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It contains only a few essential ingredients, but why do some people struggle so much to make the perfect meringue? I’ve tried making it a few times, and each time the result would’ve made any decent chef cringe. Why is my meringue always flat?
If you want to be crowned the best meringue baker in your circle of family and friends, let’s have a look at what to do and not to do when making this delicacy:
Although the basic ingredients for a meringue include only eggs, sugar, and a mild acid, it’s easier than it sounds to create the perfect lemon meringue pie or pavlova.
The first step towards a successful meringue lies in the preparation of the mixture. There are various reasons why your meringue mixture might become flat:
- The eggs aren’t separated properly.
- The eggs are too cold.
- The egg whites haven’t been whipped long enough.
- The overall mixture is overwhipped.
- The whisk and bowl are not clean or dry enough.
- You’ve squeezed the piping bag too tight.
- You’ve added the sugar too quickly.
- You haven’t added a mild acid.
- The weather is too humid.
The secret to a perfect meringue mixture lies in the eggs, whisking, tools, and weather, so what precautions should you take with your next attempt?
How Can I Ensure That My Meringue Mixture Doesn’t Go Flat?
It’s not as easy as grabbing a bowl, whisking up some egg whites, and adding sugar: you need to take great care with each delicate step of making a perfect meringue:
Can I Fix My Flat Meringue Mixture?
It is sometimes possible to revive a flat meringue mixture. The secret lies in the whisking of the egg whites.
According to Nigella, the egg whites are sometimes not whisked enough before the sugar is added. She states, ‘It sometimes helps to whisk the whites, then add a tablespoon of sugar and whisk the whites back to medium peaks before adding the rest of the sugar.’
Why Is My Baked Meringue Flat?
As mentioned earlier, it is not only the meringue mixture that can be flat – a baked meringue can also fall flat. Here are some reasons why your baked meringue might fall flat:
- You haven’t baked it long enough.
- The oven’s setting is too low. The moment you see liquid condensation beads on top of your meringue, it’s a telling sign that you should increase your oven’s temperature.
- The air is too humid. Try as far as possible to make meringue on a dry day as the humidity in the air might very well cause your baked meringue to flatten.
- If you take it out of the oven immediately after baking, your meringue might fall flat. Because the meringue absorbs extra moisture from the air on a humid day, you need to cool it off first inside the turned-off oven.
- You’ve opened the oven door during the baking process.
Final Thoughts
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.
Making meringue is something that takes a bit of time and skill. Baked goods that require meringue are so tasty, though, and many feel that it’s worth learning how to make the perfect meringue.
You might want to make delicious meringue pies or you could be interested in meringue cookies. Either way, you’re going to want to get your technique right.
When you first start making meringue, it’s possible that you’ll encounter some bumps along the road. For example, some people wind up having the meringue turn out a bit runny.
1 – Undercooking
The problem that you’re running into when you have runny meringue is often related to baking issues. You might have made some mistakes when trying to bake your pie or cookies, and this caused the meringue to turn out wrong.
The most common situation that causes runny meringue occurs when you undercook what you’re trying to bake. You might have taken a pie out of the oven before it truly had time to finish baking, and this will cause it to appear runny instead of looking like it should.
Are you noticing that the top of the pie looks moist when you take it out of the oven? When you don’t bake the pie long enough, you might notice some unwanted moisture that will bead on the meringue.
2 – Overcooking
Overcooking can actually cause your meringue to become runny as well. If you go beyond the time that you’re supposed to bake a pie, then sugary drops of moisture will appear on top.
It’s going to change the way that your meringue looks and tastes. This is not going to be the ideal type of meringue that you want for your pies.
It’s certainly good to check your pies since ovens can cause baking times to vary somewhat, but you should try to stick close to the recommendations to get good results. Paying attention and being careful will often be all that is necessary to solve runny meringue issues.
You can also make mistakes before the baking process even begins that will cause your meringue to turn out poorly. When you think of a meringue dessert, you’ll generally note that it’s supposed to have stiff peaks.
