@@ndcupcake I usually preheat to 160C and then reduce to 140C once the baking tray is in. Baked these maybe for about 17 min. But use this only as a reference because each oven- baking tray combination has its unique heat distribution and rate of heat transfer to the piped batter so please use whatever works for you. Adjust baking time and temperature as necessary based on the kind of macaron shells you get. I err on the side of over rather than under baking because you can fix one but not the other. Please see Chpt 1 where I show you the ovens in two different baking studios where all behave differently even though each studio uses the same model and brand for their ovens

@@epiccrafts845 Yes definitely! But the thing that really causes macawrongs to happen is the excess oil.

@@vivitayeayea I am not sure I understand the question. Are you asking if you can layer macaron batter in these three ways with Italian meringue macarons? If so then definitely. In fact my preferred method is Swiss or Italian for character macarons because the meringues are more stable and I can colour the almond paste (dry ingredients + unwhipped egg whites) before folding in the meringue. This makes colour adjustment easier

@@bakingwithphay9427yes that was my question. i was wondering bc you don’t have to let them dry with the italian method so i didn’t know if drying them would mess up there macarons. thank you !

For these intricate characters, I used Swiss meringue but Italian meringue batter would work just as well. I don't recommend using French for these types of characters because multiple colours are needed and the French batter tends to be less smooth than the other two. I use French for simpler characters like the coffee bear heads featured in a later video on my channel.

You can find my recipe for the default swiss meringue method I use more often nowadays in this blog post: lovingcreations4u.blogspot.com/2018/11/pastel-animal-train-macarons-new.html?m=1 I used to use Italian method as my default because it gives awesome results with stable meringue. But I seldom work with large batches nowadays so this Swiss method one works just as well. I use fresh egg whites, not carton egg whites or egg white powder reconstituted.

Glad you find it helpful! It's stuff I wish I knew when I first started out!

I am not sure if you mean the first batch of coloured batter from a single batch of batter. I only work with one batch of batter at a time but often multiple colours within a batch of batter. Of course the more colours there are, the longer some colours will end up sitting. I have worked with a single batch of batter for a few hours at a time for many years without issues. The important point is to make a stable meringue and try to keep unused batter in a cool condition (not refrigerated) to slow down the breaking down of the meringue. I showed an experiment of using overnight batter on social media some years back. You may use overnight batter to pipe circles but that's about it because the meringue would have broken down somewhat but good technique can still yield full shells with overnight batter.

@@bakingwithphay9427 thank you for responding!! That’s exactly what I meant I just didn’t know how to word it.

Thank you 😊

You are welcome 💕. Keep in mind each oven is different so you may need to make adjustments 😊

Store in the fridge as it will get mouldy quickly if stored at room temperature. Leaving it for one day at room temperature before consuming should be ok but 2 or more days may get mouldy. Consume within 3-5 days of making. If you want the skin to be softer for consumption, make sure the storage container is airtight and doesn't have too much air gap. Use cling wrap if need be to minimize air gaps. Let the chilled mooncake sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before eating to allow cold snowskin to soften.

Thank you! 😊. Yes I have made the traditional baked ones before too with salted egg yolk and lotus paste filling inside, egg washed on the outside

Thank you for your encouragement and you are welcome!

Thank you!! My apologies for not posting for such a long time!

Generally curds and jams have the highest water content and should never be used in macaron structures. Buttercreams are generally not firm enough too. Ganaches are the best for weight-bearing macaron structures in my experience 😊. You may use a combination of ganache and buttercream or just buttercream if it doesn't need to bear a lot of weight. I hope this helps 😊

@@bakingwithphay9427 i definitely prefer fillings that are heavier or substantial in my macarons over just buttercream...reminds me too much of cake lol. Thanks for the reply!

Aww...thank you so much! I tried to communicate in my channel that macaron is one genre where there is no magic recipe that is no-fail because of the many factors that need to be fulfilled (see Chpt 1 of my channel). We all work with different ingredient sources, use different mixers and ovens, and work in different ambient conditions, so of course there is no magic formula 😅.

