Macarons: Does the stiffness of your meringue matter?

Thanks for watching!
In this video we are taking a closer look at how your meringue strength affects your macaron shells.
Products:
If you're looking for new colorants for your shells, The Sugar Art offers powdered colors that work great for macarons. In this video I used 3 different master elite colors: lilac, Hawaiian blue, and sugar rose.
Use code "BakeToujours" at check out to save 15% off your orders.

[@Brandi_the_Baker]

Where is the best place to buy reusable pastry bags?

[@baketoujours]

I use shoptheflourgirl.com piping bags and love them. If you need something bigger than a 12 in bag then I hear NY cakes had some good ones! If you go with the flour girl, you can save with my code- BAKETOUJOURS15

[@Brandi_the_Baker]

@@baketoujours thank you Nicole.

[@TheFlipsie]

Thank you for doing this experiment, very interesting and helpful to see! Personally, I've found that oven temperature makes the biggest difference in terms of getting nice full shells. Maybe this could be another experiment video, showing different methods (hot preheating vs regular) and temperatures in the new oven? Macarons are such a "scientific" cookie, lol.

[@baketoujours]

Yes this would be a great experiment!

[@lisaanderson135]

Thank you so much Nicole! You answered the questions that I wasn’t able to ask yesterday during the live stream! You are the best and am so grateful for your instructions, knowledge and generous tips! You have improved my MAC game 100%, with that said, I was using the Italian method because the French method never worked for me. You changed my method and recipe! Thank you, thank you, thank you 😊

[@tootsiepeter39]

I am about to make my first macarons ever this week so I’m basically going to live in your KZbin tutorials! Thank you dear nicole

[@Superbitz01]

This was very helpful! I’ve been struggling with fragile shells & now I have some ideas to help me troubleshoot!

[@cookienibz2578]

LOVE this! What a tasty science experiment! 👏👏👏 Thanks for the info!

[@SuzanneM7]

This was great, has helped me not worry too much about taking the meringue too far 😃

[@ash4abundance]

Thanks Nicole, great experiment!

[@gloriachamarro]

Loved this video! Great info.

[@Warning203]

This was brilliant video. Thank you.

[@annettemitchell2485]

I have to say thank you, I’m new to this Macaron making phenomenon and your videos are super helpful. Would love to know how to sign up for your newsletter and classes.

[@loekijordaan3012]

Just started baking Macarons, and now its an obsession to get it right🙈 Thanks for all your tips and info. Will keep going until its perfect.

[@jamifitz]

Thank you so much !! The information and time you put into teaching means a lot to us !! You look very nice too Nicole 😊 Take care !!

[@baketoujours]

Aw thank you so much Jami!

[@mlee895]

Just subscribed to your channel. So much information and I'm going to try some of your tips with your meringue. Thank you so much.

[@HP-on4gs]

Love your sharing!! Thanks dearly😍

[@girlonsoapbox]

Thank you Nicole. Great demonstration, I learnt a lot.

[@baketoujours]

Thanks for watching! Glad it was helpful!

[@helnysaridewi]

This is very important knowledge for me , thanks a lot nicole ❤

[@baketoujours]

Thanks for watching!!

[@alexiskwon1013]

Thank you 🙏🏻

[@tamarfischer283]

Your macaroons all look lovely and a lot nicer than my perfect ones

[@madebymonica1088]

Thank you for all you sweet videos and you look so pretty 🥰 …I love your experiment videos!! Would you consider doing one on doing macaronage with a mixer vs by hand?

[@lizzienicki]

Your hair is SOO pretty

[@obsec]

Thank you thank you & thank you

[@RubieRedVlogs]

thank u for sharing

[@gabicioculeasa2584]

Thanks for all your sharing. I am doing a Master class learning with you, I have good macarons recipe and tehnic, but sometimes I feel like is more luck than knowledge, this is way I want to know the sience behind it. But also I want to say to you that is never a good ideea to keep the cable for the hand mixer like this tangled... it can be dangerous, but also it can shorten your mixer life.

[@bettywassall82]

Hey Nicole! Love watching your videos! Do have a link for those mats that you’re using? Love that they are larger than the 40 count Mac mat.

[@stephaniewenner8773]

Thanks for this video! I’ve been wondering if I’ve been over whipping. Going to try a little less next time.

[@baketoujours]

Yeah! That’s a great idea. A little less, if it’s still pretty stiff you should be fine stopping earlier. Excited to hear how it goes!

[@Afy.B]

Thank you Nicole for this video and for all your efforts and time ❤

[@baketoujours]

Thank you for your suggestion to make this!!

[@Icanreadvietnamese]

Thank you so much for the experiment and such detailed explanation, Nicole! Hope I spelled your name correctly.

