Whoever came up with the process of making macarons… count your days.
This is the most infuriating dessert making process in which every little step can be messed up and render the entire thing useless. What did i even do wrong to warrant this result???
by Weird-Emergency4481
40 Comments
gingerbreadninja1
My god thats a catastrophic fail. You honestly should be proud of that! I’ve never seen anything like that before!!! Can you describe your process and maybe we can pinpoint this issue?
Masterofnone2727
I’ve been the sole proprietor of a macaron bakery for 5 years and have literally never seen this. I’m so sorry 😭
Usually my macarons rise too quickly and fall when it’s too hot in the oven. Let us know your recipe and temperature you baked at for a better idea. Generally speaking though, your tops look awesome and don’t have explosions or cracks so that’s an achievement.
Defiant-Fuel3627
Your hatching zerglings over there
yarevande
Well, they aren’t macarons. But, do they taste good? If they do, there are several things you can do to create a dessert, including:
Ice cream or yogurt with a fruit sauce and crumbled not-macarons topping.
Crumble not-macarons and mix with custard, ice cream, or yogurt, then layer with fruit for a parfait.
Not-macarons soaked in custard, cream, or milk, then topped with chocolate sauce.
Use not-macarons in place of graham crackets for a pie crust. Key lime pie or chocolate cream pie.
bubble-buddy2
Uhhh lol. Yeah I’ve heard they’re one of the hardest things to master. Maybe use a cookie cutter??
IzzyTheBaker
They aren’t worth it
Maleficent_Isopod135
Try swiss meringue method and maybe calibrate your oven temp?
Overquat
Love you for your macaron honesty
Musicmom1164
I only made them once but they were beautiful and delicious. I live in humid TX and meringues are finicky as hell here. I was shocked mine turned out. I honestly have no clue what happened to yours. What is the stuff on the bottom??
xangogal
I’m glad you used parchment paper. That looks like it would be a pain to wash if you hadn’t.
nicoke17
Are the shells hollow? Looks like a skin formed on the outside but the inside just melted out
maflagstaff
Oh man! I have always wanted to make macarons but I live at 7000 ft altitude and have never had the nerve. Looking at this pan I’m pretty sure I never will 😬. Good try though, you’re a bigger person than I.
SaltMarshGoblin
Maybe something pavlovaish/ trifleish out if them?
throwAway333828
Watch Adam Ragusa’s video on macarons. I made them. They were great
MySpoonsAreAllGone
Do you live in a high altitude area?
m_i_r
If you don’t have a digital thermometer and experience making Italian meringue, turn back now and run away. It will only lead to further heartbreak and suffering.
Codytodie
We all have a macaron attempt that is a clear sign from god to give up on that dream. Maybe one day ill try again but i would rather bake literally anything else
staciasserlyn
You have achieved a level of wtf that some only dream of. Congratulations?! I can’t even begin to dissect how this happened for you.
ZachariasDemodica
Understandable, but consider:
“Whoever developed the process of making Parisian-style macarons: you were an absolute fanatic of a baker.”
Macarons of this kind are a very specialized version of the historic sweet, which actually has many simpler and coarser varieties (if you’re American, you might be familiar with “macaroons,” which also were made with crushed almonds before they were ever made with coconut) and these ones are kind of meant to be a step well above those and employ and demonstrate advanced skill. Plenty of modern home cooks can make them, especially with the help of modern resources, but they’re essentially the upper limit of what technique can make of egg whites and blanched almonds.
DazB1ane
Oh my, I thought that you’d just piped them onto a layer of streusel or something. Then I zoomed in
Hells_Yeaa
I’m so glad I think they’re way overrated. Sure they’re good, but the time required… that juice is NEVER worth the squeeze.
rezin44
Grind them up, add some butter, press into a cake form, make a cheese cake. I’ve used lots of other failed sweet bakes and made bangin cheese cakes
Round_Patience3029
I thought it was a new technique where you place chocolate Rice Krispies underneath
iustae
Jesus Christ 💀
Meshugugget
Hell of a foot (I think it’s just one?) you’ve established there. You should call these Tarantino’s Macarons.
Critter_Fan
What the actual fk man 😭
shedrinkscoffee
This is such an interesting failure mode, I have never seen it before. Can you describe what you did OP?
There used to be a macaron subreddit IDK if it’s active but there were good tips there
Silvanus350
What am I even looking at here?
It looks like raw dough on top of a pecan brittle, or something.
Striking_Lynx1529
Hmmm… take a look at the Sally’s Baking Addiction macaron tutorial. It’s amazing and I encourage you to read all the notes, not just the recipe. Might help you pinpoint where you got it wrong!
I’m wondering if you didn’t let the cookies sit out for long enough to set before putting them in the oven? Also do you have a thermometer in your oven to ensure that the internal temp is exactly what you set it at?
Any-Bird-3836
Omg they’re so hard to make! I tried it during the pandemic and mine ended up flat too. They were yummy but definitely didn’t look right.
LEGOMyBrick
Oh man! This is horrifying. LOL
Muted-Maximum-6817
They’re supposed to grow feet, but not legs long enough to run away.
Outside-Ad5508
It honestly looks like a tray of anthropomorphic Macarons that all had food poisoning. It’s truly unique but I am so sorry, how frustrating!
H00LIGVN
Oh no, something went macawrong. 🙁
Far_Lychee_3417
Oven too hot, so the sugar melted out. I’ve had this problem many times, especially with vegan macarons. This is a lot of melting/spreading, so I would start by dropping by 50°F/28°C. You can always let them bake longer with little consequence. Too hot, and, well…
eastcoastjon
Macawrongs
sd_saved_me555
Bro, how? Did the meringue just start weeping like crazy and give you that weird burnt sugary layer? If so, that’s like a world record for making meringue sad.
