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macaron question/problem

post #1 of 9
7/11/12 at 7:45pm
Thread Starter 
So i had an order for macarons today that was a complete failure. I made 7 batches and they were completely flat, lumpy, with lots of little air pockets. my question is, could it have been from the humidity? Or could it be the food coloring i was using? I had to cancel the order =( i am still learning, so any tips would be greatly appreciated!!
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post #2 of 9
7/11/12 at 8:32pm
Have you made them successfully before or was this a first attempt? I think macarons take many attempts before you can make them correct every time. Being attuned to weather (any meringue), and method (yours... the one you find that works), and the recipe. I don't think there are any shortcuts to this and that is why they are so mysterious.
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post #3 of 9
7/12/12 at 4:00am
Thread Starter 
Yes i have made them before without any problem. I actually just made a batch this past weekend that were beautiful! Thats why i cant figure out whatv the problem was =(
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post #4 of 9
7/12/12 at 4:17am
IF if is humid they don't seem to get the skin on them that they need before you bake, we had a shockingly humid weekend a few weeks ago , my friend's solution was to use a hairdryer on a low and gentle setting just to dry them out a bit before she put them in the oven , worked like a charm.
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post #5 of 9
7/12/12 at 4:44am
You might have slightly overbeaten the egg whites also. And I have had issues with adding ever so slightly too much coloring.
Answers to the most often asked questions re: SPS. SPS instructions are on Page 15 of the Sticky at the top of the Cake Decorating Forum. Supplies can be ordered from Oasis Supply, Global or BakeryCrafts.
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Answers to the most often asked questions re: SPS. SPS instructions are on Page 15 of the Sticky at the top of the Cake Decorating Forum. Supplies can be ordered from Oasis Supply, Global or BakeryCrafts.
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post #6 of 9
7/12/12 at 11:29am
Humidity according to some can play a factor. A baker makes them and she says where she works it is very humid and doesn't hurt her. But the suggestion of a dryer might help. When it is humid my shells take forever to dry so I have a fan to dry them.

Also, you may not have folded the air out correctly. I had hollows because I was too gentle when folding in my almond mix. Are you using the French or Italian method?

What food coloring do you use? Some people swear by powdered since it doesn't add moisture but I use a drop of Americolor and they turn out beautiful.
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post #7 of 9
7/12/12 at 7:57pm
I still have weather problems with them, but it gets better with practice. A baker in humid conditions adjusts. It's the changes that cause trouble. I do historic candies for museums and with the humid weather lately, I just can't do it. My wholesaler needs them, but these recipes have none of the buffers today's candies have and weather is a factor. Macarons are one of the toughest recipes to master. I'm definitely not a master yet. That's why I'm saving them for later.

You know all of those books that guarantee perfect results for macarons? I'm convinced that each author has a recipe for his/her certain method, spatula size, age of eggs, humidity, temperature, amount if arm energy, etc. There isn't just one way with those things. You really have to work at getting consistency in every condition in your space.
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post #8 of 9
7/12/12 at 8:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by scp1127


You know all of those books that guarantee perfect results for macarons? I'm convinced that each author has a recipe for his/her certain method, spatula size, age of eggs, humidity, temperature, amount if arm energy, etc. There isn't just one way with those things. You really have to work at getting consistency in every condition in your space.



I agree with each person having to find what is right for them, When I first started to make them I went through so many recipes where each person claimed to have the ultimate recipe. Well, it was perfect...but for them. I had to do a lot of trial and error to find my macaron groove.
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post #9 of 9
8/2/12 at 6:13pm
Did you figure out the issues that you were having? It really is so frustrating having a few successful batches under your belt, and having the next few fail miserably. Sometimes you just don't have an answer for what went wrong, and are left with disasters.

Did you make sure that you aged your egg whites? If not, simply put cold egg whites in the microwave for 10 seconds on medium heat. This mimics the aging process quite nicely.

It does sound that you've overmixed your batter though. But so many factors come into play. Is your digital scale accurate? Humidity, oven temps (accuracy), etc.

Let us know how you're doing!
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Macaron, Mon Amour - An Exclusive Macaron Blog
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www.macaronmonamour.com

Macaron, Mon Amour - An Exclusive Macaron Blog
Recipes, Reviews, Tips, and Tricks!
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