My macarons keep failing epically
I baked in two batches , the first batch was baaaaad it stuck to the mat completely
The second time i let it rest for longer, around 20 minutes more i got some itty bitty feet but it still cracked
The receipe i used is this
Shells:*
- 95g almond flour (finely ground, sifted)
- 95g powdered sugar
- 14g unsweetened cocoa powder
- 36g egg whites (for almond paste)
- 36g egg whites (for meringue)
- 95g granulated sugar
- 24ml water
by Ferdaouuseah
5 Comments
I’m making some assumptions here based on the ingredient list because you don’t have the instructions written out.
Why are you adding water? That’s completely unnecessary. There is also no need to split your egg whites. Almond Paste?
The basics of a macaron is a stiff meringue mixed with almond flour and powdered sugar. This recipe seems to be over complicating things and straying from a true macaron.
I highly recommend the Preppy Kitchen recipe. You can make it chocolate macarons by adding 10-15g of cocoa powder to the almond flour/powdered sugar mix. Personally I would try to master plain shells first because cocoa powder itself can cause issues as well.
Honestly I find French meringue macarons easier, maybe give that a try?
Are you heating up the water and sugar, then adding to your meringue? If so, that’s the Italian method.
Please post your entire recipe so we have more information to help you troubleshoot.
Like others have said, having the instructions as well would be helpful. To me your ratio might be off, or you need to dry longer. I use the swiss method and I definitely dry for more than 20 mins.
Italian is more stable, but also more difficult. You might want to search the sub for others using the Italian method.
1. That’s a lot of cocoa compared to your other ingredients. What type of cocoa do you use? When using it in macaron recipes, cheaper, low quality cocoa powder is surprisingly better, because it has less fat.
2. This is… Not that much egg white. Where’s the recipe from? I once tried to make the recipe from the Ferrandi pastry book and it also had a surprisingly low egg white to dry ingredient ratio, that I was not able to make work. I think part of it is that this version is very scaled down compared to the quantities they usually use.
3. How’s your oven? This is an Italian meringue recipe. One of the benefits of that kind of recipe is you supposedly don’t have to let them rest on the counter before popping them in the oven. Those work best in convention ovens, which I don’t have. If you bake in a standard oven, they’ll generally be more lopsided unless you let them rest for a while -generally more than half an hour, especially if you’re in a humid area.
4. How was your meringue? When you’re working with that little egg white and that much sugar, it can be very difficult to get actual firm stiff peaks. Especially if you’re using a stand mixer, which would have a hard time whipping that little quantity of eggs. Italian meringues are a little more flow-y/less stiff than French meringues, which don’t use a sugar syrup, but it should still be firm enough that you can take the bowl, hold it upside down, and have nothing come out.
I would recommend, if you don’t have a convection oven, using a French meringue method recipe. If you do, I’d recommend finding an Italian meringue recipe with a higher ratio of egg whites and making sure they’re at fully stiff peaks. For either, I’d recommend using less cocoa or trying a non-chocolate recipe first to get the hang of it, because chocolate macarons are more difficult than non-flavored macarons. Also get an oven thermometer to make sure you’re cooking them at the right temperature.
Good luck!