What happened to my macarons?
I baked macarons earlier and this happened. You can see that they're pretty tall (which I don't want) but mostly importantly, what happened to the shell? I baked at 290F for about 20 minutes (they're about 1.5 inches). I can't tell whether the middle is underdone or whether the ridges are well done. It seems that interior is most full in the center.
I'm thinking I might not have deflated this properly during macaronage and it needs to be cooked at a lower temperature.
Thanks!
Edit 1: I used a new recipe via Chef Nini and it solved them problems I was having. This time, I paid close attention to the temperature of the oven and overbaked them a little. I'll let the maturing to take care of softening them again. I made chocolate shells and most turned out well. The ones that were piped last were a little overmixed in the bag and turned out a little funky (top collapsed, wrinkled). I'll wait around to vote for best answer though.
Edit 2: Some of them still collapsed in the middle, but it's by an acceptable amount. However, some are still a little hollow, which is disappointing. Onto more trials!
Best Answer
I work at a charcuterie but we are partnered with a professional baker who provides us with macarons to sell in our store. From your picture, it looks like the tops of your macarons have deflated.
I wouldn't decrease your temperature, but instead increase it. Our most common problem was deflation and often times our temperature wasn't high enough in the oven. Also, it is of prime importance that you do not take your macarons out until they are done, or they will deflate and never rise again. Make sure they are cooked through before you remove them.
Also, if your ridges are cooking faster than the middle, check the position of your oven. Every oven is different and may have inconsistencies in heat dispersal. My own oven is hotter on the right side, and I have to be careful to rotate things accordingly. I heat macarons, biscuits, and souffles with this in mind.
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Macaron shells can be cracked due to excess air that is trapped inside the macaron shell, oven baking temperature that is too high or a weak meringue.Mastering Macarons: Top 15 French Macaron Problems Fixed!
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