Ann Reardon

Macaron Recipe Troubleshooting FAQ Cracked, Flat, Lumpy,

 

1. Macaron Cracked

fix macaron cracked

Try rapping the trays on the bench harder or more times before cooking.
 

2. Macarons Flat or Lumpy

See the pictures below which show the results of under-mixed and over-mixed macaroon mixture.

undermixed good overmixed
fix macaron problems undermixed french macaron smooth macaron
overmixed french macaron

2. Hollow macarons

Macarons should not be hollow. This is most often caused by the oven being opened before they are cooked through or the macarons being taken out of the oven too early. The under-cooked middle drops to the base.

 

More questions see the video below:

The video answers the following frequently asked questions:
0:15 Can I have the recipe? …yes… macaron recipe
0:31 Do macarons taste better if you fill them and leave them overnight?
0:58 Do you have a nut free recipe? … yes… nut free macarons
1:38 Can I have the chocolate ganache recipe? …yes… plain ganache, ginger ganache, orange ganache
1:59 Is greaseproof paper the same as non-stick baking paper?
2:18 Do you have a chocolate macaron recipe? …yes… chocolate macaron recipe
2:26 My macarons have a skirt rather than a foot, why?
2:45 What does rapped on the bench mean?
2:54 Can I use liquid colour for macaroons?
3:13 My macarons turned out lumpy, why?
3:50 I can’t get caster sugar can I use powdered sugar for the whole recipe?
4:12 Can I use icing mixture or does it have to be pure icing sugar?
4:18 How do I flavour the macaron recipe?
4:36 Do I have to leave them on the bench before I bake them?
4:56 What is almond meal?
5:04 I don’t have a piping bag 🙁 what can I use?
5:21 I need to make 100 of these perfectly HELP! (how to tell if you have folded enough times)
5:52 Can I put two trays in the oven at once?
6:14 Does your recipe use customary or imperial units?
6:29 Can I use less sugar?
6:36 My egg whites won’t whip, why?
7:00 Can I use wheat flour?
7:03 Do I have to use a stand mixer?
7:10 Can you replace the egg whites with something else?

 

More macaron recipes for you:

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All recipe quantities in the book are in grams, ounces and cups.

334 Comments View Comments

  1. I just made macaroni today.
    Mine had no foot, cracked. I folded maybe like 52 times the first time and they came out like that.
    Second time I mixed maybe 58 times and still sorta looks the same…… what did I do wrong?
    Think I over mixed the second time but they never came out flat…

    • Macarons* sorry auto correction lol

    • Hi Shelly without seeing your macrons or watching you make them it is difficult to assess what might be the problem. A common problem with macarons that have no foot is the oven temperature could be a little low. Try upping it by 10 degrees. Cracked macarons can result from not rapping the tray or sometimes under mixing though it sounds like yours were mixed well. Be sure to mix your egg whites and caster sugar well to start with as this can also cause issues if not done properly.

  2. What causes macarons to be dry and crumbly inside instead of moist and more cookie like? Mine came out like dried meringue cookies..

    • Hi Lila James, we have not had that happen before but our guess is that they were overcooked. If the shape and surface look okay then just reduce the cooking time next bake.

  3. My macaroons are cracked, and I purposely over mixed a batch and they are still cracked. Why is that?

    • Hi Mandy, there could be several reasons but it the most likely cause is that the oven temperature may be a little too high. You could try adjusting the temperature down a little or place an empty tray on the top shelf of the oven and your macarons underneath.

  4. hi i make mavarons but they are hollow everything is fine and looks fine on the outside but they are hollow inside why?

    • Hi may Li, this is a sign that they weren’t cooked properly. They are cooked well on the outside, but were taken out of the oven too soon and the centre has fallen. The other thing that can cause this is a sudden drop in temperature. For example if they were taken out of the oven mid cooking or the oven door was opened too many times. Resist the temptation to check them too often. Macarons can be finicky and are very temperature sensitive.

  5. OMG help before i try this i want to know if the 150c oven temp listed matters if it is fan forced or not ?? thank you 🙂

    • Hi Kay, Ann uses a fan forced oven but if you don’t have a fan forced oven, Ann still recommends sticking to the same temperature. If after doing a batch you feel the temperature is an issue, then adjust the temp 10-20 degrees. You don’t want them to cook too quickly.

    • Hi Kay, yes it should be fan-forced.

  6. Does it mean that if we use liquid coloring ,we can only use 1/2 drops?

    • Hi Frances, Ann recommends Gel colour or powdered colour. It works much better. Liquid colour can really impact the macarons.

  7. Can I bake macaron in microwave ? Or they are done in oven only

  8. Hi Ann. I’m SO frustrated!!!
    I’ve made these 3 time so far and they fail every single time! They go flat!! I’ve made sure not to over fold the mix but by the time the egg whites have mixed in its already runny!! HELP plz plz i made macaroons once in my life and they were perfect. I just can’t figure out what’s happening.

