Mushroom Cookies Recipe

These Mushroom Cookies Recipe are absolutely adorable fun and easy to make. Almost too cute to eat. They are wonderful dessert decor for just about any party or occasion. The eye-catchy treats attract not only to little ones but big ones too.

Because they are very time consuming to make, I (like most people) typically make them for major and festive occasions such as weddings or big holidays. But it’s safe to say that they are worth every minute spent making them let me assure you.

“You have to take a closer look to make sure they are edible”, is a comment I often get from people. They look very realistic with the dark chocolate ganache covered mushroom heads, white glaze dipped stems, and touched up roots with poppy seeds to represent a sandy stem. How cute is that?

I couldn't dare myself to make them for the blog sooner because of the detail-intensive multitasking that's required. Plus photography, in order to capture every detail for you in photo instructions.

They’re actually quite simple to make once you get the hang of it and a lot of fun. I have no doubt that you will love these little gems. Have fun making and serving them! 😀

What you'll need to Make Mushroom Cookie Batter

• Unsalted butter (softened)
• Sugar (I used organic sugar)
• Mayonnaise (I use homemade mayonnaise)
• Large eggs (I used home-raised chicken eggs)
• Baking soda
• Sea salt (because salt makes everything taste better 😉
• Organic all-purpose flour

What you'll need to Make White Glaze for the Mushroom Cookie Stem

• Eggs whites from 2 large eggs (I used home-raised chicken eggs)
• Confectioners sugar
• Poppy seeds (for decorating the bottom of the mushroom stem)

What you'll Need to Make Chocolate Ganache for Dipping the Mushroom Cookie Head

• Chocolate chips or a bar
• Organic whole milk (not pictured; check out my NO-FAIL chocolate ganache recipe)

Items You Will Need to Make these Mushrooms

Mushroom Cookie Maker (NOTE: I've owned this particular mold for 15 years now. It was a gift from my aunt Luyba from Ukraine. It's an old classical piece that I treasure. Heavy and durable made out of steel metal.

These mold are hard to find here in the USA, so the Amazon link I'm including is a similarly shaped mold that should achieve the same results. If you know anyone who lives in Europe you could ask them for a big favor and sent you one over to you! 😉

12-egg carton (for holding mushrooms after white glaze stem dipping).

2 - purple (30-egg) cartons (for resting mushrooms in after the chocolate ganache mushroom head dipping).

Mushroom Cookie Batter Instructions

Beat softened butter and sugar together well until creamy. Add mayonnaise and beat for 30 seconds. Scrape the sides of the mixer bowl down with a silicone spatula to make sure mayonnaise, butter, and sugar are well combined and beat again for additional 30 seconds. Then add 2 large eggs and beat the batter until fluffy about a minute or so.

Measure out the flour, baking soda, and salt. Sift into the batter, mayonnaise, and sugar mixture. Using a silicone spatula mix everything until well combined.

Sift an additional 2 cups of flour into the same glass bowl (you used for the first half amount of flour). Attach mixer bowl onto the mixer and using the dough hook attachment add and mix in the rest of the flour ½ cup at a time.

The dough will be crumbly but soft similar to play-dough. Knead the dough into a ball, place into the previously floured glass bowl, cover with a lid. (Note: the dough will dry quickly if not covered) Set the dough aside and make the white glaze.

How to Make White Glaze for the Mushroom Stems

Separate egg whites into a small glass bowl. Add powdered sugar and mix starting on slowest speed (if you don't want to find yourself standing in a white cloud of powder sugar), increasing the mixing speed gradually. Beat it for about a minute or so.

Cover the bowl with a lid and always keep it covered when not in use. (Note: Leaving it uncovered will dry out and crystalize the top of the glaze and will look unappealing on the cookies.)

How to Pre-shape Mushroom Cookies

Heat the Mushroom Cookie Maker over medium heat. While the mold is heating, reshape the dough. Pinch off a little dough, roll into a ball (about 1" in diameter) and reshape it into a rough mushroom form. (Note: It doesn't have look perfect, it will shape itself perfectly in the mold while baking.)

