I’ve been baking macarons for a while, and I am having a problem with consistently hollow tops that compromise the integrity of my macarons. This is one of my only issues other than toasting.
Everything else about my macarons is pretty much perfect save the hollow tops and toasting, which I believe is a byproduct of trying to get full shells and experimenting with different oven settings. They always hold their shape, have feet and smooth tops.
Yes, I have filled my macarons and let them mature, it never solves the hollow problem
For my process I used a Pies & Tacos recipe:
105of almond flour
105g of powdered sugar
100g of egg whites (from a carton)
100g of granulated sugar
About 3g of meringue powder
I sterilized everything that the egg whites touch with vinegar
I double sifted the almond flour and powdered sugar (I didn’t process it because I didn’t want the oils released from the almond flour.
I used a double boiler and stirred my egg whites and granulated sugar until no grain remained; then I put it in my kitchen aid mixer, mixing on low for 30 seconds, medium for 2 minutes and then medium-high until soft peaks formed. When soft peaks formed I added my gel food colouring. I continued until my peaks were stiff like the picture.
For my macaron batter, I used the J-mixing method until it flowed nicely in a ribbon. I also heard that my batter should be able to flow and incorporate back into itself within about 10 seconds, so I aimed for that.
I used a piping tip and piped at 90 degrees, I tapped the trays and popped the bubbles with a toothpick. I then let them dry for about 30 minutes.
I have a Samsung oven, which I hate. I didn’t use convection. I set it to about 280 degrees Fahrenheit, I found that the recommended 300-315 ended with my macarons TOASTED. When I baked them, I baked them for about 22 minutes, turning halfway through.
Please give advice, I have no idea what I’m doing wrong and it’s driving me insane.
by Squagetron5000
6 Comments
Wow, I have the exact same problem using swiss method and it’s driving me crazy, I’ve tried everything and don’t understand why they are hollow. Sorry, I don’t have any new information to give you, just wanted to let you know you’re not alone 😅
It’s hard to tell. It looks like you did nearly everything you can.
Usually the reasons for hollow shell are over beating or too high of a temperature so you can try adjusting that a bit lower.
Also why are you using the swiss method? If there’s no particular reason. You could use French. It’s the easiest. Much less effort and people are going to be more experienced and will give you better advice. I think a vast majority of people use it.
I also frequently use the pies and tacos recipe and always have hollow tops. So I’m curious if there are any answers
Just use French method y’all! You’ve gotta believe!
i read her trouble shooting guide on hollow shells. she seems to indicate that that is normal to have what you showed? have you gone through her article https://www.piesandtacos.com/hollow-macarons/
I personally am not a fan of pies and tacos recipe. I had a lot of issues with it, tried troubleshooting, and felt i always had problems.
I do suggest the French method. But check out bake toujours youtube video. It’s the most consistent recipe and method I’ve seen to date. Been making macarons on a daily basis for over 4 years.