    • Hi Yaz, It is hard to know what is going wrong without seeing first hand the mix. Firstly make sure you are using fresh egg whites, not the pre-packaged kind or old eggs. Becareful to ensure that you keep the yolk out and don’t let any sneaky bits of fat in there. The egg whites and sugar need to be beaten to stiff and white, so firm that you can flip the bowl over your head. Hope it works out better next time.

  9. Hi, Ann!

    I just made your chocolate macarons, but they did not come out as yours did. The shells cracked on the tops and had no feet. I also noticed that the shells seemed to collapse a bit. They were not hollow, but there was a pocket between the bottom layer of the macaron and the top. I did not open the oven, except to move the tray to the bottom rack. Any ideas on what might have happened? Thank you!

    • Hi Tarn, The cracks suggest the were undermixed and the hollow pocket suggests they were under-baked. Next time, mix a little more and Try leaving them in the oven a little longer.

  10. Quick one for you.. Does it matter if you rap it too much? 🙂

    • I rapped it like in the video but came out cracked?

      • Hi Missearman, it could be that they were undermixed or perhaps the oven temperature was a little hot.

  11. Hi Ann, I was curious what do you think of using the silicone macaron mat? I got one from Kmart and no matter what I do. Cooked or not cooked, they stick! Really really annoying!

    • Hi Again missdearman, Ann prefers non-stick baking paper.

  12. If using icing sugar for the entire recipe instead of castor sugar, how much would the measurement be for the egg white mixture? Is it the same as the original recipe of castor sugar? Or is it a bit more since the icing sugar is much lighter?

    • Hi Sandy, Ann hasn’t tested this so you will need to experiment for yourself. The caster sugar and icing sugar quantities in the recipe work well.

  13. Hi, I have just tried your macaroon recipe. They taste really nice, but they have come out…looking strange…
    If I turned them over, they look like a shell: not completely empty, but not full either. Have I done something wrong?

    • Hi Bobby, Usually if you have that problem , the oven temperature has dropped or they were taken out of the oven too soon. In both cases they aren’t cooked properly. Resist opening the oven door and leave them a little longer. If you are worried they will brown on top, put an empty tray above your macarons in the oven.

  14. Hello, I’ve got a question and hope you can help me. My oven is very small so I can only fit one medium size cookie sheet at one time. Will the second tray of macarons sitting 20 minutes before baking ruin them?

    • Hi Mirtha, It shouldn’t ruin them as long as they are away from the heat.

  15. Hi Ann, is the cream and all purpose cream the same? Thanks

    • Hi Glenda, we dont have all purpose cream here so can’t answer your question, however if you look at the cream page you will see that pure cream here has about 35% fat. If you aim to se a cream with similar fat levels, you should get a good result. https://www.howtocookthat.net/public_html/cream-use/

  16. Hello Ann, I have to say a HUGE thanks for all your answers and your experience! I can’t imagine how much hard work you put in this page. You are truly and inspiration and you deserve so mcuh praise for your hard efforts. Thank you and congratulations for reaching this far!!

  17. Can these be made with Swerve (Ethrytol) sugar replacement. They would be awesome for diabetics.

    • Hi Heidi, Ann hasn’t tested this so you would need to experiment.

  18. Hi Ann,

    I was just wondering if you’d ever tried making your macarons with egg whites from a carton (sold in the supermarket)?
    I tried using these the other day and they just would not whip up to stiff peaks – not sure if they needed to be room temperature? If you’ve used them I’d love to know if they’ve worked for you/ are effective, as sometimes if I use fresh eggs I just don’t have a use for the egg yolks and don’t want to waste them.

    Thanks!
    Joanne

    • Hi Joanne, The carton egg whites won’t work as they have been pasteurised (cooked)

  19. Ive tried this recipie for the third time today (Its great!) and they always taste delicious but they look….. hilarious actually! the only almond flour i can get has a lot of large pieces when i sift it, (I’ve been doing double batches so to the 2 cups of almond flour, about 2/3 of a cup will be too large) Should i be compensating with more álmond flour if the amount im taking out is that much?

    • Hi Jessie, yo made me laugh! Yes maybe sift your almond meal/flour first and then measure it out.

    • We had this problem with our first batch tonight but solved the problem by dumping all the big almond flour pieces into a large plastic zipper bag and beating the heck out of them with a rolling pin. My 8 year old and 5 year old LOVED that part. Family effort!

  20. Sorry i dont know why the pics got uploaded sideway

    • I’ve read that there are two methods in making Macarons: the French and the Italian method. Is one better than the other?

      • Hi June, Opinions vary on this but Ann has found the recipe provided on her blog to be easier and produce more consistent results.

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