Mushroom Cookies Baking Instructions

Place mushroom pre-shaped cookies into the preheated mold. Bake for 3 minutes, then flip it over and bake for another minute or until golden brown. (Note: Baking time will vary depending on the type of metal your cookie mold is made of. If out of aluminum, it will bake faster.)

While this set of cookies is baking, pre-shape another set of cookies, so they are ready to be placed in the mold right after the baked ones are removed.

Using a regular tablespoon or a thin spatula remove baked cookies and place on a plate to cool for about 5 minutes or until warm to touch. While the second set of cookies is baking and the first set is cooling, pre-shape another set of mushroom cookies.

Note: I repeat the cycle of pre-shaping another set of cookies right after I place the previous set to bake.

How to Glaze Mushroom Cookie Stem with White Glaze

Hold the mushroom cookie by its head with one hand, hold and tilt the glaze bowl with the other hand and dip in all the stem into the glaze, hold for a few seconds while excess glaze drips off.

Stand up the glazed mushroom cookie in a pocket of the smaller egg carton for the stem to dry out. While this set of mushrooms stems are drying, keep going the smooth process of preshaping and baking.

How to Add Sand-looking Decor to Mushroom Cookie Stem

Most of the stem glaze will dry out except the bottom. So, now it's the time to add some beauty to the mushroom. Hold it by its head and dip the stem into poppy seed, about ¼ in, and roll on the side of the plate to pack them tightly.

Tip: I like to use a large plate with a raised edge so I can press down poppy seeds against to create a nicely rounded base. Then place the mushroom cookies into individual pockets of a purple egg carton.

How to Keep a Cookie Making Smooth Workflow

Keep a smooth workflow by placing everything in order of operation. That way it's easier to keep track and control of the process. You don't need to use a timer to time each step but can tell the readiness stages just by looking at and touching the cookies.

You should be able to tell which set needs glazing, dipping, removal of baked cookie from the mold, etc. Once you get the hang of it, you will feel like a pro, I promise! 😉 The picture below shows the organization set up I use.

Bake, dip in glaze and poppy seeds all of the mushroom cookies and allow the stems dry out completely before proceeding to the step of dipping the mushroom heads into chocolate ganache.

How to Make Chocolate Ganache

Add dark chocolate chips into a bowl placed over a water bath, add milk and let the chocolate melt, stirring from time to time. Once the water boils reduce the heat and let the chocolate melt and mix with milk completely.

(Tip: Before I always used a Hershey Dark Chocolate bar to make the ganache but didn't have any this time so I used chocolate chips and must say that I like how the ganache turns out made with the bar.)

Check out the Simple Chocolate Ganache Recipe. Except for the mushroom cookies ganache, I do not add that extra 2 tbsp. of milk at the end; the ganache should be thicker for dipping cookies. Let the ganache cool a bit before the dipping step.

How to Decorate Mushroom Heads with Chocolate Ganache

Once the mushroom stems have dried completely, it is safe enough to hold the mushroom by the stem (without messing up your work) and dip the heads into the chocolate.

Hang the mushroom cookies in between the egg pocket peaks so that the lowest possible point of the mushroom head rests against the peaks (this way the chocolate will have minimal contact with the carton and keep its beautiful shape). The chocolate mushroom heads should look smooth and glossy.

Once the ganache sets completely, the gloss will dull.

Be very careful when removing them from the egg cartons. Use a blade to separate the sides of the mushroom head from the carton to cause minimal damage to the mushroom head.

How to Store Mushroom Cookies

Store in any container with a lid slightly open for up to a week.

If you make this Mushroom Cookies Recipe, please share a picture with me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest. Tag with #valyastasteofhome. I’d love to see your creations! 

4.73 from 11 votes

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Mushroom Cookies Recipe

Prep Time

3 hrs

Cook Time

2 hrs

Total Time

5 hrs

 

These Mushroom Cookies are absolutely adorable. Almost too cute to eat. They are wonderful dessert decor for just about any party or occasion. The eye-catchy treats attract not only to little ones but big ones too. They look very realistic with the dark chocolate ganache covered mushroom heads, white glaze dipped stems and touched up roots with poppy seeds to represent a sandy stem.

