- cocoa powder
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. In a large bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and beat until very stiff.Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpat silicon liners. Pipe 15 dollops, about 2" in diameter, onto the cookie sheets (these will form the mushroom caps). Gently smooth tops with a wet finger so there is no point on top. Pipe rest of egg white mixture into 15 upright 1-1/4" lengths (the mushroom stems). Bake at 200 degrees for 1-3/4 hours. Turn off oven and cool in oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely.
With a knife, cut a small hole in bottom, or flat side, of each mound, or cap. In small microwave-safe bowl, place semisweet chocolate chips. Melt on 50% power for 1 minute, then for 30 seconds, stirring, as needed, until smooth. Then stir in the milk chocolate chips, stirring constantly until the mixture is smooth again. (This tempers the chocolate so it will be firm at room temperature.)
Spread underside of caps with chocolate and gently press stem to the chocolate in the caps. Let dry, upside down, on waxed paper until chocolate is set. Just before serving, sift cocoa through strainer over tops of meringue mushrooms.
