Macarons: Troubleshooting & Tips

[thecoffeesnob]

Hi guys,

I made a batch of macarons using a recipe that involves the Italian meringue method that has worked for me every time before. Well, except today.

I did everything as per the recipe. I recently got a new oven so i used the fan forced function to bake them for the first time (i used to use a conventional oven before) at 120C. I test baked 2 macarons just to see if the batter needed any more folding. They came out pretty decent.

Then disaster struck. With the subsequent trays of macarons (i let the remaining batter sit in the fridge while i baked one tray and piped another. and cooled each tray before reusing it), there were some that came out perfectly round, some that lost their round shape after piping and even some that had little 'eruptions'.

At first, i thought it might have been that i might have broken the skin of the macarons when swirling the colour in but it happened also with the plain macarons that i didn't touch after piping.

On the bright side, i did get a couple of shells that came out pretty okay and filled them with rose, chocolate and vanilla buttercream. And we had a good chuckle about how artistic some of the 'erupting' macarons looked- the one on the far bottom left looks like a sleeping puppy, don't you think?

Anyway any idea what happened with these little guys? Any help will totally be appreciated!

[tan319]

EGullet topic P Herme's "Macaron" book

Check out the 1st post here by Lamington, seems PH is using a bit of a different method now but since it sounds like you're using a convection oven now maybe it might be helpful?

Good luck, your macs look good!

[thecoffeesnob]

Thanks! And thanks for directing me to that post- i have to check that out and try that method.

Have a good weekend!

[lennyk]

maybe you should try drying them some more before going in the oven

I think the theory with macarons is that the crust should bake and get stiff fast in the oven so that it wont expand/crack and any

expansion will creep out from below which is what forms the "foot"

if the crust doesnt bake hard enough then the expansion inside will cause it to open up and erupt thru

[tan319]

The drying is a necessity for sure.

If you haven't checked this out yet. get ready for some reading!

eG macaron thread... HUGE!

There is a Nicole Kaplan ( Boss Pastry Chef) post that's real good ( staged at PH in Paris) and also a demo she did for eG , I should have mentioned before.

[alanamoana]

i also don't think there's a need to store the extra batter in the fridge, this might be a problem with temperature change from fridge to oven.

[tan319]

i also don't think there's a need to store the extra batter in the fridge, this might be a problem with temperature change from fridge to oven.

←

Wow, missed that!

That could kind of screw things up?

edited to add:

I stupidly neglected to mention Chef Kaplan has been named a Top 10 Pastry Chef by Pastry Art & Design Magazine twice in an above post.

Sorry 'bout that.

Edited October 3, 2008 by tan319 (log)

[RuthWells]

I have been making macarons for a few years now, and have been making LOTS of macarons lately for my new baking business, and what occurred tonight is a first for me. When baking off my trays tonight, I'm getting meringue cookies (no glossy hard top, no foot) instead of macaron shells.

I baked off several dozen earlier today with no problems, so I don't think it's an issue of the weather -- but it's been dry. The texture of the (freshly made) batter was as usual, as was my oven temp. The formula is one I've used many times before, with success. I weigh my ingredients carefully.

What the heck did I do wrong, and how can I prevent it from happening again?!

Edited June 30, 2009 by heidih (log)

[schneich]

we always had issues with our macaron shells, sometimes they were perfect, the other day they had no feet, or had a rough surface, or were hollow etc. etc. etc.

but i think ive nailed it:

its "just" the broyage (tpt, almond flour/conf. sugar mixture) that we use. since we get a special broyage just made for making macarons (atlas 50/50 parisienne) we havent had a single problem they turn out perfect every time with shiny top and everything....

cheers

t.

[Lisa Shock]

Were the pans clean? I've been sabotaged by other employees not washing the grease completely off pans...

[gfron1]

its "just" the broyage (tpt, almond flour/conf. sugar mixture) that we use. since we get a special broyage just made for making macarons (atlas 50/50 parisienne) we havent had a single problem they turn out perfect every time with shiny top and everything....

←

Does anyone know if there is an equivalent to this being sold in the US?

[RuthWells]

Were the pans clean? I've been sabotaged by other employees not washing the grease completely off pans...

←

The Silpats were clean, yes. I'm going to chalk it up to a full moon, as the subsequent batch later that same evening were perfect. !!!!!!!!

[cakemuse]

ARGH! Can not get a consistent result with macarons. First couple of times, all was well. Last few batches look like the inserted photo - they split almost in half.

Have tried:

Egg whites aged for a few days

Egg whites not aged

Great mixture of almonds, powder sugar w/wo cocoa - sifted

Egg whites are not over whipped

Leaving the macarons to sit for 20 minutes before baking (and have tried putting directly into oven, re David Leibovitz recipe with a high temp of 375 F)

Baking at a lower temps (up to 310 F degrees).

I have read the great thread on macarons. I think my photo says it better than words.

I know this batter is a bit dry - but even when it isn't, sometimes the same result.

Thanks for any advice!

[Fredzo]

I feel your pain! I've tried French meringue and Italian meringue with difficulty reproducing the results. My issue is getting voids in the macaroons.

Something I didn't see mentioned in your post was nesting the baking pans. I've found nesting the pan with the macaroons inside another helps to get consistent results.

Good luck.

[JeanneCake]

Does anyone know if there is an equivalent to this being sold in the US?

