From now on, reader questions that I receive in private will be answered here. Since I receive a lot of requests for personal help, I have decided to publish the questions and answers publicly so that others can benefit from it as well.
Please take a look through these questions and the resources I listed if you need help. If you have a question for me, please leave a comment on a corresponding blog post instead of through email or private message. This will allow me to make better use of my time so I can continue to create content that will be of use to you. Thanks so much for understanding and for your support of my work. XOXO, Mimi
P.S. These posts will be of help to you. Please take a look at them to get immediate answers to frequently asked questions:
- Macaron Troubleshooting Guide
- Mimi's Best Macaron Recipe
- How to Make Meringue for Perfect Macarons
- How to Age Eggs for Perfect Macarons
- Macaron fillings - all the different types to use
- What Causes Hollow Macarons
A: Thank you! The buttercream recipe for piping the flower blossom macarons are here.
A: You can try using peach gel color (or a mix of orange and pink) in the meringue. Once the macaron is finished baking and cooled off, brush it with some gold pearl dust.
A: I always use silicone mats to help retail the shape. If using my recipe, I recommend keeping the meringue stiff and don't over fold. Your batter might be too runny.
xoxo,
Mimi
A: You can try to let it dry even longer. I have heard another baker let hers dry for several hours. However, if you are only piping round shapes and your batter is correct, you do not need to rest them at all. It's just extra insurance for weaker batters or macaron art with use of several colors.
A: Hi! Thank you! The answer I can give you is very similar to the one above. You can try to let the macaron batter rest longer. I have heard another baker let hers dry for several hours. However, if you are only piping round shapes and your batter is correct, you do not need to rest them at all. It's just extra insurance for weaker batters or macaron art with use of several colors.
A: You might be overwhipping with your kitchaid mixer. I discuss this issue in this post about hollow macarons.
A: Here is an article I wrote all about hollow macarons. btw, do ask the original recipe writer about how to deal with their particular recipe. XOXO, Mimi
A: Hi, Yes you can double and even quadruple!
A: I learned from a french pastry chef who ran a bakery. You can learn to make them at Bon Macaron in Vancouver. Good luck!
A: Hi, you don't necessarily need a skin to form for baking. If you really can't get the skin to develop, bake them anyways. Resting is just extra insurance for them not to crack. If you beat your meringue to a much stiffer consistency, they do dry better.
A: I use Americolor's Super Red and I use about 5 big drops. You can add a bit of dark purple to up the intensity.
A: Hi, No I don't have any tips, I have heard that my recipe works at high altitudes. I don't have any personal experience with high altitudes so I don't have any info for you. Sorry 🙁
A: Hi, it's usually not the recipe's fault if there are hollows, mostly its due to the techniques. Since you've tried so many different recipes, it's another indicator that there is something wrong with your technique. Here is a post which will discuss hollow macarons and how to to overcome it.
A: Thank you! I've added it to my Mimi's Macaron Friends post.
A: Wonderful results! These are absolutely beautiful! Thank you for sending it to me.
A: Yes I do freeze sometimes if I have extras and I want to save some as extra treats for myself. Just make them when it's convenient for you and put them inside air tight containers in the fridge or freezer. Make sure to place a parchment paper in between each layer to prevent them from sticking.
A: It is from Rainbow Dust 🙂
A: Yes you can definitely wait longer until they are completely dry. Yes, too little heat can cause hollows. Read here how to prevent hollows.
A: I would recommend Amazon and only buy the original SILPAT brand.
I would start again. I think your batter has been compromised already. Watch out for these issues: don't over whip meringue, weigh the almond flour properly, make sure gel colours are new and not expired.
A: Thank you! You should watch out that your temperature is not too high and that you have not over folded.
A: Wow! It looks wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing with me!! I bet they were delicious. XOXO, Mimi
A: Thank you so much! I'm so happy you are getting better results now. The possibilities are endless once you learn how to make them.
A: Yes you can! Just make them when it's convenient for you and put them inside air tight containers in the fridge or freezer. Make sure to place a parchment paper in between each layer to prevent them from sticking.
A: Please read my troubleshooting guide. It will address that issue under blotchy tops.
A: You can try piping them smaller, don't over beat the meringue and using a bit more heat.
