Macarons: First Experience - Advise Needed!!!

It was challenging! I always wanted to try them, but was pretty scared. So decided to make only few. Took one egg, separated white part and kept it at room temperature from morning to evening. As advised by most of the articles - eggs should be aged minimum 4 days. Mine were in the fridge for 5 days after purchase and the last day at room temperature. Another essential rule - all ingredients should be precisely weighted. One more, helpful (but nor essential) is that any coloring should be only powdered substance - i used Green Tea "Matcha".

Ingredients:

38 g. egg white (from one large)

42 g. powdered almonds

76 g. powdered sugar

19 g. granulated sugar

some Matcha for color

Method:

1. Combine ground almonds and powdered sugar in food processor and sift through a fine sieve.

Some articles advices to put this mixture on the baking sheet and dry in the oven for 5 minutes. I did not do this. Added Matcha to the mixture.

2. Beat egg whites in clean dry bowl, until they hold soft peak.

3. Slowly add granulated sugar and beat until mixture is glossy and holds stiff peaks.

To check: turn bowl upside down - they should not move.

4. Add one third of almond mixture and fold gently with spatula to combine.

5. Add remaining almonds and sugar to meringue in two steps. Do not overfold, but fully incorporate all ingredients.

6. Spoon the mixture into the pastry bag with plain half-inch tip.

Alternatively you can use a plastic bag.

7. Pipe one-inch mounds of batter onto baking sheets lined with baking paper.

Once piped, bang the sheet down on a counter top to flatten any mounds and bring up air bubbles.

8. Leave unbaked macarons out to dry for 1 hour.

We have a high humidity level in Dubai, so i opened an oven door and placed macarons on the rack on the door.It took half an hour. To check if macarons are dry enough - touch their top with a finger tip - if it is no longer sticky - then they are dry enough.

9. Bake macarons for 20-22 minutes in preheated to 140C oven.

Here I faced a challenge - my oven is not maintaining static temperature and i had to run around for a while to adjust the temperature every once in a while. I guess it effected final result :-(

10. Cool on rack before removing from the baking paper, 15 minutes or so.

To remove easier - sprinkle some cold water under baking paper. Do not keep them for a long on the baking sheet - in other wise they will become soggy.

11. Let cool completely and keep in air tied container in the fridge or fill with any cream.

Hence i made only few as a tester party - i did not trouble myself with making a filling - just put some ready bought lemon curd.

Resolution: Even though macarons did not crack and they had a beautiful shape and even developed their famous "belt", they were not quite alright - the batter inside the macaron was pretty wet (kind of unbaked), so if there is anyone out there knows why, please do let me know :-(

I do not give up and next experience to follow.