Making Meringue Mushrooms

Meringue mushrooms are used to decorate a bûche de noël. To make them, line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Fit a pastry bag with a ¼-inch plain tip and fill the bag with meringue. Make the mushroom stems by squeezing the pastry bag while lifting straight up so the stem narrows to a point. Make the caps by holding the bag about ¼ inch from the parchment paper and squeezing to make a small, even, slightly mounded round.