If the meringue isn’t stiff and turns out kind of runny or flat, then you could have made mistakes during the stiffening process. This happens to a lot of newcomers who are making it for the first time.
You have to beat the meringue in a mixing bowl so that it can stiffen up properly. When you do this right, it will have stiff peaks and the sugar will dissolve.
It takes about five minutes to do this with a hand mixer on average. You could have given up too soon and wound up not stiffening the peaks as you were supposed to.
Some people don’t really know what stiff meringue is supposed to look like, and this causes them to assume that they did things right. It might be good to learn from someone who has made meringue many times before so that they can show you how it’s supposed to turn out.
Having a good visual aid of how meringue should look in the bowl when it starts to stiffen is helpful. It isn’t that hard to tell when it is stiffened, but these mistakes are common enough that having help would be good for any newcomers.
It’s also notable that you can beat meringue too much. If you go overboard and mix it for longer than you’re supposed to, the texture of the meringue could turn out gritty and you might notice that it’s a bit dry.
4 – Egg Whites Weren’t Whisked Properly
Sometimes people encounter issues with meringue being runny due to making mistakes during the mixing process. Meringue is made using egg whites and sugar when using standard recipes, and you need to ensure that you’re whisking egg whites well before adding the sugar.
It’s very possible that your meringue is runny because you added the sugar too soon and didn’t whisk the egg whites well before moving forward. You might want to change the way that you approach things to try to get better results.
Some people find that whisking your egg whites and then adding a bit of sugar helps. Add a tablespoon of sugar and then whisk the egg whites until they have roughly medium peaks before proceeding to add the rest of the sugar.
If you do this, you should have an easier time whisking things the rest of the way and getting stiff peaks to appear. It’s always good to try out new approaches that might work better for you when you’re having problems.
5 – Soapy Mixing Bowls
Have you had problems even getting your egg whites to stiffen properly? This happens sometimes, and one potential cause involves having a soapy mixing bowl.
When you try to whisk egg whites in a bowl that still has some soap residue in it, the whole process will be thrown off. Things won’t stiffen up because of the presence of the soap residue.
The presence of fat from other ingredients could be lingering in the mixing bowl as well. You might not have rinsed the bowl as well as you thought you did and this could be leading to your problems with getting the egg whites to stiffen.
Do your best to carefully rinse your mixing bowl to prevent this from happening. Do the same thing for your whisk and your beaters since they can also throw the whole process off if they aren’t rinsed well.
What About Meringue Going Flat?
Flat meringue is a different problem than runny meringue, but it’s another thing that people who are new to baking meringue baked goods deal with. You can easily make a mistake with your eggs and wind up having your meringue go flat on you.
It’s very disheartening to take a pie out of the oven to discover that the meringue is deflated. Instead of having the beautiful peaks that you expected, you’ll be left with a flat meringue on top of the rest of the pie.
This often happens because of issues with separating the egg whites. Separating egg whites from the rest of the egg can be a bit tricky for some people, and you could have made a mistake.
For example, you might have accidentally gotten some of the yolk in with your egg whites. When this occurs, it can easily cause the meringue to go flat.
You might need to try to take things slower so that you can separate the egg whites and get good results. It takes a bit of patience to do this, but it’ll be worth it in the end.
Conversely, you could choose to buy something like liquid egg whites so that you don’t have to separate egg whites at all. If you find this to be more convenient, then you can definitely go for it.
Using Cold Eggs
Making meringue is going to be so much tougher if you choose to use eggs that just came out of the refrigerator. Many people do this when they’re new to making meringue and wind up encountering issues.
It’s a lot easier to get egg whites to stiffen and produce good meringue when they’re at room temperature. This means that allowing your egg whites to sit out on the counter for a while before you start baking will be wise.
It is notable that it’s easier to separate eggs when they’re cold, though. To have the easiest time, you could separate the eggs when they’re fresh out of the fridge and then allow them to sit for a while so that they will be at room temperature.
It isn’t impossible to separate room-temperature eggs, though, and many people just allow the eggs to sit out for a bit before they do anything. Choose whichever path you find to be the most convenient.
