[apologies if this formatting here is garbage, i can’t use reddit on mobile to save my life but here i am]
i felt like a pro at macs for.. well maybe the last year. i could whip out perfect batches in no time. this last week has been testing me. every batch has sticky bottoms, even if i pop them in the fridge for a range of times (freezer does not have enough room; i’ve done 5 mins, 30 mins, hours due to forgetting.. i’ve never had to do this before to get them to pop off clean in the past, though), most batches will also be speckled and the color won’t be as vibrant. not anything crazy for people who don’t regularly bake them—my partner didn’t even notice browning when i once again tried today—but it’s driving me INSANE because i KNOW i can make better ones. my equipment is the same, i wipe down mats/mixer/bowls/whisks with white vinegar every time, my recipe is the same, technique is the same. i use the swiss method and usually use recipes along the lines of pies and tacos recipes in terms of ratios (100g egg whites, 100g gran sugar, 105g almond flour, 105g powdered sugar, pinch o’ cream of tartar, occasionally extracts which have also remained unchanged)
the only thing i can really think is super different is my almond flour, but i believe i upgraded? i was working with a stash of kirkland brand almond flour i had for a while, i’ve since switched to blue diamond since we don’t have a costco nearby. but i did have good results from this one before? i don’t put it in a food processor before sifting, either.
i’ve played with oven temps/bake time to no avail (usually did 305F on my oven thermometer for 13 mins, no rotation needed; have now played with lowering by 5 degree increments up and down, checking baking by feel to try and get a good grasp on how they’re doing after 12-13 mins) and we keep track of humidity at our place with a humidistat and dehumidifier for these summer months and it usually sticks around 40% in the kitchen, and i dry them by feel and not by time.
i guess my biggest issue is the bottoms sticking to the mat. i did have a few batches without any speckling/browning with this round of flour, even while letting them cool for an extended period of time both in and out of the fridge they remain sticky.
all this being said, what are my next troubleshooting steps? is there a certain oven temp/bake time i should aim for next? i’m running out of ideas and i love making these when they actually go right, i can’t justify all the fails i’ve had lately haha
pics include today’s attempt- sticky bottom, slight speckling, a little browning, not super vivid. even the color/specks i could live with, it’s the sticky bottoms that are literally going to drive me to insanity. i’ve always used these mats and trays, always wipe them down good… anyways, also included a box i did of 100 recently for an event order cuz i think i peaked there. feet may not be perfect but they rose and aren’t spread so i could care less about that part haha.
tysm for reading and any help!
by oli_pop
6 Comments
bottom sticking? It’s usually because it’s under baked or if humidity is higher than usual.
can you order the costco almond flour online and at least rule out that it’s the almond flour?also are u using same nonstick mat as before? also i dont understand what you mean by you stick it in the fridge? why would you ever put unbaked macs in the fridge?!! also your cook time seems very little… the least amount of time i have ever baked macs where 18 min … try increasing cook time
Sticky bottom is typically due to underbaking and speckled tops due to oily almond flour. I always use Blue Diamond and very rarely have that issue. Maybe try drying it out in the oven a bit first?
Ok we are living the same life right now.
I too felt like I really nailed down my macarons, they always turned out great and had the most beautiful and vibrant colors.
Now? Dull colored. Browned no matter what temp I try to change it to. Sticking to the mats virtually every time. And the speckling. Omg the hideous speckling!
I too feel like I’m going insane. I’ve tried different temps, different positions in the oven, trays above the baking macs, flipped over trays to lift them. I went and bought a brand new bag of a different brand of almond flour and made one batch and it had no speckling and I thought “Yes! I found the problem!” Made another batch about 12 hours later with the new flour and I couldn’t believe it, the speckling and soft tops were back.
I am so sad because my favorite thing about baking macarons is the beauty of their colors and shine. But lately mine look so dull it feels like what’s the point?
SOMEONE HELP US GET OUR MACS BACK!
It definitely sounds like your almond flour is the culprit and, similarly, I had issues with Blue Diamond. The speckling you describe is a classic sign that the almond flour is too greasy, which would also make your macarons more wet than they want to be; thus you have an underdone bottom. Are your shells brittle as well? My personal favorite brand is the Publix Greenwise Almond Flour, but if you don’t live in the southeast it might be hard to find. A lot of people on here have had success with baking almond flour at a low temp to dry it out. I also find that storing your almond flour in the fridge helps prevent the oils from leaching. From my experience…sometimes you just get an oily bag. And when that happens, that bag becomes the almond flour I use for other not so temperamental recipes, like tart dough or frangipane, and I just go buy a new bag for my macarons. Best of luck.
This would always happen to me when I used silicone mats, I had to bake until they started browning to get them where they wouldn’t stick. The batches where I piped onto parchment using the mats as a template wouldn’t stick, I’m assuming because they were on the metal tray the bottoms cooked more than they do on a mat. My parchment tended to want to curl and sometimes would distort the circle shape during transfer. I don’t have a solution but just something to consider.