These whimsical and delectable mushroom cookies look like they were just picked from the forest! Use them for yule lug cake decorations or add them to your holiday cookie tray!
Mushroom Shaped Cookies
These are the mushroom cookies I used to decorate the yule log cake in the last post. They are made with a vanilla cookie dough and vanilla glaze and are glued together with melted chocolate or extra whipped chocolate ganache that was used to frost the yule log cake. Aren't they cute?! Pretty tasty too!
The cookie itself is made from a simple vanilla sugar cookie type dough. Paired with the melted dark chocolate the flavor reminds me of a Milano cookie.
I think these are perfect for the winter holiday season. Just imagine the smiles they would bring to your holiday cookie box recipients. They are also perfect woodland decorations for a festive yule log cake.
The cookie dough needs to chill a bit and can be made the night/day ahead, which is nice for planning out your holiday baking schedule. I like to make varying sizes of the mushroom caps and stems so they have an organic natural feel like you’ve just picked them from the forest floor.
To shape the caps simply rolled the dough into balls in your hands. Gently press them on the baking sheet to make a flat bottom. They will puff up into domes when baked.
The stems are shaped by rolling pieces of dough into varying sizes of logs, some short and wide, some skinny and long. They will flatten out a bit on the bottom side when baked but still give a rounded stem effect. Make a few extra stems in case one of them breaks.
It's important to scoop out the caps while they are still hot, just out of the oven, or they will be too firm and will crack if you try to do it after they have cooled.
I like the effect of dipping them in a vanilla glaze followed by a light dusting of cocoa powder created. You can get creative here. Dip them in red-colored white chocolate and top with white pearl sugar or sprinkles to look like toadstools. Or dip them in melted chocolate and top them with chopped nuts if you like.
I used some of the extra whipped coconut milk ganache to stick the stems to the caps when I made the yule log cake. For this batch, I used melted chocolate. Just simply melt some dark chocolate and dip the bottom of the caps into it then turn them upside down and attach the stems. If the melted chocolate is very liquid the stems might lean or fall over, but as the chocolate starts to set just stick them back upright and they will stay in place.
The ganache was a little neater than the melted chocolate but I don't mind rustic decoration. You might have some little drips and smudges with the melted chocolate.
How to Make Mushroom Cookies
Step 1: Make the Vanilla Sugar Cookie Dough
Start by sifting the flour, powdered sugar, and baking powder together and set the mixture aside. Cream together the butter, vanilla, and salt in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Then add the egg and mix until it is evenly combined.
Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and mix them together starting out at low speed then medium speed until the dough comes together into a ball for about 2 minutes. The dough should be soft but not sticky. If it is sticky then mix in more flour by the tablespoon until the right consistency is reached.
Form the dough into a disc and wrap it in parchment paper then refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes. At this stage, the dough can be chilled overnight or frozen to use later.
Step 2: Form the mushroom cookie caps and stems
Preheat the oven to 350˚F/175˚C and line 1 half-sheet pan and 1 quarter sheet pan with parchment paper. Unwrap the dough and divide it into 2 pieces, one about ⅔ of the dough and the other about ⅓.
Working with the larger piece of dough divide it into 12-15 pieces and roll them into balls between your palms. I like to do varying sizes, some smaller and some larger so that I will have different-sized mushroom caps.
Arrange the balls of cookie dough on the half sheet pan and gently press them with your palm. Bake this tray at 350˚F/175˚C for about 8-10 minutes until the cookies puff up and the bottoms just start to turn golden brown.
While the mushroom caps bake shape the stems. Hand-shape pieces of the remaining dough to make the mushroom stems. I like to make them in different lengths and thicknesses. Arrange the stems on the quarter sheet pan.
When the caps are done take them out of the oven and place the tray of stems in the oven and bake for 6-8 minutes until they are puffed and the bottoms just start to turn golden brown.
While the mushroom caps are still warm scoop out the center of their bottoms with a ¼ teaspoon. This must be done as they come out of the oven and are still warm or they will become too firm as they cool and will crack.
Remove the stems from the oven when they are done and transfer them to a cooling rack.
Step 3: Decorate and Attach the Mushroom Cookies
Mix the glaze ingredients together in a small bowl. The glaze should have a thin/runny consistency. Dip the top of the caps into the glaze and place them on a cooling rack to let the glaze drip down the sides.
Before the glaze has set, gently dust cocoa powder over the caps through a small sieve/strainer. Let the glaze set fully then dip the bottom of the caps into the melted chocolate and place them chocolate side up on the cooling rack.
Fill the scooped out centers with more melted chocolate and stick in the stems. The stems may fall over if the chocolate is very liquid. Just set them back up and as the chocolate cools and sets the stems will stay upright.
Once the chocolate has set the cookies are ready. Serve and enjoy!