Nice try though! Meringues are definitely in my “not worth the effort” bucket, lol. You’re braver soul than I.
vexedgut
i went through 4 (all failed) attempts at making macarons and it’s just not worth it 😭
ZiaWitch
They are definitely dead if it makes you feel any better. 🤷🏽♂️
40 Comments
My god thats a catastrophic fail. You honestly should be proud of that! I’ve never seen anything like that before!!! Can you describe your process and maybe we can pinpoint this issue?
I’ve been the sole proprietor of a macaron bakery for 5 years and have literally never seen this. I’m so sorry 😭
Usually my macarons rise too quickly and fall when it’s too hot in the oven. Let us know your recipe and temperature you baked at for a better idea. Generally speaking though, your tops look awesome and don’t have explosions or cracks so that’s an achievement.
Your hatching zerglings over there
Well, they aren’t macarons. But, do they taste good? If they do, there are several things you can do to create a dessert, including:
Ice cream or yogurt with a fruit sauce and crumbled not-macarons topping.
Crumble not-macarons and mix with custard, ice cream, or yogurt, then layer with fruit for a parfait.
Not-macarons soaked in custard, cream, or milk, then topped with chocolate sauce.
Use not-macarons in place of graham crackets for a pie crust. Key lime pie or chocolate cream pie.
Uhhh lol. Yeah I’ve heard they’re one of the hardest things to master. Maybe use a cookie cutter??
They aren’t worth it
Try swiss meringue method and maybe calibrate your oven temp?
Love you for your macaron honesty
I only made them once but they were beautiful and delicious. I live in humid TX and meringues are finicky as hell here. I was shocked mine turned out. I honestly have no clue what happened to yours. What is the stuff on the bottom??
I’m glad you used parchment paper. That looks like it would be a pain to wash if you hadn’t.
Are the shells hollow? Looks like a skin formed on the outside but the inside just melted out
Oh man! I have always wanted to make macarons but I live at 7000 ft altitude and have never had the nerve. Looking at this pan I’m pretty sure I never will 😬. Good try though, you’re a bigger person than I.
Maybe something pavlovaish/ trifleish out if them?
Watch Adam Ragusa’s video on macarons. I made them. They were great
Do you live in a high altitude area?
If you don’t have a digital thermometer and experience making Italian meringue, turn back now and run away. It will only lead to further heartbreak and suffering.
We all have a macaron attempt that is a clear sign from god to give up on that dream. Maybe one day ill try again but i would rather bake literally anything else
You have achieved a level of wtf that some only dream of. Congratulations?! I can’t even begin to dissect how this happened for you.
Understandable, but consider:
“Whoever developed the process of making Parisian-style macarons: you were an absolute fanatic of a baker.”
Macarons of this kind are a very specialized version of the historic sweet, which actually has many simpler and coarser varieties (if you’re American, you might be familiar with “macaroons,” which also were made with crushed almonds before they were ever made with coconut) and these ones are kind of meant to be a step well above those and employ and demonstrate advanced skill. Plenty of modern home cooks can make them, especially with the help of modern resources, but they’re essentially the upper limit of what technique can make of egg whites and blanched almonds.
Oh my, I thought that you’d just piped them onto a layer of streusel or something. Then I zoomed in
I’m so glad I think they’re way overrated. Sure they’re good, but the time required… that juice is NEVER worth the squeeze.
Grind them up, add some butter, press into a cake form, make a cheese cake. I’ve used lots of other failed sweet bakes and made bangin cheese cakes
I thought it was a new technique where you place chocolate Rice Krispies underneath
Jesus Christ 💀
Hell of a foot (I think it’s just one?) you’ve established there. You should call these Tarantino’s Macarons.
What the actual fk man 😭
This is such an interesting failure mode, I have never seen it before. Can you describe what you did OP?
There used to be a macaron subreddit IDK if it’s active but there were good tips there
What am I even looking at here?
It looks like raw dough on top of a pecan brittle, or something.
Hmmm… take a look at the Sally’s Baking Addiction macaron tutorial. It’s amazing and I encourage you to read all the notes, not just the recipe. Might help you pinpoint where you got it wrong!
I’m wondering if you didn’t let the cookies sit out for long enough to set before putting them in the oven? Also do you have a thermometer in your oven to ensure that the internal temp is exactly what you set it at?
Omg they’re so hard to make! I tried it during the pandemic and mine ended up flat too. They were yummy but definitely didn’t look right.
Oh man! This is horrifying. LOL
They’re supposed to grow feet, but not legs long enough to run away.
It honestly looks like a tray of anthropomorphic Macarons that all had food poisoning. It’s truly unique but I am so sorry, how frustrating!
Oh no, something went macawrong. 🙁
Oven too hot, so the sugar melted out. I’ve had this problem many times, especially with vegan macarons. This is a lot of melting/spreading, so I would start by dropping by 50°F/28°C. You can always let them bake longer with little consequence. Too hot, and, well…
Macawrongs
Bro, how? Did the meringue just start weeping like crazy and give you that weird burnt sugary layer? If so, that’s like a world record for making meringue sad.
Nice try though! Meringues are definitely in my “not worth the effort” bucket, lol. You’re braver soul than I.
i went through 4 (all failed) attempts at making macarons and it’s just not worth it 😭
They are definitely dead if it makes you feel any better. 🤷🏽♂️
Hoooooooooow