Macaron tips and problems

Anna,

  If you have a peak in your macaroons it usually means that you didnt work the dough/mix enough. Try to fold the macaroon mix till its a bit more runny. Here is the recipe I use..

1# 10X

8 OZ almond flour

1 C egg whites

1 C sugar

coloring

    Sift 10X & almond flour, beat whites soft peak and add sugar and beat stiff add coloring. Fold in dry in 2 stages and pipe 1 or 2 cookies out and see how they set. I let them sit for 15 minutes and bake about 10 minutes..

This post may be a little late, but if you still need a tip...  Try using non silicone parchment. Pipe the cookies on the counter on the parchment. Then carefully transfer onto your sheet pan with a little water in the pan.  I let my recipe sit for at least 30 minutes or more and then bake.  The steam gives the cookie a amazing texture, a little crispy a little chewy.  The non silicone parchment may prevent the "Big Feet."  

Big feet shouldn't be a problem as long as the feet rise up properly and the inside isn't hollow. Italian meringue method might be the answer to solve all the problems.

Cheers!

No More Sunken Shells and Wet Macarons and I Have Perfect Feet Every Time

90 grams egg whites
200 grams powdered sugar
110 grams ground almonds
25 grams granulated sugar

After 2 years and 3 months, I just started making consistently perfect batches of macarons. I use this recipe which I have seen in several places on the internet (it may have originated with Tartlette). 

VERY IMPORTANT:  Discovered, after reading Syrup and Tang, that I have an oven with the heating element at the top (check out the diagram to see what type of oven you have); therefore my macarons are not cooked on the bottom.  I now have a large pizza stone on the bottom shelf of my oven to give more even heat that I keep there for baking macarons.

Bake at 300 degrees for 18 minutes with macarons on the middle rack, rotating the tray of macarons at the 9 minute stage, and the pizza stone on bottom rack throughout the baking process.

I now only use ONE tray (not the two stacked on top of one another) because my oven has the element on top and I need to have proper heat getting to the shells.  I prefer parchment paper to silicone mats and just ordered pre-cut parchment sheets at a very reasonable price.  They are shipped flat with no curling.  Wonderful!

VERY IMPORTANT:  I  discovered that I was overmixing the meringue with the almond flour/confectioners sugar (macaronage). So now I beat the meringue till it's very stiff and then undermix just a bit when it comes to the macaronage stage.

Download a macaron template from the internet and have it laminated.  It is a great help when piping.  Just remember to remove it before baking.

I also always run a dehumidifier, as I live in the South and we're humid here.

I am a complete failure with the Italian method and have ruined several batches, so I stick with Parisian.

With every batch I get tall feet that don't deflate once they come out of the oven, and I no longer have sunken shells, unless I overmix the almond flour and the meringue.

 Hope this helps.