[@baketoujours]

You did!! Thanks so much for watching!💗

[@tweewin]

FYI - the promo code for Sugar Art isn't applicable to the Beginner's Kit and Elite Best Sellers Kit. I've just tried it in cart. Great tutorial!

[@lorrainefenwick1569]

That’s what I’m doing wrong then !! Mine always turns out like your 2nd overworked ones! Although I must admit I don’t over whip to that extent, but you can still put your finger through them 😩😩

[@kathyberger6650]

Yes, mine too!!! 😩

[@Gnaver1]

❤

[@mercedesmercado3878]

Thank you for all the tips! Do you have conventional oven or regular oven? My oven is a regular gas oven and maybe I can bake them at the temperature you bake them to get better feet , what bran is your baking tray and would you tell me what is t a good powder color to use, l have been using gel color and my macarons fade really bad😞

[@chohaewon88]

Oh how do you use your maca-wrongs in a brownie recipes? Do you fold in chunks of the broken cookies?

[@sukixdesu3627]

I have a question I make a big batch of Italian Macaron at work and recently the last 4 trays of Macaron has oily stain and softer shell but the first 4 trays which went in the oven first was perfectly fine ,even though they were made from the same batch. I'm trying to find out why please help!

[@Brandi_the_Baker]

Thank you. I have had so many problems with macs. I have had hollows, wrinkled, cracked, over baked, under baked…you name it. I have a new method I am going to try so please pray for me.

[@baketoujours]

You got this Brandi! 🙏🏼

[@Brandi_the_Baker]

@@baketoujours I sure am going to keep trying. My family doesn’t mind because they get to eat the mess ups. Lol.

[@mirandajohansson7914]

Hi, I’m really struggling with soft/fragile macaron shells. I’ve now made six different batches, changing different variables, and getting the same result: paper-thin, weak macaron tops. I’m starting to worry I’ll never have a successful macaron again… I thought overwhipping could be my problem, but after experimenting, that was not the problem. I’ve tried omitting food color, I’ve monitored the humidity in my kitchen, I’ve tried higher temp/longer bake. It feels the only thing it could be is oily almond flour. But I use Blue Diamond and I’ve never had issues before. I’m going to try drying out the almond flour as well as pulsing it with the powdered sugar. I’m very discouraged and worried I’m going to be unsuccessful again. Do you have any thoughts on this or ideas I could try? Anything helps.

[@susanbrock7582]

Where did you find your black baking pans?

[@vanessamarieronquillo510]

What oven setting you used??? Top and bottom heat???

[@mercedesmercado3878]

What kind of almond flour you use?

[@leejuhsu]

May I ask where did you purchase your mat? I can't find one with such big size for 48 macarons!

[@SPshaun]

Interesting. I was wondering about this same thing and I am just as surprised as you were about over-whipping. I think our weather is pretty much the same since I live just east of Salem (I think we more rain in the foothills of Santiam Canyon). My shells are always brittle. I’ll experiment some more. Could it also be my oven though? The temps run 25-50 degrees lower than what I set it to and it is unpredictable. I preheat for an hour to help and just wait until oven thermometer reaches a stable point.

[@baketoujours]

Oven temp could definitely play a role. Make sure it doesn’t dip below 275 and you should be good.

[@SPshaun]

@@baketoujours Thank you! I’ve forgotten to mention that my oven is electric and convection. I also use fan for these. Still have uneven heat and turn my pans.

[@elogan6563]

The problem with over whipped meringue is the patchy, ‘greasy’ appearance of the baked macarons, which looked great in the oven.

[@baketoujours]

I hate when they surprise you and look great and then you realize the shell is so fragile

[@kathyberger6650]

Hey Chef Nicole! I just made my first batch and I’m so disappointed. 😩 My first batch was baked on the silicone mac mat and the batter had spread so some macs were running together. The feet had spread wider than the top shell. The top of the shells were cracking once touched. I baked for 30 minutes at 300 degrees. It was under cooked. Sooooo…. I made a second batch. I made the macs smaller than last and it did have less spread but I baked on parchment paper at 285 degrees for 30 minutes and the tops were a little dark. The tops crumbled when touched. The feet had a little spread on them too. I want to cry!!!! I did crack my oven to provide airflow. ( I saw that in one of your videos) I sifted my flour mixture twice also and don’t believe that I over whipped my meringue. Please help me understand what I’m doing wrong. I have taken pictures but not sure how to get them to you so you can see what the finished product look like. Please help if you can!!!

[@mishaslilbae828]

I'm no professional but it sounds like you overmixed your macaronage batter so it had become runny

[@naninawasichannel6039]

🎄🎄🎄💝💝👌👌🙏🙏👍