As title says. I made macarons for the first time. I’m fairly happy with them.
On a few of them there’s a little bit of an air gap underneath the shell. But generally they felt the right texture, and tasted good!
Any feedback appreciated. And also ideas on how to make the next batch fancier (for gifts) and just general improvements!
by flying_sailor30
3 Comments
Great first attempt! It looks like your feet are a little spread and a little ruffled. That’s typically caused by your batter being too loose. Try whipping more or folding less, and using those key words in your google searching. I’ve also gotten big marshmallow looking feet like that when it’s humid and I have to rest them for a very long time. Which could tie back to them deflating into a weaker meringue and be the same issue as I first described, though I’m not sure.
The easiest way to make a big impact is your fillings. Getting a piping bag with a tip, or even just putting a tip in a freezer bag with the corner cut off will do a lot. Then when you pipe, leave a little space att the edge for spread when the shell is closed.
And if your buttercream breaks again like the pink one did, fill a separate bowl with hot water and dip the bottom of your frosting bowl in it for a few seconds at a time while you whip. Just be careful not to melt it. Separation or “breaking” is usually caused by your ingredients not all being room temp. If that was the cause, this is the fix.
They really look fantastic! I’d say the browning on the pink ones isn’t usually ideal, so adjust temperature or placement in the oven, and also experiment with dyes and ratios.
For fancier, I’d say getting into bolder flavoring is a good way to go or stepping outside of buttercream in general.
I’ve found a lot of easy success with sprinkling things on right when I put them down to rest for easy decoration. I really like the texture of sanding sugar or flaky salt. Regular, heat proof sprinkles and such, too. I also like to drizzle with really zippy and just pipable royal icing (just lemon juice and powdered sugar), it cuts the sweetness, it’s pretty, and you can stick on things like edible flowers, tiny pieces of dried fruits, or nuts on them.
Next, I want to try dipping or drizzling in hard caramel to see if I can get that extra layer of texture.
Thanks guys! Neither of the fillings are buttercream, they are both ganaches. But I’ll definitely take the advice on bird and try your suggestions!!