A: Thank you so much! Keep baking! XOXO, Mimi
A: I haven't tried shipping macarons before... if I were to do it, I'd package them each individually in clear bags and them lay bubble wrap in between each layer of macarons with the cooling pads next to it. I'd also fill the entire box with of bubble wrap or foam so that the macarons don't shuffle around which can cause them to break.
A: I use 2 different kinds. You can find it on my SHOP
A: I think it looks GREAT! I really don't see anything wrong with them.
A: I have a home oven that is a dual compartment oven. Here is the link to the answer I gave another reader. Please look at the comment published on March 30th, 2018. Your oven might be the culprit if it doesn't have a consistent temperature. It's not the biggest issue. If your batter is correctly prepared, it should only affect it by causing cracking (if too hot but easy fix) or giving you hollows (since the temperature might be dropping). If your macarons look much worse than what I'm describing, I would work on your batter first.
A: I make a large batch of batter and just pipe them all at the same time. I wouldn't make multiple batters unless they were different colored. The batter can last for a while in the piping bag if it's sealed.
A: Yes, it's OK to add cornflour/cornstarch to your dry mix. There is corn starch in most powdered sugar brands. Just check the ingredients on the package. I have heard that adding it can make the macarons less hollow.
A: Hi, with my recipe, they should be firm and sticky on the inside immediately when they come out of the oven and once they cool off, they should be crisp. Only after filling and maturing, do them "soften" up. If the meringue is not fully baked, it will collapse after cooling causing hollow macarons.
A: Thank you! Yes you can put it into the dry mix of almonds and sugar. Keep in mind, almonds are not naturally white, the shells will always be a bit ivory regardless of how much white you put in. One more thing I want to add is that in the last few years, I read articles about the health effects of inhaling titanium dioxide. You might want to look into a bit more before handling it for use in your baked goods.
XOXO,
Mimi
A: I do not make any sugar free macarons. However, all macarons are gluten-free by their simple composition of sugar, almonds and egg whites.
A: I use Americolor Black. It works really well. You can also add some black powder colour to make it more intense.
A: You can keep the shells in an air tight container in the freezer or in the fridge until you are ready to fill them. Either one is fine. I would not keep them on the counter.
Q: Yes I do have an individual question for you - I hope you'll answer for me. 🙂 I use a commercial convection oven (blodgett) for macarons - still struggling with hollow shells 8 yrs later. What temp setting do you use on yours? I have been baking at about 265F for ~16 min in total. Thanks so much! M******le
A: I don't have experience using a commercial oven. For my regular home oven I have had great success with these two temperatures: Big regular sized oven: 325F for 12-14 minutes. Small Dual Compartment Oven: 275F for 16-18 minutes.
You might want to look at this new post I wrote about all the different ways to combat hollow macarons.
Q: I have used your recipe but although they are completely full, they sink. You can see that the dome is not curve, and the feet has really spread, which I’m pretty sure that it is due to the temp, I know I can lower it, and increase the time but, I could avoid them sinking. At the time I took the picture, they were a little toasted, but they were actually chewy when I took’em out of the oven. I baked 330, for 21 min, using silpats in a conventional oven.
A: I don't think temperature is your main issue as 330 is a pretty descent number (if your temp is accurate). It looks like your meringue was not beaten stiff enough. Try beating it a bit firmer. XOXO, Mimi
Q: Hi Mimi, As someone with more experience I’m hoping you can help me. I purchased a silicone mat for baking my macarons because I’m so annoyed by the crinkling of the parchment paper. Well they’re expensive lol. And it didn’t work out for me! So I recently saw someone using teflon sheets so I got some and was so excited for a cheaper solution to get round smooth bottomed macarons! Well every time I’ve used them they crack/explode out the top. I have even piped 1/2 a batch on parchment and the other 1/2 on the teflon sheet. The parchment ones came out perfect (with the exception of the wrinkly bottoms from the parchment) and the teflon ones exploded out the tops. They went in immediately after I took out the first tray and the oven temp was the same and it was the same batch. I have no idea why. I’m assuming they conduct heat differently? I’ve tried turning the oven down and that doesn’t seem to do the trick either. So, I’m sorry for the novel of a back story, but do you have any suggestions or could you offer any help? I would so appreciate it!! Thanks in advance! ❤ K****a
A: I understand your situation. Different mats/paper do conduct heat differently. In this case, the Teflon is allowing a lot of heat to reach your mac shells. I would let them dry much longer so they are strong enough to withstand the heat that is reaching it. Turning down the heat also helps even though you did mention you have already tried that. XOXO,
Mimi
A: Yes! Definitely too much folding!