Keyword: dark chocolate holiday baking, decorative cookies, festive cookie recipe, mushroom cookies

Servings: 80 Cookies

Author: Valya of Valya's Taste of Home

Ingredients

What you'll need to Make Mushroom Cookie Batter

• 12 tbsp. (170 g) – unsalted butter (softened)
• 1 cup (200 g) – sugar (I used organic sugar)
• ⅔ cup (158 ml) – mayonnaise (I use homemade mayonnaise)
• 2 large – eggs (I used home-raised chicken eggs)
• ½ tsp. (2.5 ml) – baking soda
• ⅛ tsp. (0.6 ml) – sea salt
• 4 ½ cups (576 g) – organic all-purpose flour

What you'll need to Make White Glaze for the Mushroom Cookie Stem

• 2 - egg whites room temperature (from 2 large eggs)
• 2 cup (220 g) - confectioners sugar
• 1 cup - poppy seeds (for decorating the bottom of the mushroom stem)

What you'll Need to Make Chocolate Ganache for Dipping the Mushroom Cookie Head

• 1 ½ cups (263 g) - chocolate chips
• 10 tbsp. (148 ml) - organic whole milk

Items You Will Need to Make these Mushrooms

• 12- egg carton (for holding mushrooms after white glaze stem dipping).
• 2 - purple 30-egg cartons (for resting mushrooms in after the chocolate ganache mushroom head dipping).

Instructions

Mushroom Cookie Batter Instructions

1. Beat softened butter and sugar together well until creamy. Add mayonnaise and beat for 30 seconds. Scrape the sides of the mixer bowl down with a silicone spatula to make sure mayonnaise, butter, and sugar are well combined and beat again for additional 30 seconds. Then add 2 large eggs and beat the batter until fluffy about a minute or so.
2. Measure out the flour, baking soda, and salt. Sift into the batter, mayonnaise, and sugar mixture. Using a silicone spatula mix everything until well combined.
3. Sift an additional 2 cups of flour into the same glass bowl (you used for the first half amount of flour). Attach mixer bowl onto the mixer and using the dough hook attachment add and mix in the rest of the flour ½ cup at a time.
4. The dough will be crumbly but soft similar to play-dough. Knead the dough into a ball, place into the previously floured glass bowl, cover with a lid. (Note: the dough will dry quickly if not covered) Set the dough aside and make the white glaze.

How to Make White Glaze for the Mushroom Stems

1. Separate egg whites into a small glass bowl. Add powdered sugar and mix starting on slowest speed (if you don't want to find yourself standing in a white cloud of powder sugar), increasing the mixing speed gradually. Beat it for about a minute or so.
2. Cover the bowl with a lid and always keep it covered when not in use. (Note: Leaving it uncovered will dry out and crystalize the top of the glaze and will look unappealing on the cookies.)

How to Pre-shape Mushroom Cookies

1. Heat the Mushroom Cookie Maker over medium heat. While the mold is heating, reshape the dough. Pinch off a little dough, roll into a ball (about 1" in diameter) and reshape it into a rough mushroom form. (Note: It doesn't have look perfect, it will shape itself perfectly in the mold while baking.)

Mushroom Cookies Baking Instructions

1. Place mushroom pre-shaped cookies into the preheated mold. Bake for 3 minutes, then flip it over and bake for another minute or until golden brown. (Note: Baking time will vary depending on the type of metal your cookie mold is made of. If out of aluminum, it will bake faster.)
2. While this set of cookies is baking, pre-shape another set of cookies, so they are ready to be placed in the mold right after the baked ones are removed.
3. Using a regular tablespoon or a thin spatula remove baked cookies and place on a plate to cool for about 5 minutes or until warm to touch. While the second set of cookies is baking and the first set is cooling, pre-shape another set of mushroom cookies.
4. Note: I repeat the cycle of pre-shaping another set of cookies right after I place the previous set to bake.

