Do all the bears on the left look the same to you? Sure, at first glance, they all seem to look cute and cuddly but if you look closely you can see that the one on the bottom right has more clearly defined ears. I did this piping sample to show the difference between batter that was piped at different stages. For more clearly defined features, always pipe one element at a time, wait for it to dry up a little and then pipe the next element.
For the macaron bear on the bottom right, I piped all the round heads first. Once I had finished piping all the heads and they had time to dry up a little, I then piped the ears. Piping the two different elements in stages allowed for each element to stay relatively independent of each other. In contrast, the head and ears of the other two bears were piped continuously with no resting time in between elements, resulting in the ears merging with the head.
Neither one is right nor wrong. It really depends on the look you’re trying to achieve. But if your goal is to pipe a creation with distinct parts, it’s important for you to plan each step and allow proper “drying” or “resting” time at each stage.
I hope that helps you resolve some of the frustrations you may be having with piping your own #MacaronArt. I’ve done a few more baking projects lately include a purple Angry Bird Pig. Come by my Instagram to check it out and leave me a message when you have a chance. I’d love to talk Macarons with y’all!
XoXo,
Mimi
Some of my other #MacaronArt
Big Cherry Blossom Macaron Cake with Big Macaron Shell Template
August 22nd, 2016
Mother's Day Macaron Flower Bouquet and Brunch in Vancouver's Revolving Restaurant
May 8th, 2016
Pink Bear Bridal Macarons Favors with Royal Sugar Roses (Bear Template)
September 2nd, 2016
Painting my own Macaron Pottery at Bella Ceramica in West Vancouver
February 19th, 2017
Froggies in the Marsh Weeds
February 19th, 2015
Nisha says
Hi Mimi,
Tried out the teddy bear shapes today, but the ears cracked at the place where it joins the head.
Any tips on how to prevent this?
Love your work,
Thanks,
Nisha
Mimi says
Hi Nisha,
Let them dry for much longer than your regular circle macarons. Don’t let the main body dry completely before piping the ears. This will help meld the two parts together.
XOXO, Mimi
Enriana says
Hi Mimi,
I tried making animal shaped macarons for the first time yesterday and while the round ones turns out great, the one with animal shape didn’t seem to rise properly (little to no feet) and the ears part doesn’t any feet >_<
Not too sure what happened as I use the left over batter and did a couple of hearts and circles and they were ok.
Any advice?
TIA xx
Mimi says
you’ll need to let the entire shell dry completely before baking. As for the ears, you need to put more batter there 🙂
xoxo,
Mimi
Mystery says
Mimi, do you have any tips for piping star-shaped macarons? I’ve tried macarons once before on my own, and ended up with some hollow, some cracked; I think I’ve worked out how to fix those things (at least I hope so!), and plan on making some macarons for a Hollywood themed party for which I’m creating a sweets table this week. I’d love to do stars, but am not sure how to get the lines to stay somewhat straight and drawing to points. Any advice? Thanx!
Mimi says
I would recommend using a smaller pipe tip. You’ll get better control. Start from the center, pipe a small circle and work your way out towards the points. Good luck!
Kim of A Very Sweet Blog says
Those are the absolute CUTEST! Love the color and design.
http://www.averysweetblog.com/
Mimi says
Thank you Kim! I do love making all different kinds of macaron shapes but the animal ones definitely have a special place in my heart. Their eyes and smiley faces really makes them come alive 🙂
Lisa | THINK LIKE A BOSS LADY says
Mimi, about how much time do you recommend between piping heads and ears? And how much time is too much?
Just a general estimate is helpful. I know it depends on humidity, etc. too.
Lisa | THINK LIKE A BOSS LADY
Mimi says
For my baking environment, I just do each element at a time. For example, I’ll pipe 12 bear heads and then go back to do 12 bear ears. Thats roughly 3-5 minutes in between I think.