A: Wow! Wonderful tie-dye effect! I wish I could make a cake like that too!
A: Wow! I love the pretty little feet and how nice and bright they are!
A: Hi. It's definitely hard for all of us. You're not the only one. I have a huge planner 🙂
I used to use a combination of mobile To-Do-Lists and Calendars (a single app just doesn't cut it!) but my phone screen is so tiny that it just wasn't effective for seeing everything all together at once. I finally decided to go old-school and bought myself a small pen/paper agenda. It was pretty nice to write everything down and have a good bird's eye view of everything. But after a month, I realized that it was still too small so I took the plunge and just got a huge planner from BANDO. It's 3X thicker than my laptop. Talk about going back to the stone age LOL. However, it has changed everything about the way I organize my time.
Here's how I use it:
Monthly Calendar View for Publishing& Appointments:
Monthly Goals:
Daily To Do List:
Long Term Projects:
Receipts/Loose Paper:
I continue to use 3 mobile apps for organization since I can't always carry out such a big planner. I keep track of my appointments on GOOGLE CALENDAR so when I need to make an appointment, I can quickly refer to my phone to see if I'm available. This can be accessed on desktop as well which is so useful.
I use TO DO-IST to keep a simple clean shopping list. I keep this as a widget on my home screen so it's easily accessible, especially handy when you're in a rush at the grocery store or mall.
Last is a precious new app I discovered called LIST: Daily Checklist. It is the app I have been waiting for all my life 🙂 It is a list that resets itself daily which makes it so convenient for tracking tasks that you need to do everyday like drink 8 cups of water, excercise, take vitamins etc...
Hope this helps.
XOXO,
Mimi
A: You can use a combination of Black gel color from Americolor and black powder color together.
A: Hi, I'm glad you found my tutorials useful. For this bear, I would wait until a thin skin develops before piping the next part and then wait until it dries completely. Like very dry! before placing in the oven. The full tutorial for batter on batter macarons here. From the photo you showed me of your macaron, I would watch out now to over-whip the meringue to avoid hollow macarons. Whip until its firm enough not to slip around when you turn the bowl over.
A: Hi, try to beat the meringue stiffer and turn on an overhead fan for them to dry out. If your batter is at the correct consistency, you don't even need to rest your batter and it can go straight into the oven. XO, Mimi
Q: Hi! I made your recipe today! from: [email protected]
A: Wow! these are soo nice! I'm glad you were able to use my Over the Rainbow Macaron tutorial to make this. It looks fabulous.
Q: Hi Mimi!!!
I hope you read this message 😳.
I’ve besen using your macaron recipe and it worked for me wells I was trying to improve my meringue because they were hollow sometimes. But today happened something crazy. From: [email protected]***C***S
A: You may not have whipped the meringue stiff enough. Also watch out for the colours you put in. Make sure you shake them well and is at the right consistency. Older gel colours can break your meringue.
Q: Thanks for the idea! Love your hard work. From: [email protected]_macarons_creations
A: WOW! these are so cool! I love them so much!! You made them just in time for Valentine's Day. Thanks for showing them to me. XOXO, Mimi
Newsletter Subscribers can download macaron template for free here:
Q: I made these Neopolitan Macarons with Strawberry Buttercream and chocolate fudge center today using your recipe!! Thank you!! IG:@catrina.rittenhouse
A: Wow! They look amazing! I'm so impressed with them. Thanks for your note. XOXO, Mimi
Q: Hi Mimi, I've been following and reading your blog. New baker to macaroons. I tried your recipe to a tee but I ended up with swollen cracked tops. Not sure what caused that. I baked at 300 degrees. Any advise would be helpful and appreciated. [email protected]***3**2
A: Your meringue should be strong and stiff before folding. Make sure you are allowing your macaron shells to dry completely before placing them in the oven. XOXO, Mimi
Q: Hi Mimi! I stumbled upon your blog a week ago and used your basic macaron recipe to make my first ever batch of macarons! I was completely surprised my macarons turned out near perfect especially since i never made macarons before and it was pretty much my first time piping out anything from a pastry bag! Loved all the macaron tips you posted on your blog. They were all super helpful! Can't wait to try more of your macaron recipes in the future! From: [email protected]*****k**n
A: Thank you so much! I really appreciate the love!