@@bakingwithphay9427 please definitely keep making videos. Your choux pastry video was also an eye opener. Do you have classical pastry background? Your attention to detail is amazing

@@TechTails I am mostly self-taught 😊. I learn by watching videos, reading blogs, experimenting and taking notes from my experiments. I consult more experienced bakers occassionally and bought a couple of recipes/video based classes (bean paste flower recipe and Keem's painted roll cake recipe/technique)

I haven't tried using the microwave but I think it should be ok. Just make sure you use the same principle of sandwiching a thin layer of almond flour between paper towels weighted down with a heavy glass tray or bowl. As for how long to microwave, I can't advise. As long as there is significant oil picked up by the layers of paper towels, it means that it's working. I won't advise using high power though. Medium or medium-low should do.

I use a handheld electric mixer for small amount of egg white. I use KitchenAid and love it compared to other brands because the lowest speed is low enough for me to take about 20 minutes to reach stiff peak for French meringue. Towards the end of whipping, scrape down the sides of the bowl and briefly whip a few times until you are able to get stiff peaks all over the meringue in the bowl. Why this is important is because meringue in the middle of the bowl tends to be stiffer than meringue at the sides of the bowl and you need to get it evenly mixed. This is to ensure the meringue is homogenous throughout and is stiff in every part. Some cheaper brands of handheld mixer has lowest speed that is way too fast. They create large air bubbles and the meringue is unstable. You may see my earlier video on "Which macaron recipe to choose" where I cover the meringues for different meringue methods.

Thank you and you are welcome 😊

This doesn't necessarily happen all the time. It happens only if the meringue is weak and inelastic. I explained in detail in my Instagram post why this happens. When you have layers of batter that have very different levels of dryness by the time you sent into oven to bake (because you wait too long between piping steps), they expand at different rates in the oven. If your meringue is elastic enough, it won't crack around the boundary. But if your meringue is inelastic, the different rates of expansion will tear around the boundaries. I hope this explanation helps 😊

You are welcome 😊

You are welcome 😊

Honestly, sometimes I do sometimes I don't 😆. For the really small details, I don't. Usually using a toothpick to swirl around or pull the batter to the shape you want is sufficient. Other times, you may just want to leave it as it is (without tapping tray or poking at it with toothpick) if there's no peak where your piping tip lift off. There is no right or wrong answer here, just whatever works best for you 😊

I just knead the chips together and use heat from my fingers to soften them. It takes only a few minutes as shown in the video but I live in the tropics where ambient room temperature is 27-29C most of the time.

I just use compound white chocolate chips from baking supplies store since these types don't need tempering.

Lower tray would be closer to lower heating element in your oven so heat is too intense and macarons on that tray cracks. I usually don't recommend baking on multiple levels as not all ovens can be used this way. Macarons are extremely temperamental to heat distribution and conduction in the oven. Baking on two levels may work for some ovens but perhaps not yours. You can try experimenting with lower baking temperature when baking two trays at a time but there is a chance you may have concave hollows for upper tray.

Thank you! Take your time to learn as it does take some time to master it. For now I would say don't worry too much about hollows first as this one needs many factors to be right to get it consistently full. Try mastering the right consistency for meringue and batter, and learning how to work with your oven. I can't stress enough how challenging it is to figure out the oven because each one is different and it takes time to know it well, just like getting to know a friend well. You can drop me a DM on Instagram if you need help troubleshooting 😊

Thank you! 😊

You are welcome 😊. Let me know if you encounter issues especially if you have not made chiffon cakes before.

You are welcome! 😊 Glad you find it helpful!

Thank you!!😊

Thank you so much!❤️

Yes definitely you can prepare ahead, even up to a day ahead. The only thing is the pastry won't be crispy anymore by then but will still be good to eat!

It won't burn because we are baking at low temperature of 90C 😊. I use top and bottom heat, no fan.

I hope this works out for you!

You are welcome 😊

you are welcome 😊

You are welcome😊

Thank you 😊

Thank you 😊

Thank you for your kind words❤️!

Yes it is yummy! That has been the unanimous agreement from those I teach! Macarons can tend to be too sweet for many people but everyone loves to eat choux au craquelin! I am sure with some adjustment in size of craquelin, baking conditions and amount of batter piped, you can get puffy pastries!

You are welcome!

You are welcome! Happy baking!!

Happy baking!!

I will be sharing another tutorial soon with the detailed recipe and steps for blackforest choux pastries with craquelin. You may use that as reference😊.

You are welcome! I hope this tutorial is helpful!

So glad you found this helpful!