How do you know when macaronage is done?
Bake at 140 degrees for 12 minutes or until firm enough to peel of the mat.
Q: When should I stop folding? A: You want to see a batter that is starting to look flowy and shiny. There should also be an absence of big air pockets when you press down on the batter. Ensure that the batter passes the "Figure-8" test which you can see here.
If you have a very thick macaron batter it is possible that the batter is too dry. Try adding more egg whites to improve the batter consistency.
It should take up to one minute. Once you succeed in taking these tests, stop mixing immediately to avoid your batter getting too runny. There is nothing to do with overmixed batter to make it thicker so be very careful. Once your macaron batter will flow, as shown above, it is done and ready for piping!
My batter is too thin/runny. What happened/what should I do? You may have forgotten to age your egg whites, or perhaps you underbeat them, or you let the beaten egg whites rest for too long before incorporating the almond/sugar mixture (beaten egg whites deflate quickly).
Maturing macarons means to let the filled macaron sandwiches rest in the fridge overnight (or longer) before serving. During this period, the macarons will go through a hydration process, the shells will absorb the moisture of the filling, which will change the texture and overall flavor of the macarons.
You can store your macarons in the fridge for up to 7 weeks and they will still taste fresh and none of the ingredients will have gone off or taste different. Even though you can store your macarons at ambient temperature, storing your macarons in the fridge does keep them fresher.
What Happens If You Let Macarons Rest Too Long? If you leave macarons on the counter for too long before baking them, they will deflate and bake unevenly. Because of uneven heat, the most common cause of asymmetrical macarons is an overheated buttercream.
Macarons sticking to the paper indicates that your macarons are not fully baked. The process of baking your macarons is really more like "drying out" the cookie, so if they are still sticking and not slipping off your tray, your cookies need more baking time in the oven, probably another 5-7 mins.
If you let macarons dry too long, they will become overcooked and will have a hard, crunchy texture. The longer you let them dry, the more likely they are to become overcooked.
What happens when you overcook macarons?
Tops of macaron shells can become browned if the baking temperature is too high or it's too close to the heat source. It's very important to control the oven temperature properly to achieve the desired results.
Not baking the macarons long enough may cause them to be too gooey on the inside and not have the top be attached to the bottom. This is an easy fix, bake the macarons until they are fully baked. To know when the macarons are done baking, wiggle one shell and if it jiggles continue to bake it.
Soft and chewy in the middle but crisp on the outside. The way you make macaron shells is different than other cookies too. You don't use any baking powder or even flour (yes they are gluten-free)! Macarons get all their lift from whipped meringue which is then carefully folded into the almond flour and powdered sugar.