Knowing more about why meringue turns out runny should allow you to make changes to what you’re doing. You’ll be able to figure out where you’re going wrong and make adjustments so that you can get better results.
You’ll be able to enjoy delicious meringue pies or cookies before you know it. It’s true that meringue can be a bit tricky at times, but once you get used to making it you won’t have so many problems.
A meringue can form the basis of any number of wonderful desserts, cookies, and other baked treats. Unfortunately, a long line of home cooks have found themselves frustrated by limp, chewy, or deflated meringues. The next time you’re whipping one up for lemon meringue pie or pavlova, avoid these common mistakes and you’re guaranteed to come out with a tall, impressive mound of fluff.
Adding the Sugar Too Quickly
Ever attempt a souffle only to watch it deflate? It’s because the only thing holding together the batter are the proteins in the egg whites. With a meringue, the sugar interacts with the same proteins to produce a more stable structure, which is why a properly made meringue is much stiffer than an ordinary egg foam. In general, a given weight of egg whites can absorb up to an equivalent weight of sugar, but you can’t just dump it in all at once or it will simply knock all the air out of the foam. Instead, add half the sugar with the machine running, a tablespoon at a time. Then, with the machine off, gently fold in the rest with a spatula. Some cooks like to use superfine (aka baker’s sugar) or confectioner’s (aka powdered) sugar for this second addition—or sometimes even for the whole quantity—as these two will dissolve more quickly.
Skipping the Cream of Tartar
A mild acid will help give your meringue more volume and structure, which means they will inflate more fully and hold the air longer. You don’t need much: about 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar for every two to three egg whites should do the trick. You can also use lemon juice. About 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice will contribute the equivalent amount of acid as 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar. Outside of making meringues, cream of tartar is a handy item to have in your pantry because you can use it to make your own baking powder.
Using a Dirty Bowl
No one is casting aspersions on your dishwashing skills here, but even the slightest residue of oil on the inside of your bowl, or indeed a tiny speck of egg yolk, will prevent your egg whites from foaming properly, no matter how hard you beat them. Note that the same is true for the whip attachment itself. For this reason, separate eggs one by one into a small bowl, and then add the egg whites individually into the bigger mixing bowl. That way, if a yolk slips through, you need only discard one egg white and not the whole batch. And it isn’t just grease: even a wet bowl will prevent your meringue from forming stiff peaks. So make sure your bowl is squeaky clean and dry, and preferably stainless steel, which of course is what most stand mixer bowls are made of. (Even better if you have one is a copper bowl.)
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Not Bringing Eggs to Room Temperature
Egg whites will produce a better, airier meringue if they start out at room temperature. A lot of folks will pull their eggs out for 10 or 15 minutes, or even 30, which is certainly better than using them straight from the fridge, but for the very best results, let your egg whites come to room temperature for a full hour. Note that it’s easier to separate cold eggs, so your best bet is to separate them while they’re cold and then let the whites come to room temperature. Again, be extra careful when separating your eggs because even a tiny speck of yolk can prevent your whites from achieving full peak stiffness. For this reason, separate eggs one by one into a small bowl, and then add the egg whites individually into the bigger mixing bowl. That way, if a yolk slips through, you need only discard one egg white and not the whole batch.
Beating the Egg Whites for Too Long
One of the most common mistakes is not beating the eggs long enough, or on too slow a speed, which means the egg whites won’t reach stiff peak stage and instead only reach a soggy droopy stage. But the opposite can also happen: if you beat them for too long, eventually the whites go past peak stiffness to a kind of grainy consistency. The dry and almost lumpy, curdled milk texture is equally undesirable, both aesthetically and functionally. Nor is there any going back. Once your egg whites are overbeaten, they won’t work properly in your meringue. Properly-whipped egg whites should look shiny and moist.
Squeezing All the Air Out
This one is a real heartbreaker. If you’ve done everything properly and avoided all the pitfalls described above, the last thing you want to do is deflate your meringue by squeezing the piping bag too tightly. Squeeze gently and leave a gap between the tip of the bag and the parchment or baking sheet, so that the meringue is not being pressed against the baking sheet.