How to Glaze Mushroom Cookie Stem with White Glaze

1. Hold the mushroom cookie by its head with one hand, hold and tilt the glaze bowl with the other hand and dip in all the stem into the glaze, hold for a few seconds while excess glaze drips off.
2. Stand up the glazed mushroom cookie in a pocket of the smaller egg carton for the stem to dry out. While this set of mushrooms stems are drying, keep going the smooth process of preshaping and baking.

How to Add Sand-looking Decor to Mushroom Cookie Stem

1. Most of the stem glaze will dry out except the bottom. So, now it's the time to add some beauty to the mushroom. Hold it by its head and dip the stem into poppy seed, about ¼ in, and roll on the side of the plate to pack them tightly.
2. Tip: I like to use a large plate with a raised edge so I can press down poppy seeds against to create a nicely rounded base. Then place the mushroom cookies into individual pockets of a purple egg carton.

How to Keep a Cookie Making Smooth Workflow

1. Keep a smooth workflow by placing everything in order of operation. That way it's easier to keep track and control of the process. You don't need to use a timer to time each step but can tell the readiness stages just by looking at and touching the cookies.
2. You should be able to tell which set needs glazing, dipping, removal of baked cookie from the mold, etc. Once you get the hang of it, you will feel like a pro, I promise! 😉 The picture below shows the organization set up I use.
3. Bake, dip in glaze and poppy seeds all of the mushroom cookies and allow the stems dry out completely before proceeding to the step of dipping the mushroom heads into chocolate ganache.

How to Make Chocolate Ganache

1. Add dark chocolate chips into a bowl placed over a water bath, add milk and let the chocolate melt, stirring from time to time. Once the water boils reduce the heat and let the chocolate melt and mix with milk completely.
2. (Tip: Before I always used a Hershey Dark Chocolate bar to make the ganache but didn't have any this time, so I used chocolate chips and must say that I like how the ganache turns out made with the bar.)
3. Check out the Simple Chocolate Ganache Recipe. Except for the mushroom cookies ganache, I do not add that extra 2 tbsp. of milk at the end; the ganache should be thicker for dipping cookies. Let the ganache cool a bit before the dipping step.

How to Decorate Mushroom Heads with Chocolate Ganache

1. Once the mushroom stems have dried completely, it is safe enough to hold the mushroom by the stem (without messing up your work) and dip the heads into the chocolate.
2. Hang the mushroom cookies in between the egg pocket peaks so that the lowest possible point of the mushroom head rests against the peaks (this way the chocolate will have minimal contact with the carton and keep its beautiful shape). The chocolate mushroom heads should look smooth and glossy.
3. Once the ganache sets completely, the gloss will dull.
4. Be very careful when removing them from the egg cartons. Use a blade to separate the sides of the mushroom head from the carton to cause minimal damage to the mushroom head.

How to Store Mushroom Cookies

1. Store in any container with a lid slightly open for up to a week.

Recipe Notes

I've owned this particular mold for 15 years now. It was a gift from my aunt Luyba from Ukraine. It's an old classical piece that I treasure. Heavy and durable made out of steel metal. They're harder to find so the Amazon link I'm including is a similarly shaped mold that should achieve the same results. If you know anyone who lives in Europe you could ask them for a big favor and sent you one over to you! ;

Looking for more fun Cookie Recipes? Here are some to choose from:

• Pom-Pom Cookies Recipe
• Meat Grinder Cookie Recipe
• Easy Homemade Sugar cookie Dough
• Hedgehog Cookies
• Peppermint Glazed Cookies
• Dark Chocolate Cranberry and Pecan Biscotti
• Christmas Spritz Cookies
• Mint Candy Cane Cookies

Check out all desert recipes HERE.

Kitchen items I used in making this recipe:

(If you need any of these items, simply click on the picture to order. These are Amazon affiliate links. That means when you click on the picture link and make a purchase I make a small commission. Your cost for the purchase does not change. Thank you for your support!)

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