Title: Meringue mushrooms
 Categories: 
      Yield: 4 Servings
 
      4 lg Egg whites (1/2 cup)
    1/4 ts Cream of tartar
      1 c  Sugar (preferably
           Superfine)
           About 2 teaspoons
           Unsweetened cocoa
      2 oz Bittersweet or semisweet
           Chocolate, cut into small
           Pieces
           Cookie sheet lined with
           Parchment paper
           Pastry bag fitted with plain
    1/2    -inch tip
 
  In a large heatproof bowl, whisk the egg whites, cream of tartar, and
  sugar together until all of the sugar is moistened. Whisking
  constantly, set the bowl on direct heat or in a pan of simmering
  water, until the egg whites are warm to the touch. Remove from the
  heat and beat at high speed until mixture is very stiff and dull
  looking.
  
  Scrape meringue mixture into pastry bag. Pipe round, button shapes to
  make mushroom "caps". Pipe pointed "kiss" shapes about one inch tall
  to make "stems". Dust with cocoa. Bake two hours in a 200 degree oven
  until crisp and completely dry.
  
  Assemble the mushrooms: Place chocolate in a small bowl. Set bowl in a
  skillet of barely simmering water. Immediately turn off heat and stir
  chocolate until melted and smooth.
  
  Spread a little melted chocolate on the flat side of each meringue
  mushroom "cap". Use a sharp knife to cut off and discard the pointed
  ends of meringue "stems". Attach stems to caps while chocolate is
  still soft. Set assembles mushrooms aside until the chocolate has
  dried and caps and stems are "glued" together. (Meringue mushrooms
  may be made 3 to 4 weeks in advance and stored in an airtight
  container.)
  
  Yield: about 65 mushrooms with 1 1/2-inch caps
  
  NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER MUSHROOM: 17.5 calories; 3 grams fat (15
  percent calories from fat); 3 grams protein; 3.6 grams carbohydrates;
        9    milligrams cholesterol