Tips for Making Mushroom Cookies
Weigh the ingredients
I always recommend using a kitchen scale to weigh ingredients when baking. It is the most accurate way to bake and ensures that you will get the correct results from any recipe.
Use a Thermometer
Because all ovens are different it is always a good idea to use an oven thermometer so you know the true temperature of your oven. They are inexpensive and widely available.
Scoop the cookies while they are warm
It's important to scoop out the center of the mushroom cookie caps as soon as they come out of the oven and are still warm or they will become too firm as they cool and will crack.
Make ahead
The cookie dough can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 3 days before forming the cookies. The dough can also be frozen for up to 6 months and thawed in the refrigerator before proceeding with the recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Can these be made vegan?
I have not tried making a gluten-free version of this recipe yet but it should be possible. Try swapping the butter with a vegan butter alternative and the egg with a vegan egg replacer. The milk in the glaze can be replaced with an equal amount of non-dairy milk.
Can I make it gluten-free?
I have not tried making a gluten-free version of this recipe yet but it should be possible. Try swapping the all-purpose flour with an equal amount of 1-1 gluten-free flour like Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour.
For more delicious holiday cookies check out these recipes:
- Molded Gingerbread Cookies
- Vegan Rugelach Cookies
- Gingerbread Houses
- egan Apricot and Raspberry Jam Kolache (Kołaczki) Cookies
- Vegan Vanilla Crescent Cookies (Vanilkové Rohlíčky / Vanillekipferl)
Love this recipe?
If you made my Mushroom Cookies recipe I would love to hear your feedback! Please leave a star-rating review of the recipe and let me know what you think in a comment below. This small act is a great way to show your support for the food blogs you read and love.
Please tag me in your photos on Instagram so I can see your creations. I might miss it if you only tag me in the caption because those notifications fall off quickly, but I can always find it if I’m tagged in the photo itself.
Happy baking!
xx Kaity
Vanilla and Chocolate Mushroom Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 180 g 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 90 g ¾ cup powdered sugar, sifted
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- 70 g 5 tablespoons softened butter or plant butter
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg at room temperature
Glaze
- 60 g ½ cup powdered sugar
- 4 teaspoons milk or non-dairy milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- cocoa powder for dusting
- 140 g 5 oz. dark chocolate, melted
Instructions
- Sift flour, powdered sugar, and baking powder together set aside.
- Cream together butter, vanilla, and salt in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, about 1 minute.
- Add the egg and beat to combine for about 1 minute.
- Add the sifted dry ingredients and mix on low then medium speed until the dough comes together into a ball, about 2 minutes. The dough should be soft but not sticky. If it is sticky then mix in more flour by the tablespoon until the right consistency is reached.
- Form the dough into a disc and wrap it in parchment paper then refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes. At this stage, the dough can be chilled overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F/175˚C and line 1 half-sheet pan and 1 quarter sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Unwrap the dough and divide it into 2 pieces, one about ⅔ of the dough and the other about ⅓.
- Working with the larger piece of dough divide it into 12-15 pieces and roll them into balls between your palms. I like to do varying sizes, some smaller and some larger so that I will have different sized mushroom caps.
- Arrange the balls of cookie dough on the half sheet pan and gently press them with your palm.
- Bake this tray at 350˚F/175˚C for about 8-10 minutes until the cookies puff up and the bottoms just start to turn golden brown.
- While the mushroom caps bake shape the stems. Hand-shape pieces of the remaining dough to make the mushroom stems. I like to make them different lengths and thicknesses. Arrange the stems on the quarter sheet pan.
- When the caps are done take them out of the oven and place the tray of stems in the oven and bake for 6-8 minutes until they are puffed and the bottoms just start to turn golden brown.
- While the mushroom caps are still warm scoop out the center of their bottoms with a ¼ teaspoon. This must be done as they come out of the oven and are still warm or they will become too firm as they cool and will crack.
- Remove the stems from the oven when they are done and transfer them to a cooling rack.
- Mix the glaze ingredients together in a small bowl. The glaze should have a thin/runny consistency
- Dip the top of the caps into the glaze and place them on a cooling rack to let the glaze drip down the sides.
- Before the glaze has set, gently dust cocoa powder over the caps through a small sieve/strainer.
- Let the glaze set fully then dip the bottom of the caps into the melted chocolate and place them chocolate side up on the cooling rack.
- Fill the scooped out centers with more melted chocolate and stick in the stems. The stems may fall over if the chocolate is very liquid. Just set them back up and as the chocolate cools and sets the stems will stay upright.
- Once the chocolate has set the cookies are ready. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
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Kaity Farrell says
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Nicole says
This recipe was so fun to make! My mushrooms turned out great. This is a melt in your mouth type of cookie, and the perfect accompaniment to a Yule log/stump.