The Mistakes That Cause Cracked Macarons
Delicious, delicate, and oh-so chic; macarons (not to be confused with macaroons — there is a difference!) are French sandwich cookies that come in a wide range of colors and flavors. Some popular varieties include pistachio, salted caramel, and decadent chocolate macarons. These little pastries are recognizable due to their iconic appearance: a thin layer of glossy filling between two perfectly symmetrical, smooth, glassy cookies.
Along with their light, crispy texture and sweet effervescent taste, macarons are known amongst the baking community for being pretty tricky to get exactly right. Any small misstep during the baking process can quickly result in macaron shells that are misshapen, underdone, or burnt to a crisp. One challenge that many have with macarons is producing a cookie that is completely smooth and unmarred by cracks. Tiny cracks can ruin the overall aesthetic of your macarons, which is a large part of the cookie's appeal, and can be a frustrating result of a lot of hard work. From over-mixing to rushing the recipe, there are many mistakes that may contribute to roughing up your macarons. Fortunately, all of these issues are easy to solve with a few small fixes.
Take your time with the recipe
Many mistakes that could potentially cause your macarons to crack can be avoided by cooking at a methodical pace rather than rushing through all the steps. For example, during the mixing phase, take the time to properly whip together the meringue batter. Under-mixing can trap air bubbles in the batter, which may pop and create fractures in the cookie. Typically, it's best to beat the meringue with a mixer until it reaches a stiff peak. When the batter has been properly homogenized, you'll need to transfer it to a piping bag and pipe it into rounds as quickly as possible, to maintain an ideal temperature.
Once all the macarons have been piped onto the baking tray, the next measure to prevent cracked cookies requires a fair bit of patience. In order to develop the signature glossy outer shell, the macaron batter needs to sit out for a while before being put into the oven. This allows time for excess moisture — one of the main culprits when it comes to cracked shells — to evaporate. This step can take up to an hour, and you'll know the macarons are ready when the shells have turned matte and you can press them lightly without causing any damage.
Hot ovens and other issues
Your work isn't over after the macarons have made their way into the oven. Ovens that are set to high temperatures are a frequent cause of cracked shells. This often comes down to discrepancies between individual ovens. You may think that an oven is set to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, but in reality it may be closer to 330 degrees Fahrenheit. Small changes in temperature can make a big difference when making macarons, which is why it's a good idea to keep a dedicated oven thermometer on hand. Where you place your baking tray in the oven can also make a difference. Just as baking cookies on the top rack is a grave mistake, placing macarons too high in the oven can end in smoke.
There's no doubt that attempting to make the perfect macaron is a huge endeavor. Between working out the timing and mastering the cooking temperature — not to mention all the effort that goes into actually making the pastries taste good — it's safe to say whipping up a batch of macarons is not for the faint of heart. But by being mindful of all the ways you can sidestep disaster in the kitchen, achieving a well-crafted macaron is definitely possible, even for beginner bakers. All the work will be worth it after taking that first airy, subtly sweet bite.