Baking the Meringues Too Low
Score cloudlike meringue every time with these foolproof tips from our Test Kitchen.
Whipping a bowl of egg whites to stiff, glossy peaks for a meringue pie is a magical process. But it’s a pain if you go through all the time and effort of making that gorgeous fluffy topping for your vanilla cream pie or chocolate meringue pie only to experience weeping meringue. If you aren’t familiar with the term, “weeping,” it refers to the layer of moisture that forms between the meringue and filling after chilling. It’s a top complaint about homemade meringue pies because no one wants a slice of sad, watery pie. Good news for you: After years of practice, the experts in our BH&G Test Kitchen have more than a few tricks up their sleeves to prevent weeping meringue. Here you’ll learn what causes meringue to weep as well as how to prevent it from happening.
Why Meringue Pies Weep
- Beat a mixture of thickened cornstarch and water into the egg whites to bind and stabilize the liquid in the meringue (and keep it from seeping out).
- Cook the filling for the full 2 minutes on the stove top so the cornstarch thickens completely and doesn’t start breaking down and “leaking” during chilling.
- Spread the meringue on the filling while the filling is HOT. This heats (and seals) the underside of the meringue so it cooks as thoroughly as the top (which is exposed to the heat of the oven).
More Tips to Stop Meringue from Weeping
Still concerned about ending up with a runny meringue? We feel you. Here are some meringue troubleshooting techniques to help prevent weeping and keep meringue from shrinking.
- Make meringue pie on dry, low-humidity days.
- Don’t overbake your meringue! Overbaking causes the egg whites to shrink and squeeze out small droplets of moisture. Always make sure to check on your pie at the minimum baking time.
- Undissolved sugar in the egg whites can also cause weeping. To make sure the sugar gets dissolved, mix the egg whites and sugar at a low speed until the mixture feels perfectly smooth with no graininess when you rub a little between your thumb and fingers. You can also try using superfine/caster sugar ($8, Sur La Table); it dissolves more quickly than regular granulated sugar.
- Always prepare the meringue before preparing the pie filling so it’s ready to spread while the filling is still hot. The heat from the filling will “cook” the meringue onto the filling and make it less likely to leak or shrink.
- Seal the meringue completely to the edge of the pie so it touches the crust.
Test Kitchen Tip: If you use eggs that are pasteurized in the shell (which destroys salmonella bacteria), you could bake your meringue for 15 minutes until it’s browned without having to worry about getting to the safe temperature for eggs (165°F). The less time the meringue spends in the oven, the less likely you are to overbake the meringue and cause weeping.
Once your pie is finished, store it correctly by covering and chilling it so the meringue will be as beautiful as it was right out of the oven. Now that you have this newfound weeping meringue knowledge, you can get back to the kitchen to start baking all the delicious cream pie recipes from scratch with less worry.
If you overmix macarons, the batter will become too liquid and the macarons will spread too much during baking, resulting in flat, misshapen cookies.
When mixed macarons are mixed together, they are impossible to repair, unless you have a time machine. If you believe you made an error, you can still pipe the shells and bake them as usual. At this point, there is nothing to lose except for the time and energy required to power the oven.
How Do You Fix Over Whipped Macaron Batter?
When the batter for macarons is over-mixed and runny, it is impossible to extract it. As a result, it is critical to take preventative measures. If you are unsure of the consistency of the batter, you must check it on a regular basis.
When making macarons at home, one of the most common issues is that the batter turns too thick. To properly deflate some of the air in a thick macarons batter, mix it together with force. After mixing the batter, a thick consistency resembling pancake batter should be obtained. To make your meringue, combine the dry ingredients (such as almond flour and sugar) in a mixing bowl; it should be thick at first but loosen and thin out as you fold it. When making macarons with a batter that is too thick, it is possible to form little peaks on each cookie that will not settle, implying that the macarons are incomplete. The perfect Macaron is composed of a smooth shiny top, ruffled feet, and full shells. Making macarons at home can result in a number of issues, such as cracked shells and grainy textures.