←

I was looking at pastrychef.com for colored sugar pearls and they have a macaron mix from Patisfrance. It's $80 for an 11 pound bag.

[cakemuse]

I feel your pain!  I've tried French meringue and Italian meringue with difficulty reproducing the results.  My issue is getting voids in the macaroons.

Something I didn't see mentioned in your post was nesting the baking pans.  I've found nesting the pan with the macaroons inside another helps to get consistent results.

Good luck.

←

Fredzo -

Not quite sure what you mean -- nest one pan inside another or??

Thanks...

[lamington]

Cakemuse, it's difficult to diagnose, but from the photo I'd guess the heat below the pan was a little weak (outward ooze of batter). As the batter was too thick, it's hard to troubleshoot the final shell. It also sounds like you're using French meringue technique which is always less predictable than Italian meringue technique (though it doesn't remove the risk of tears and frustration either).

[Fredzo]

What I mean is you use two baking pans. Pipe the macaroons onto one pan and then place that pan inside the second so they're stacked, or nested. Apparently this moderates the heat on the bottom of the pan with the macaroons on it.

This method has helped me get more consistent feet on my macaroons.

[cakemuse]

Cakemuse, it's difficult to diagnose, but from the photo I'd guess the heat below the pan was a little weak (outward ooze of batter). As the batter was too thick, it's hard to troubleshoot the final shell. It also sounds like you're using French meringue technique which is always less predictable than Italian meringue technique (though it doesn't remove the risk of tears and frustration either).

←

Thanks, Lamington.

Yes, have been using the French technique. On to the Italian with high spirits and optimism.

Frezdo, got it - I will keep the pan trick in mind as well.

Thanks to you both!

[lennyk]

Have you read Duncan's website ?

Italian with syrup at 240 is the only way to go

your batter has to be folded to a smooth flowing consistency.

it should be loose enough so that if you rap the sheet below with your hand they will smooth out the tops, even the little tail from when the piping tip is pulled away.

They should dry to touch within 20 mins and spring back when touched with a finger, if not dried to touch then results will be unpredictable.

I dont use double sheets, single sheet with silpat.

The rack height makes a difference,

I used to do 2 sheets in the middle 2 racks and would have to rotate after 5 mins otherwise one would cook a lot faster

I now use the top 2 racks and do not have to rotate at all.

good luck

[cakemuse]

Have you read Duncan's website ?

Italian with syrup at 240 is the only way to go

your batter has to be folded to a smooth flowing consistency.

it should be loose enough so that if you rap the sheet below with your hand they will smooth out the tops, even the little tail from when the piping tip is pulled away.

They should dry to touch within 20 mins and spring back when touched with a finger, if not dried to touch then results will be unpredictable.

I dont use double sheets, single sheet with silpat.

The rack height makes a difference,

I used to do 2 sheets in the middle 2 racks and would have to rotate after 5 mins otherwise one would cook a lot faster

I now use the top 2 racks and do not have to rotate at all.

good luck

←

Thanks again! And no, did not know that was Duncan writing! Have just visited Syrup and Tang and will read on.

Hey, Duncan - cheers!

[hansjoakim]

I'm a complete newbie when it comes to macs, but I had a pretty successful first attempt at making them earlier today:

As pointed out above, I've read that many think an Italian meringue is best to get the most predictable results. However, I had just read Helen's article about macarons in Desserts Magazine, where the French method is described, so I opted for that for my first iteration. Also, I don't find almond flour in stores around here, so I ground blanched almonds with powdered sugar as finely as my food processor will let me. I believe for that reason the shells are a bit uneven. I used a recipe for completely plain macs, and let them dry out for 30 mins., before baking them in a convection oven @ 155 degrees Celsius with the door slightly ajar the entire time, for roughly 9 minutes. They were baked on a perforated sheet pan (no double/triple panning). I was very careful with not overmixing the batter, but I think I could've given it a few more folds. But, from what I've read, rather undermix than overmix...

Although they clicked for me this time, I'm partly ascribing that to beginner's luck

There are so many variables floating around here, that I'm guessing they'll crack on me next time...

Edited July 1, 2009 by hansjoakim (log)

[cakemuse]

OK, success with Italian macaron method. Not completely satisfied but at least I'm moving in the right direction.

The finished ones are not particularly shiny on top. I think the foot could be better.

I also need to invest in a macro lens.

Thanks all for a point in the right macaron direction. Duncan, I'll be keeping up with your, well, everything!

[lennyk]

nice results, I also grind the almonds myself with the icing sugar.

Its a little work as you have to sift them and then put back the large pieces back in the processor and make sure it has enough sugar so they don't bind.

Dry them in the oven first before grinding by turning on the oven at 300 and then put them in on a sheet and turn off the oven and leave for a couple hours.

You will get the hang of how much to fold and your preference on how tall, the thicker(less fold) the more likely for them to be taller.

[jgarner53]

When it comes to the baking, I made a small batch (plain) and piped out a few macs per sheet tray, baking each one separately, testing different oven temps, oven door cracked open vs. left closed, etc, position in the oven, everything. It was the only way I could eliminate the oven as a source of any problems.

My main problem with the Italian method is not getting the syrup stuck to the side of the mixer bowl. If I have a helper (aka my husband) who can hold the bowl while I whisk in the syrup by hand, it comes out perfect. Otherwise, so far I've stuck with the French method - no assistant required.