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Empty macarons.
Doing the macaron course with Damien Wager. I had such hopes for the Italian method, but yet again my macarons are only hollow empty shells! I’ve been super meticulous (even tested the temperature in my ovens) as he said in his course that if you do exactly as instructed nothing will go wrong. Yeah…. Well… empty macarons is not something I can sell in my bakery. Why does this happen? I’m about to give up after weeks of trying and failing. The only difference I can come up with is the pasteurized egg whites. That’s not a thing in my country as we have safe eggs, so not even sure I can buy this. Please help!
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1 Responder
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Scoolinary Team
Hi, I completely understand your frustration,especially when you’ve followed every step to the letter.
The first thing worth mentioning is that this recipe is specifically formulated for pasteurized egg whites, and that’s not a minor detail.
Pasteurized egg whites have a different structure: they’re more liquid and have less ability to retain air, which affects both the texture of the meringue and the stability of the final mixture. If you’re using fresh egg whites (even if they’re perfectly safe), the results won’t be the same—and that could partly explain why your macarons are coming out as empty shells or overly hollow.
Here’s what I recommend:
1. Adjust the recipe if using fresh egg whites. Often, you’ll need to modify the macaronage or the sugar ratio to account for the differences in viscosity and protein content.
2. Consider the ambient humidity. A humid environment can significantly affect how the surface of the macaron dries before baking, which in turn impacts how they develop in the oven. High humidity can prevent the “feet” from forming properly and lead to hollow centers.
3. Check the drying before baking. Although this recipe doesn’t mention drying the shells before baking (as some Italian meringue methods skip this step), it’s strongly recommended in humid climates to let them dry until they form a skin that’s dry to the touch. This can take 30 minutes to an hour or more, depending on the humidity level.4. Review your baking process. Baking too quickly or with too much bottom heat can cause the shells to puff up too fast and collapse internally, resulting in hollow macarons.
Please don’t give up. Even experienced pastry chefs struggle with macarons,they’re notoriously temperamental.
If pasteurized egg whites aren’t available in your country, it might be more practical to use a recipe specifically developed for fresh egg whites, like a well-executed French meringue method or an adapted Italian meringue version.
I’d also recommend checking out the Sweet and Savory Macarons course available on the platform, where the chef uses natural egg whites.
Here’s the direct link to the course:https://www.scoolinary.com/courses/sweet-and-savory-macarons
I hope this helps,and if you have any other questions, I’m here for you!
Best regards.
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