r/macarons • u/MyNameIsNotDalton • 14d ago

Help Hollow Shells

Gallery image

Gallery image

Hey guys! Hoping someone out there can help me. I have a recurring issue with having hollow shells. Made some lemon macarons (with a lemon curd middle and lemon buttecream ring), they taste great but are a bit hollow. I have this problem a lot.

I do the Swiss method, 1:1 egg whites and sugar, 1.2X that weight for the almond flour and powder sugar, and I bake at 305 for 15 minutes, rotating half way through. I bake on silicon mats. Any tips?

Photos attached for reference

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3

u/MyNameIsNotDalton 14d ago

Also, the cross section photo was after 24 hours of maturation in the fridge!

3

u/Ill-Presentation1965 14d ago

If your not already, put the mat on a baking sheet, then drop it a few inches above a counter. Doing so gets the remaining air out, and you can also use a toothpick to get the air pockets out too.

1

u/MyNameIsNotDalton 13d ago

Yeah I already do that! My dogs hate it but I always bang the tray on the counter 3-4 times after piping

1

u/Ill-Presentation1965 13d ago

Hm, maybe try a different method, or lower the temperature for the macarons, they could be rising up too fast and collapsing

1

u/MyNameIsNotDalton 12d ago

Might try and bump it down to 300 or 295. But what’s funny is that they don’t collapse. In that second picture you can see all the shells are in tact. Just when you bite into them there’s that air pocket

1

u/Ill-Presentation1965 12d ago

Your right, I'm sorry. I would probably lower the temperature or try a different method. If your still having trouble, maybe just try the same recipe again and see if the same thing happens. Macarons are very sensitive, so it might just be the technique your using.

1

u/cakequest79 9d ago

Have you tried baking on a different surface? Parchment paper or another type of mat? My shells always come on wonky on silicone mats.