Q: Hi mimi! I'm writing to ask how I could fix my Macaron as I can't really find in your guide what is wrong with my Macaron. It seems a mix of "no feet" and "cracked". Would you be able to advise what went wrong with these photos attached? My oven has only fan force function, which I can't fix that. From: [email protected]*****81
A: Your oven most likely not the culprit in this case. You'll need to beat your meringue much stiffer and also wait until the shells completely dry before baking. XOXO, Mimi
Jennifer says
Hi Mimi! I hope you see this message! I’ve been following your macaron recipe for quite some time but I keep getting hollows! I’m not sure what to do. I’ve read your blog post on hollows as well as everything else about them. I’ve tried parchment vs silpat, cornstarch, egg white powder, various temperatures (I use a kitchenaid thermometer), oven rack levels, etc. The inside basically looks like it collapsed because it looks a bit sticky, not fluffy? But I feel like I’ve baked them for long enough, since they start to brown and they don’t wobble when I take them out. I’ve tried 325 for 16 minutes, 300 for 18-20 min, as well as 285 for over 20 min (measured with a thermometer) all with the same result. Could you help me out? Thank you!
Mimi says
Hi Jennifer,
Two things I want to know about is what kind of pan/paper/silpat combo you are using as the heat conduction needs to be good. Also, the bottom heat... how is that? Perhaps you're getting too much heat from the top making the shells brown but yet the inside isn't fully formed. (Although the duration you mentioned seems pretty sufficient to me). Lastly, the technique, how do your feet look? The shells can be hollow due to either overwhipping or underwhipping the egg whites. If the feet look all bubbly and and unruly, then the hollows will most likely be due to the technique instead of the oven temps. In that case, watch out not to overwhip the meringue causing it to break and become unstable.
XOXO,
Mimi
Alex says
Hello! I am having the same issue as Jennifer above had mentioned. I cannot get the inside to be fully cooked by the time by shells start to brown. I have a bottom heating element. The bottoms will start to brown and then eventually the sides will fade in color. It seems no matter what temp combination I use this is the case. My shells always look perfect in the outside as far as feet forming and having sturdy shells but they always seem a little undercooked and the insides collapse. I have an oven thermometer, I use Nordic ware baking sheets, I turn them upside down and use a silpat baking mat. I’ve tried using a more heavy duty baking sheet and find that heats up even more quickly and the bottoms brown even quicker. So the only way I’ve had full shells is when they are very browned almost burnt on the bottom and they look nothing like the original color I started with (color fading on the sides onto the tops). I use americolor. I have tried for months to get non hollow shells and nothing has worked. And my shells are not just a little hollow like with a small gap. The insides have collapsed and there is not really any “meat” left in the macaron anymore. Thanks!!
Mimi says
Hi Alex,
It sounds like you've tried so many combinations of oven temperatures. Without seeing your entire process, it's hard to pinpoint where it went wrong but since you've tried so many things with your oven, have you looked into how you're whipping your meringue? It might be due to overwhipping causing the meringue to collapse. Next time, stop whipping the meringue a little bit earlier than you usually do.
XOXO,
Mimi
Jennifer says
Hi Mimi!
I actually got some of my macarons to be full, but some were empty. I made ones that were 1.5 inches, those were hollow. Then I made ones that were 3 inches, which were full. They all came from the same batch of batter, same temperature for baking, but the 3 inches ones I baked for longer. Do you know why this happens?
Thank you!!
Mimi says
Hi Jennifer,
Thanks for such a great question. I think you nailed it yourself. The bigger ones were baked for longer so it had time to fully bake through without collapsing. Now we need to just transfer this method to the smaller shells without browning them. Have you read my oven guide on how to adjust your oven for baking macarons? You can try different methods like putting a pan on the upper rack, turning down the heat slightly etc..
XOXO,
Mimi
Stacy says
Hi Mimi!
Thank you for all of your postings! I am trying to get back into the habit of making macarons and then possibly selling them at aa farmers market. All of your tips aand tricks are super helpful!
