Macarons are very tasty, but many people have a difficult time getting them to turn out right. As scrumptious as a perfect macaron can be, it might take you some practice to get it perfect.
Many people have issues with getting them to form feet properly, and some even have trouble with the macarons cracking. You might run into difficulties when it comes to getting them to form a skin as well.
What’s going wrong when your macarons aren’t forming a skin and how can you fix it? Macarons are not necessarily easy to make, but that doesn’t have to stop you.
Read on to learn all about how to fix this common problem. You’ll be able to get much better results moving forward, and your macarons are going to taste really nice.
You Didn’t Allow the Macarons to Dry Out Properly
The basic reason why your macarons didn’t form skin will be that there was an issue with the drying process. If you don’t allow the drying process to play out as it should, you’re not going to get the results that you’re looking for.
This issue can actually lead to multiple problems that will prevent your macarons from turning out as they should. When the macarons don’t dry out right, they won’t form a skin, and this should also prevent them from forming feet.
The thing to learn here is that the drying process is crucial when it comes to getting macarons to turn out the way that they’re meant to. If you aren’t paying good attention to the drying process, it’s a lot easier for things to go wrong.
Sometimes impatience is going to be the only cause of this issue. You might simply not have waited long enough for the drying process to play out.
If you tried to put them in the oven before the skin formed, you’re going to get poor results. The macarons won’t form feet, and everything is going to be off.
Thankfully, you can fix this issue if you haven’t already baked the macarons. All you need to do is just wait a while longer for them to properly dry and form a skin.
How to Dry Macarons the Right Way
Drying macarons the right way is the only way to get the results that you’re looking for. You might have done something wrong if they didn’t dry properly, but you can try to fix things by learning what needs to be done.
It generally takes between twenty and forty minutes for macarons to dry out. You’re going to want to place them on baking sheets and leave them uncovered while you’re drying them.
For the macarons to dry out, they’re going to need to be placed in a dry spot that is also fairly cool. This drying process is what allows the batter to form the thick skin that you’re looking for.
When you skip this step or cut the drying process short, it’s going to throw the entire macaron baking process off. If you’re worried about why your macarons aren’t forming skin, you might just need to wait a while longer.
It’s also possible that the room isn’t the right temperature for the macarons to dry properly. Things could be too humid in the room and you might need to move them to a cooler location that is also dry enough.
This might sound like a pain, but it’s really about patience and being observant about your environment. You should be able to recognize if a room is too hot or humid, and you can try to make adjustments to get the macarons to turn out well.
How Do You Know When Skin Forms?
If you’re still pretty new to making macarons, you might not be clear about how the skin looks when it’s done. This skin is going to be a thick layer that is pretty easy to notice visually.
When you go to touch one of the macarons with your fingers, the batter shouldn’t stick to you. If this turns out right, you’ll know that the skin has formed and it’ll be fine to go through with baking them.
Many people who are new to baking macarons just don’t know what to look for and they make assumptions. If you’re only following the time recommendations and not checking to see if the skin formed, then you’re not going to get good results.
Depending on the humidity levels in your area, the drying process can take longer than expected. A combination of patience and observation will allow you to get things right each time.
It’s normal to make mistakes when you’re first making macarons. Most people run into issues because of how accurate they need to be to get things just right.
If you’re worried about how they’ll turn out, just try to look at them before you start baking them. If you’re able to recognize that skin has formed, you should be ready to start baking.
Other Macaron Advice
Of course, there are other things that can go wrong when baking macarons. For instance, sometimes the feet will spread out too far.
If this happens once you’ve baked them, you should try lowering the temperature next time. You might have been baking them at a slightly higher temperature than you should have.
Macaron feet can sometimes get too tall due to high temperatures as well. This can also happen when you beat the egg whites too much while mixing things up.
Try to take the mixing process slowly so that you can get things right one step at a time. It’ll make it easier to avoid common problems.
Enjoy Your Macarons
Now that you know more about macarons, it should be simpler to get good results. You now understand how skin forms on them and what you need to do for things to turn out properly.
Be sure to check to see if a skin has formed on the macarons before you start baking them. If it hasn’t, then waiting a bit longer might be the right step to take.
If all went well, then you should be able to bake your macarons and enjoy nice results. You’ll be able to treat your loved ones to delicious treats soon enough.
Sarah is the founder of Baking Kneads, LLC, a blog sharing guides, tips, and recipes for those learning how to bake. Growing up as the daughter of a baker, she spent much of her childhood learning the basics in a local bakery.