Italian Meringue Mushrooms

The best example of Italian meringue is probably the meringue mushrooms I saw Chef Pasquet whip, shape, and bake at the Cordon Bleu in Paris in the late fifties. These attractive little confections can be used to decorate any cake; they look so true to life that they have fooled many people. These confections keep a long time in a tin; keep button tops and stems separately and put them together as described just before use.