Japanese Mushroom Garden With Candy

Matcha, yuzu, and chocolate..... delicious! This mushroom candy garden made from Japanese sweets is adorable and delicious.

Ingredients~

• 5 Meiji mushroom chocolates
• 3 Yuzu candy drops ~ https://www.instructables.com/Yuzu-Candy-Drops/
• 5 Candied and coated in sugar yuzu peels (plus more for the garden border) ~
• https://www.instructables.com/Candied-and-Coated-i...

• 5 Strong matcha kit kats
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 5 tablespoons water

Prepare a wooden cutting board with a piece of parchment paper cut to size on top.

Combine the 1/2 cup of sugar and 5 tablespoons of water in a small pot on medium heat. DONT STIR. When the sugar mixture is at 300F on a candy thermometer or hard crack stage remove the pot from heat.

If you have a candy thermometer you can know the mixture is done at 300F. A candy thermometer is not necessary for knowing when the mixture is done. No need to go buy one! You can use the cold water method, which is when you take a spoonful of the scorching mixture and dip it in water with lots of ice. Does the mixture quickly turn brittle and crack when you try to mold it? If so it is done, and at hard crack stage. Hard crack is the stage for brittle, lollis, and hand candies.

The cold water method: https://www.thespruceeats.com/making-candy-without...

Let the sugar sit in the pot until just hot enough you can pick out a piece and mold it the the bottom of the Meiji chocolate mushrooms to make stands. On the parchment covered wooden cutting board place the mushrooms with sugar stands to the sides.

Unwrap 5 matcha KitKats (I use strong matcha KitKats). Snap them in half. Now place them in a food processor and pulse until crumbly and moss sized in the picture.

Pour your matcha moss onto the parchment covered wooden cutting board then spread and flatten it out. Place the 5 Meiji chocolate mushrooms with sugar stands in a semi~circle. Place 3 yuzu candy drops as stepping stones going into the mushroom semi~circle. And around the outside of the mushrooms place the slivers of candied yuzu peels upright into the moss. Finally place more candied yuzu peels on the border laying down in the picture. Serve with a spoon. Chow down!