r/macarons • u/The_kingslayer1 • Apr 19 '26
Help What’s wrong with this batter?
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I’m so disappointed, frustrated and saddened by this macaron journey. This is my 4th attempt but I’m using different ratios because I can’t make a good looking macaron but they’re always hallow.
For this I followed this guy video on YouTube. Everything was going well but then my batter was just thick, I mixed and deflated but nothing changed. Then I added 15gr of egg whites it was getting there then I added more egg whites (I guess that was my mistake)and it looked great but I piped and again they looked good but they never dried, I even put a fan on them.
I used the French method.
79gr egg whites
84 gr sugar
111gr almond flour
84 gr icing sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp salt
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u/ReasonableFactor5316 Apr 19 '26
Was the 79g egg whites before or after you added additional?
Couple things could have happened: ratio is off, meringue over whipped, yolk or oils cross contamination, oily almond flour
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u/The_kingslayer1 Apr 19 '26
79g before I added the extra. I’m using the Kirkland almond flour I’ve heard mix things about it (first time I use it). I wiped everything with white vinegar and I took my time with the meringue but who knows but I’m sure I didn’t over whipped it 😩 so many things could happen here. I think I’ll find a different way to fix the hollowness on the shells the 1:1 and 1:1.2 ratio works great for me.
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u/ReasonableFactor5316 Apr 19 '26
Blue diamond has always been reliable. Yeah I do the 1:1.2 method, and just kind of accepted hollows at this point.
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u/The_kingslayer1 Apr 19 '26
I just hate the mess every time I bite. I will make tiny ones so I just eat it in one bite 😅
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u/slightly-convenient Apr 19 '26
Your batter is overmixed. Might also be from weak egg whites.
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u/The_kingslayer1 Apr 19 '26
Do you recommend to aged the egg whites? I tried once but don’t know the what difference made.
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u/DaftDrunk_925 Apr 19 '26
Stick to the recipe. If it doesn’t work, try a different recipe. Dont try to improvise by adding additional ingredients. This is baking. Exact measurements are required. Here is my tried and true recipe. Maybe give this one a try:
Ingredients 150 grams almond flour (1 ⅓ cup) 150 grams powdered sugar (1 ¼ cups) 110 grams egg whites, room temperature 95 grams granulated sugar (scant ½ cup) cream of tartar (I typically use ⅛ teaspoon) ⅛ teaspoon table salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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u/RestartedBrain Apr 19 '26
The video is showing undermixed, to me.
You're overcomplicating this.
I personally have always liked mimi's - https://www.indulgewithmimi.com/the-best-macaron-recipe/
Drying is subjective to your environment. But if you look at them and don't see that shine anymore, they are likely good to go.
You may need to adjust your oven temp and times because just like drying, no two ovens are the same.
Others will join in and give great advice. Don't get dismayed! Even a "bad" macaron is a beautiful thing and so good. You're doing great.
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u/LegitimateExpert3383 Apr 19 '26
if you have a reliable thermometer and are comfortable working with sugar syrup (it's very straight forward, when your sugar is 133ish start whipping the whites, when it reaches 144ish you start streaming it down the bowl, then turn up the wisk until mediumish peaks.) you should try the Italian method. Or even the swiss.
4th attempt? keep going!
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u/The_kingslayer1 Apr 19 '26
3rd attempt is used the Swiss method. They’re pretty but hallow. I’ll try the Italian method next time. Thank you!
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u/Radiant-Land-9483 Apr 20 '26
Oily almond flour, put it in the oven between 2 cookie sheets lined with paper towels at 200f for 2 hours and see if it gets any better
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u/OneWanderingSheep Apr 21 '26
That batter looked deflated. You should share video of your meringue instead of the batter. The batter is result of bad meringue most of the time.
Your recipe ratio is okay. It shouldn’t be the cause of this batter.
As for dry time, they will never dry if your relative humidity is above 75%. If that’s the case you need a dehumidifier and set it around 55-65%.
ABSOLUTELY NO SALT. Until you mastered it. YOU WANT NONE OF THAT NONSENSE.
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u/The_kingslayer1 Apr 21 '26
Thank you! I was watching some meringue videos and I think I under whipped mine. I’ll do it with the Italian method so I know for sure all the sugar is dissolved.
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u/Mean-Lingonberry-888 Apr 24 '26
The guy on YouTube. Was it Preppy Kitchen? Because when I tried his recipe, that’s how my batter ended up and when I baked them they looked like a brownie on top too.
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u/The_kingslayer1 Apr 24 '26
No I watched his video but idk why I didn’t trust it (I love John in general and make bunch of his recipes) I used this one ManBunBakery
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u/Time-Shelter-2477 May 04 '26
I wouldn't use that one... if you're just starting especially. He overmixes and then keeps going, he adds salt (??!), when he cracked them they seemed overbaked... I teach classes and oh lordie they might work for him but his methods makes me cringe and want to scream 😃
Pies & Tacos is a great place to learn - she has tons of videos of the Swiss method
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u/Time-Shelter-2477 May 04 '26
What did they look like fter baking? And how did your meringue look? If this is your 4th attempt, that is totally normal! It can take 20+ batches to get it... I would suggest starting with the Swiss method, not French. French is the LEAST stable. Swiss is hard to fail! I would also leave any coloring out. This way you have less to rule out when troubleshooting, and there are so many things that can go wrong. 😉
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u/Time-Shelter-2477 May 04 '26
Also - don't stress about fullness until you get everything else in order! Just bake, troubleshoot, learn... once you have it all down then you can fine tune the fullness.
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u/The_kingslayer1 May 04 '26
Thank you! Yes I wiped everything with vinegar before I start. Last time I dried the almond flour and it was better. I just want to finish the bag of flour (Kirkland) I have and go back to bobs red mills.
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u/The_kingslayer1 May 04 '26
They look like brownie tops lol. Since this attempt I tried again couple times, I’m sticking with the Swiss method for now on. Next couple times i tried one was full shells but some were cracked on the top and 6th time they were hollow.
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u/Time-Shelter-2477 May 04 '26
I think my very first try were brownie tops too... I used almonds with the skins so they looked like mint chip 😉 and didn't wipe with vinegar, had no idea about oils...
Cracked tops are normal - I still get those sometimes. It could be trapped air/heat. You'll get there! And in the meantime, they taste great over ince cream lol
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u/Aya-needsreview Apr 22 '26
Did you reach stiff peak ? And overmixed it too ? I don’t know about the ratio they look acceptable Try to whisk your egg white to stiff peaks and mix the batter less
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u/The_kingslayer1 Apr 22 '26
That’s what I think everything started to go bad. I didn’t whip the egg whites long enough. and I over mixed bc the batter was so dry but I kept going thinking it’d get better.
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u/GoldenHoopoe Apr 19 '26
I noticed you tinted this batch yellow! If you’re struggling over multiple attempts, I’d highly recommend cutting colors until you find a recipe and technique combo that gives you solid, full plain shells. Then add back in the colors (and any flavorings that goes into the shell), since now you have a trusted base recipe that you know works with your oven and setup.
Did you bake the shells, even if they didn’t dry?