I was wondering if Macaroons need to be refidgerated during the time it is selling in the farmkers market?Majority of my macarons with have a Swiss Meringrue buttercream (and i bought a theormeter to ensure it reaches past 160 F) and aa dab of either a jam or curd [such as lemon curd]
Mimi says
Hi Stacy,
I am not sure about the farmer's market regulations in your area. I haven't sold in them but I have heard in passing that any products containing eggs poses a problem for small producers. Maybe google the specific market and ask for their regulations book? Fillings made from chocolate can be an alternative, but you'll have to check with them. Here are some recipes: Gingerbread spice chocolate macarons, peppermint macarons.
Good luck!!
Mimi
John says
Hello Mimi,
I’m trying to make a red velvet cake flavored macaron. Is there a rule of thumb for adding flavor to the shells in general, and in this case, adding cocoa powered?
Mimi says
Hi John,
No, there is no rule of thumb. Some flavours translate better and more readily so you need less. At the same time, it's important not to use too much extra powder as this can compromise the integrity of the shells. It's all trial and error if you're making up your own recipe. For chocolate macarons, you can try this double chocolate macaron recipe here.
XOXO,
Mimi
Krisy says
instead of my macarons feet going up they spread out, what can I do to prevent this from happening again?
Mimi says
Hi Krisy,
Have you read my troubleshooting guide? There is a dedicated explanation for this very issue 🙂
XOXO,
Mimi
Tamar says
Hi there! Still trying to master the macaron game. I've used your recipe twice so far. First time less folding, second more folding. Second still had feet but were tiny. My main issue is the texture. I've now tried 4 recipes and all give me shells that are a little too crunchy or chewy. Underbaked? Overbaked? Even after letting them sit for 24-48 hours filled they don't have that nice fluffiness after the initial crisp shell (unless I use a very wet filling like curd or jam). What am I doing wrong?
Mimi says
Hi Tamar,
It sounds a little over baked. You can brush the bottoms of the shells with syrup or milk to speed up the maturation process. That helps a lot with crunchy macarons 🙂
XOXO,
Mimi
Tamar says
Thank you so much! This worked! I thought my dry matured macs were goners. I somehow was able to open them after sitting out, swirling a tiny bit of milk into the buttercream, re-sandwiching. and then letting them sit in the fridge another day. They totally softened! Thank you!!❤❤❤
Mimi says
Perfect! I'm very happy you tried it again and found success. XOXO, Mimi
L Hen says
Hi Mimi, I'm new to making macarons and your tips are really helpful. I have tried a couple of batches with your recipe today (measuring and following all guidelines to the letter) but found that my batter ends up too thick and won't get runny enough during folding no matter how long I keep deflating it for. The first batch puffed up huge , no hollows, with tiny feet and cracked tops. The second batch are piped and drying but I'm not holding out much hope! Any ideas what's wrong? Is it possible my egg white are 'too aged'? They've been in the fridge for a couple of days as I had to delay making them. Thanks!
Mimi says
Hi, yes, your aged egg whites can become too dry, depending on how many days it has been in the fridge. In fact, I've even had experienced small portions which eventually dried and crystalized. There are other reasons though unrelated to the aged egg whites, please see this in the macaron troubleshooting guide. XOXO, Mimi
Arielle says
Hey! So the only issue I am having is if I wanted to dust my macarons with espresso powder let's say, it ruins them!
with the espresso powder they rose really high in the middle and cracked. Sometimess when I'm dusting them with something it works and other times it doesn't. So frustrating!
Mimi says
Hi Arielle,
oh yes, this can happen when the powder is dusted on too early, do it a little later next time, when there is more a skin. XOXO, Mimi
Nic says
When making macarons the almond flour/meal and powdered sugar are at the top of the measurement cup but there is still room when I press it down. Should I press it down and add more or leave it be
Mimi says
Hi Nic,
Use a kitchen scale as precise measurements for macarons will help you move one step closer to success. Unfortunately, there is too much room for mistakes when measuring by volume.
XOXO,
Mimi
Natali says
Hi Mimi, Love your page!!!!! You are absolutely amazing, I am about to make your macarons for the first time and saw in some of your comments that you mentioned some people add extra cornstarch to the dry ingredients, so I wanted to know how much should you add?
Mimi says
You can try adding a teaspoon first and go from there. Note that your powdered sugar should contain some cornstarch already. check on the bag 🙂
XOXO, Mimi