Macarons: Troubleshooting & Tips

[Lisa Shock]

Could be: overbeaten egg whites, resting too long, oven temp too high. Do you have an oven thermometer inside the oven?

[pastrygirl]

On 4/9/2017 at 2:22 PM, Lam said:

They're actually not underbaked. I have had a batch of wrinkled macarons before and they all have a soft texture when warm, but after they cool they become extremely chewy. 

 

So then how do you determine the baking time and when they are "done"?  If the interior of the cookie is too moist, of course that moisture will soften the crisp outer shell. Seriously, another minute or two in the oven might be all you need. 

[Merry Berry]

Sorry it took so long to post this.  I had to upload it to youtube.  Hope it is all right to link things here.  If not, I will take it down. Hope it helps.

 

 

[Bentley]

Making macarons via the French method always has a random component to it in my view.  Sometimes the stars just don't align and you can never figure out why a batch did something odd.   COuld be the humidity in the air or the peculiarities of a batch of egg whites or inconsistency in the grind of the almond flour or variations in oven temperatures or over or under mixing....you get the idea.  

I switched to the Italian method (meringue made using a hot sugar syrup) and get much more consistent results. It is not any more difficult and is much more forgiving.  The texture of the cookie is slightly cakier perhaps, but after a night in the fridge, it has the perfect moist chewiness that people expect.

[Merry Berry]

Yes, I understand, to each their own.  I tell my students all the time, many times, there is more than one way to get to your final result and sometimes no one way is the "right" way as long as it works for you and you can make money on it.  

 

I personally do not like the extra steps involved with the Italian method since time is precious in the kitchen.  But if it works, why mess with it?  Although I am always trying to tinker with my techniques and recipes trying to find a better and faster way.  Who knows, one day I might convert to the Italian meringue method haha.

 

MB

[Kerry Beal]

Ok hive mind - thoughts on low humidity in the production of macaron. A room with 25 to 30% RH instead of the 45 to 50% which most kitchens in Canada would probably be operating at. Do you think it would have an effect on the finished product?

 

 

[teonzo]

The croutage will be faster, this is not a problem at all.

If you leave your almond flour bag opened for quite some time (hopefully it's not the case) then it will tend to get a bit drier, so it's possible you will need to add a small amount of egg whites to the usual ratio of the almond + sugar + egg whites mixture (if you use the Italian meringue method).

Can't think about other possible differences.

 

 

 

Teo

 

[Kerry Beal]

10 minutes ago, teonzo said:

The croutage will be faster, this is not a problem at all.

If you leave your almond flour bag opened for quite some time (hopefully it's not the case) then it will tend to get a bit drier, so it's possible you will need to add a small amount of egg whites to the usual ratio of the almond + sugar + egg whites mixture (if you use the Italian meringue method).

Can't think about other possible differences.

 

 

 

Teo

 

Thanks Teo.

[BooBear]

I never understood the hype behind macarons until today. My first macaron was rose flavored. It tasted and smelled like soap.

 

Anyway, today my nan came by with macarons because I hoped that they would taste as delicious as others said that macarons tasted. I got to taste 3 flavors. Tea flavored, raspberry/strawberry (not sure), and salted caramel.

 

After giving macarons another chance, I feel satisfied. They were everything I hoped they would be. Delicious. I will definitely be eating them again.

 

Please share your experiences with the macaron.

[kayb]

If you live near an Aldi, they carry boxed macarons in the freezer case. They’re not bakery quality, but at $4.99 a dozen, they’re not bad.

 

I love ‘em. Have had homemade ones (made by a friend); the flavor/texture was there, but they were a bit flat. Also, he filled his with jam. I prefer buttercream.

[blue_dolphin]

Hey @BooBear, you mentioned elsewhere liking to research things.  Did you know that this site has a Search function?  Yes, indeed!  If you search for Macaron and specify that term appears in the title, you'll find several great threads where members may have already shared the info you're asking for.

 

Have you already read through these topics? 

Macarons: Troubleshooting & Tips

Macarons - Baking

Macaron: the good and the bad

I'd like to learn to make macarons

...and about 40 others!

 

[BooBear]

25 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:

Hey @BooBear, you mentioned elsewhere liking to research things.  Did you know that this site has a Search function?  Yes, indeed!  If you search for Macaron and specify that term appears in the title, you'll find several great threads where members may have already shared the info you're asking for.

 

Have you already read through these topics? 

Macarons: Troubleshooting & Tips

Macarons - Baking

Macaron: the good and the bad

I'd like to learn to make macarons

...and about 40 others!

 

 

Thanks. I'll be reading those threads now. Whenever I want to make something I get obsessive. I'm not sure if making macarons are worth the trouble though.

[Kerry Beal]

1 hour ago, BooBear said:

 

Thanks. I'll be reading those threads now. Whenever I want to make something I get obsessive. I'm not sure if making macarons are worth the trouble though.

You aren't a true eG obsessive if you don't try!

[BeeZee]

I took a class on how to make macarons at Sur la Table in February 2020, just before everything shut down. Whether you think they are "worth the trouble" depends on how you look at them - triumph of technique merged with proper balance of flavor in a small bite...or a fussy little cookie. I found the process fascinating, and given more free time, I'd like to do more experimentation. As you noted on your first taste, the incorrect use of a flavoring can leave one wondering what the hype is about. When I've had ones with well-balanced and creative flavors, combined with the properly textured shell, I found them a joy to experience. I'm predisposed to small bites, so the concept fits my preferences.

[weinoo]

1 hour ago, BeeZee said:

As you noted on your first taste, the incorrect use of a flavoring can leave one wondering what the hype is about. 

Might be said about lots of different foods.

[Cornford1936]

 

Recipe attached. Italian meringe method. 60 g whites, 120 g sugar, syrup at 120°C.

Macaronage to ribbon stage.

Oven stable at 150°C (analog thermometer).

Result: lateral blowouts, intact central dome.

Initial hypothesis: overmacaronage, but I am uncertain whether the failure originates at batter stage or oven stage.

Note: Italian meringue built with 60 g whites. After initial macaronage I incorporated 5 g additional raw white to loosen the batter. Oven entry 150°C (verified with analog thermometer).

Conventional gas oven, no fan.

Am I misreading the structural failure?”

I have repeated this process over several months with similar lateral blowouts.

At this point I am trying to determine whether this is a common stage in mastering macarons, or if I am consistently misidentifying the failure mechanism.

[JeanneCake]

I've only ever used the Italian meringue  method; and I've only ever used a convection oven (low fan).

 

Are you letting  your piped shells dry before baking?  For how long?

 

Have you tried baking on  parchment paper instead of the silpat?

 

Herme's method (also Italian meringue) uses some of the aged egg whites in with the TPT so perhaps that could be an option for you to try.  Are you using aged whites or freshly separated whites? Or the whites that come in a carton?

 

I would change one thing at a time.  First I would try the parchment because I've definitely had better results using parchment instead of silpat.

 

Let us know how things progress....

[Alleguede]

Hi,

 

can you send your whole recipe and method?

 

it looks like your meringue is the problem at first glance

[pastrygirl]

17 hours ago, JeanneCake said:

First I would try the parchment because I've definitely had better results using parchment instead of silpat.

 

And I always use silpat, I think the batter spreads more evenly 🤷‍♀️

 

Agree that egg whites need to 'age' and the batter needs to dry. 

 

Adding additional non-whipped egg white might be part of the problem.  Good luck!