Adventures in Macaron Making: Part II

Welcome to the now ongoing series, Adventures in Macaron Making, where yours truly attempts to perfect the art of making the French macaron, while remaining graceful and composed. You can read part one of the new series here. 

I can't believe it's been over a year since I first attempted macarons! I decided last weekend that there was no better time than the (then) present to try again. 

It's not that I was defeated by that first try, but making foolproof things like madeleines or going to Laduree (even Trader Joe's) for a macaron fix was just easier. Yet, the perfectionist in me remains determined. I've started this thing and I will  get it right. 

Eventually.

In my last attempt, I know I made three grave mistakes: possibly under mixing the egg whites, using egg whites that were from the carton and over mixing the batter. Knowing this, I figured if I at least paid attention to these three details, I could achieve more desirable results. details, I could get closer to more desirable results. 

The beginnings of a good batch...

Or not.

Wrinkly tops? No "feet"? I at least had feet on a few of my macarons last time! What gives!! 

After checking out this site and others, I think I have an idea of what went wrong/what I can do next time. I think they baked for too long, I didn't double the baking sheets, I put both batches in at one time,  and most importantly, I didn't use aged egg whites. Using aged egg whites seems to be key to getting macarons just right. 

Even still, this attempt put me much closer to macarons than last time. The batter was not runny and I got individual cookies. Also, the texture of the cookie is like that of a macaron- slightly chewy with a bit of an outer shell. Most importantly they taste great, so macaron or not, I'm still eating and enjoying them. 

Until next time.