How Do You Keep Macarons From Cracking? (4 Easy Tips)

making macaroons

Nothing is more delicate than a delicious macaron. However, they are also notoriously difficult to create. A single error will render all of your efforts futile. You end up with macarons without feet that are burnt, cracked, and hollow. 

Although it may appear that cracked macarons are only a matter of aesthetics, there is much more to it than that. So, how do you keep macarons from cracking?

Do not substitute any essential ingredient or equipment while making a macaron. Sifting the flour and confectioner’s sugar is the key to making smooth macarons.

You’ll need to ensure that the macaron has “skin.” Tap the sheet pan a few times to get rid of any trapped air bubbles. With a toothpick, remove any air bubbles that may have formed.

Cracked macarons are fragile and difficult to fill, and they may come apart upon consumption. This is precisely why we decided to create the definitive guide to macarons.

You owe it to yourself and all those broken macarons to give this post a go. We’ve also attempted to answer some frequently asked questions at the conclusion. Without further ado, let’s quickly begin.

Why Do My Macarons Crack?

One of the primary causes of macaron cracking is the drying process, which must occur before baking.

After the macarons have been piped and formed in preparation for baking, they must dry. The drying process is one of the most important phases in manufacturing macarons, and it should not be rushed.

Due to incorrect preparation, macarons may potentially break. It is usually vital to fully combine your ingredients, but a lesser-known fact is that over-mixing can produce issues with baked goods. Even when macarons are thoroughly dried, the additional air retained causes them to split.

The baking process is an additional cause of cracking. The macarons may break if your oven is not heated at the proper temperature or if there are pockets of the holder or cooler air in your oven.

Your macaron shells may be splitting as a result of an overly-heated oven. Our best recommendation is to obtain an oven temperature and double-check the oven’s temperature.

black macaron

How To Do It Properly? Make Perfect Macarons

1. Using Appropriate Ingredients

The more finely ground ingredients you utilize, the smoother the texture of your macarons will be.

This requires the use of extremely fine confectioner’s sugar and crushed almonds.

If you cannot find them already finely ground in stores, you may always run them through a food processor to increase their consistency.

2. Creating And Blending The Macarons

Although your macaron batter must be smooth and thoroughly combined, you must avoid overmixing it.

When it is time to combine the egg whites with the remaining ingredients, extreme caution is required.

During this stage, you must ensure that you are folding the batter rather than whisking it since you want to remove some of the air bubbles without introducing any new ones.

3. Remove The Air-Bubbles

As we combine our macaron batter, air bubbles are produced.

After you have piped your macarons, you may avoid this by firmly tapping the macaron tray.

Once or twice is sufficient to expel air bubbles and maintain the smooth texture of the macaroons.

4. Resting The Macarons

After piping your macarons, allow them to rest at room temperature.

This will aid in the formation of skin above the macarons’ shells and give them a flawless finish.

You must ensure that the room is warm, but not too humid.

What Did I Do Wrong If My Macarons Cracked?

Too much air present in the batter could be one of the reasons. This is not the consequence of overbeating, but rather inadequate macaronage after the sugar and almonds have been folded in.

In the oven, the surplus air expands, creating a hollow shell that subsequently collapses.

The macaronage or the batter preparation phase is the toughest aspect of macarons; it is difficult to describe in recipes exactly how the dough should feel after the procedure.

Simply practice and experience are required. The trick is knowing when to stop mixing so that you do not wind up with batter puddles.

Macarons

Why Do Only Some Of My Macarons Crack?

Wondering why few of your macarons turned out great, but others were a disaster? Below may be the reasons:

  • A cracked top is almost often accompanied by excessive air in the top shells. It is conceivable that a few of the macarons were not folded properly or had too much air while baking.
  • The position of the macarons on the baking pan and the technique used to distribute the macarons on the tray may also contribute.
  • If some of the macarons were inadvertently distributed using the incorrect technique, it is very likely that those few macarons will turn out to be broken.

Why Did My Macarons Crack And Deflate?

Macarons can become fractured and deflated if they are overmixed. After the dry ingredients and meringue have been thoroughly combined, the folding method guarantees that the batter has the right consistency.

Fold the mixture with a thin metal spoon until it becomes somewhat looser and smooth.

When correctly prepared, the batter should be glossy and flow off the spoon like lava. To test the consistency, slowly raise a small amount of batter over itself.

15 to 30 seconds after the ribbon of the batter has absorbed itself, you are ready to pipe. Do not overmix, since deflated macarons will result from excessive mixing. It requires practice to master this skill.

Or the temperature in the oven is too high. Invest in a thermometer to confirm the accuracy of your oven’s dial or display.

And strive for a batter that is glossy and slow-moving. Within a few seconds, ribbons of batter should settle back into the bulk.

Why Do My Macarons Have No Feet?

Unfortunately, several macarons lack feet. However, although macarons without feet may still be delectable, they may not look properly. There might be several causes for the recipe’s failure. It may be the:

Improper Baking Temperature 

A low oven temperature can render macarons without feet. Always have a thermometer in your oven, and experiment with temperatures and baking times to see what works best.

Inadequate Meringue Rest

If the shells sit for too long prior to baking, the protein structures begin to collapse, preventing the macarons from developing correctly in the oven and resulting in the absence of macaron feet.

Stale Ingredients  

Each and every meringue begins with egg whites. Fresh eggs, not those that have been sitting in your refrigerator for who knows how long, are required for success. After obtaining the most recent eggs, allow them to sit at room temperature. After warming up, they are prepared for work.

Unevenly Blended Mixture  

The incorrect egg mixture is one of the most common blunders made when preparing macarons. Thus, you end up with macarons without feet.

To avoid this, the proper beating technique is required. Beat the meringue until extremely stiff peaks form. If the meringue peaks are hard enough, you can invert the bowl without the mixture falling out.

What To Do With Cracked Macarons? 

Do you have cracked macarons? Well, you can use them in the following ways:

  • If your macarons did not turn out perfectly, you may use them as a crumbled or full topping for a number of things.
  • Additionally, botched macarons can be used as a topping on ice cream. You may freeze and store the crumbs for future use as a topping. Simply place them in an airtight container and store them in the freezer.
  • If you want to crumble your macaron cookies, you may utilize them for more than simply toppings. You might include them in sugar cookies, icing or batter for cakes, or even cannoli filling.
  • Mix them into pancake or waffle batter in the morning to add sweetness. Especially if you have children, this is a wonderful way to brighten someone’s day.
  • Use your imagination and faulty macarons to express gratitude to public services. Donate your macarons to your community’s domestic violence or children’s advocacy center, library, fire station, or any other location where people volunteer.
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