Troubleshooting Tuesday: How To Fix Hollow Macaron Shells

This episode of troubleshooting Tuesday we are tackling hollow shells. In the video, I have outlined the BIG issues causing hollows and shared two of my biggest tips for helping solve your hollow macarons.
Bake with me! I have a few spots left in my live Zoom macaron class on Feb 18th if you’re interested!! Check out more details here:
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My dog Molly really wanted to be a part of this video. :). Hope you enjoy and thanks for watching! Let me know what else you'd like to be discussed on our next troubleshooting Tuesday!

[@Boyhead1973]

Thank you!! I have been on this Macaron journey for almost 3 years now and this has been an "issue" .... I have great feet - great shells (in my opinion), but there's always a gap... has been driving me crazy -- but, you have been one of my saving grace with your wealth of knowledge!! Thank you!

[@baketoujours]

I’m so happy to hear the channel has helped!! 🎉 thank you for watching!!

[@rumbleinthekitchen_Amy]

@Denny Nicole has been an angel on my macaron journey. I'm forever thankful that I found her channel.

[@AladdinSane13]

@@rumbleinthekitchen_Amy same. Nicole and Sugar Bean were the two channels I was exposed to early on. I learned a lot from both of them.

[@ExplorewithMafaza]

I've been bothered lately of all the viral videos of full macarons. Honestly a bit if air bubbles don't harm the overall hardwork. Thank you

[@Olga-fo8zz]

I’m Washing dishes and catching up on your videos ! thank you you’re the BEST !!❤

[@patisserie2505]

Merci beaucoup

[@maggie7678]

Love your new Tuesday Troubleshooting! Great idea and so helpful! Your explanation was perfect bc it helped narrow down the possible causes and fixes. It can seem nebulous sometimes. Anyway if you can talk about how to avoid tons of air bubbles after piping the macs, I would be so grateful!

[@baketoujours]

Thank you Maggie! I will definitely look into this one!

[@AladdinSane13]

Hollows annoy the crap out of me, Nicole! But, I’ve definitely come a long way trying to figure out how to combat it. I’ve been whipping my meringue less than I was before. I’m also trying to undermix a bit. But, yes, I’m convinced it’s my stupid, old gas oven. 😠

[@baketoujours]

Hey Nick! I know, I switched to that little toaster oven and full shells! Same batch in my large oven and a small gap. I really think a lot is our home equipment.

[@user-hw8ki7te9r]

Thank you so much 💓! What is the music we hear? It's so nice!

[@rumbleinthekitchen_Amy]

It's funny that you posted this today because I sent my son to the store just last night to buy a new oven thermometer! Testing temps tomorrow.

[@baketoujours]

🙌🏼🙌🏼

[@ridgewalker2010]

Hi, Nicole! What kind of sifter do you use? Like what mesh size? I'm spending way to much time and sweat sifting my stuff, but I don't know what to buy to replace my stupid stifter. I looove your channel - it's been super helpful. Thank you!! ❤️ Love from NC!

[@baketoujours]

Hi Sarah! I use a super cheap one from target that isn’t super fine. I have a nice sur la table fine mesh and it’s TORTURE to try to sift almond flour with. I believe the holes are about 1-2mm big. It’s hard to measure exactly

[@ridgewalker2010]

@@baketoujours thank you!! That's really helpful, and I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who's felt like that little process was torture 😅

[@Brandi_the_Baker]

I use a cheap one from the dollar store. I had a really fine one and it took forever.

[@carolsavluk4769]

I hate sifting my dries with a sieve too. I’ve been tempted to buy one of those cylindrical ones with the crank handle, but the mesh has bigger holes than the fine sieve that I’m using and I’m afraid I will get bumpy shells?

[@lindaang7814]

I used to have that lil gap problem ( beautiful overall with slight hollow top, which is annoyed me) it'll fill the tiny gap fully after you filled and matured like the hollow never happened 😜 untill i add egg white powder in my shell. Now i rarely have that slight hollow. My shell are full and full.

[@baketoujours]

Thanks for sharing

[@SusanneGeert]

May I ask if you just add a bit of egg white powder or you replace fresh egg whites completely with egg white powder? Thanks in advance ;-)

[@dianebarker7587]

Hi there the problem I have been having is the macarons look perfect nice shells and feet BUT when they come off the cool mat they are just hollow shells with no bottoms on them! Even though there is no mixture stuck on my mat! X

[@baketoujours]

Hi! Sounds like your oven temp is too low. If you’re using an air bake tray especially. You’ll need higher temps to combat concave bottoms

[@alearciniega5269]

Hello :) I recently started doing macarons and know that we have to mature our macarons. Only once, my macarons didn't matured. I had perfect feet and shells, filled after baking cooled, and 2 days later still really hard and not matured. I made 3 batches that same day with same procedure, and the other 2 batches matured perfectly. Please advise what might had gone wrong. 🙏

[@Brandi_the_Baker]

What is the right temp to bake at? My problem is the oven but not only the oven but temp itself because people have so many varying degrees to bake at. One recipe says 300 for 22 min while the next says 310 for 17 min. What should they actually be baked at and then I can work on my oven getting to that temp.

[@baketoujours]

Hi Brandi! So this is hard, because each oven will have its sweet spot. But for me, I’ve found anywhere between 295-305 to be a great place for the recipe I use and the pans I use.

[@Brandi_the_Baker]

@@baketoujours thank you. There are always so many variables. Lol. Even down to the pans. I have found with my airbake tray and a silicon mat, the middle of the pan won’t cook all the way and have sticky bottoms.

[@anitaparikh6415]

Should one use cream of tartar and egg white powder?

[@baketoujours]

I haven’t before, but I can’t imagine it would hurt. One or the other is fine though.

[@anitaparikh6415]

@@baketoujours , are they interchangeable, irrespective of what the recipe asks for

[@karlykd4961]

So I had the WEIRDEST result with my macs ever yesterday… they started browning on top so I had to take them out but the bottoms weren’t sealed over, even though they had feet. Like they looked like I’d chopped the bottom off and exposed the inside. I cooked on the same temp as always, only I used a new silicone mat for the first time. I assumed the temp must have been too high but like I said, same temp as always and my oven thermometer was actually reading the temp a bit lower than the setting! I also weirdly had some trouble incorporating the dry ingredients. Took way more mixing than usual, had lots of lumps/streaks despite sifting. Could that be from over processing the almond meal/icing sugar to make it finer? So weird, I’ve never had these issues in many, many batches.

[@baketoujours]

That is so weird! So if you hadn’t mentioned the silicone mat, I’d say maybe your sugar wasn’t completely dissolved in your meringue . That can cause the browning to happen if your sugar is still granular. Silicone mats do sometimes need lower temps and baking longer. So it may be something weird that happened at the higher temp.

[@baketoujours]

Also, in regards to the lumps, yes if you’re processing your almond flour, you may have made it oily and it can cause your batter to almost seize up and clump when mixing

[@LanaKhoeun]

I find that a completely full shells don’t taste as good as the one with a little gap of hollow shells. The gap shells taste light like a macaron supposed to taste like. The full shells, taste more like you’re eating a cake or a regular cookies. Lol 😂