When the batter is undermixed or overmixed, it can develop a thick, hollow batter. Adding a dusting of Macaron Dust to cakes, cupcakes, donuts, and ice cream gives them a nice texture and flavor. When combining the ingredients, be mindful of how thick your macarons batter should be. You can achieve perfect batter consistency by folding it 60 times per week.
How To Fix Runny Macaron Batte
Make sure your macarons batter is well whisked and not overblended. A few tiny peaks will form on the shells under mixing, but an excessive amount will cause them to spread and become flat and crispy. If your macarons are overly runny, whisk them up for 15 minutes to stiffen them up. If this doesn’t work, fold in another whipped egg white if you don’t have enough stiffness. You can also use cornstarch as a substitute for a small amount of water.
What Happens If You Over Bake Macarons?
If you over bake macarons, they will be dry and crumbly.
Fix Those Cracked Macarons!
Over-baked, too short of a rest, trapped air bubbles, and under-mixed batter are all common causes of macarons cracking in the oven. A number of factors can be considered, including waiting for the macarons to develop a skin, checking the oven for hot spots, and slightly adjusting the batter to suit the skin.
What Causes Macarons To Fail?
Cracking the shells can be caused by a variety of factors, including over-mixing, too short of a rest, trapped air bubbles, or too hot of an oven. If you need to make any changes, place your macarons on the cooling rack and cook for 5 minutes, then place them on the cooling rack for 5 minutes, check your oven for hot spots, or mix the batter slightly more.
If you fail to take a step, your macarons may become hollow, flat, cracked, or burned. The hollow shells are commonly caused by over- or under-whipping egg whites. Macaron feet are the first indication of whether or not a macarons was baked well. Because of the amount of air in the batter, there is a high likelihood that the top will crack. It is very likely that making macarons is the most important step in the process. You should separate your eggs and place them in a container in the refrigerator until they are ready to eat. Wheat flour contains less fat than almond flour, which is entirely made of almonds.
When you lift the spatula, a thick batter with a runny center should fall into a ribbon of macarons. Because liquid food color may have an impact on the consistency of this delicate batter, we recommend using a gel or powdered color additive. One of two things can be used as a glue: a parchment paper or a Silicone Baking Mat.
To Rest Or Not To Rest
It is critical to allow the macarons to rest for at least one day before baking, preferably overnight in an airtight container or plastic bag. As a result, the baked goods will not become too dry and will bake evenly. If your macarons do crack or deflate, it could be caused by baking them too soon or not completely drying them. Allow them to rest for an extra day if possible, or bake them in a lower-temperature oven if possible.
How Do You Know When Macarons Are Done Mixing?
The shells of the macarons should form feet as soon as they bake. When your finger or spoon is lightly touched on top of a hot, delicate Macaron, it is done (carefully, it is hot). If the macarons appear wobbly, it should be allowed to cool for 1-2 minutes before carving. If it appears to be complete, it is.
Making perfect macarons requires mixing the batter until it is thick and glossy. If the batter is too runny, it will lose its shape as it bakes and will fall apart. It is also critical to note that if the batter is too thick, it will not bake properly and will be dry and crumbly. To achieve the ideal consistency, combine the batter until it is thick and glossy, but not runny, and then leave it to stand for a few minutes. When the batter begins to appear glossy around the edges and sinks back into place within 20 seconds, it is ready to be mixed further.
Macaron Problems
There are a few problems that can occur when making macarons. One problem is that the macarons can crack on the top. This is usually caused by the oven temperature being too high. Another problem is that the macarons can be too chewy. This is usually caused by not enough almond flour being used.
Almond meal, in addition to causing the smooth tops of the shells, is one of the most common causes. If you’re using ground almonds, make sure they’ve been finely ground. If the almond meal is not finely ground, it is more likely to cause rough edges to form on the shells.
Delicious Macarons
Macarons are a delicious, bite-sized treat that come in a variety of colors and flavors. They are made from a combination of egg whites, sugar, ground almonds, and food coloring, and are sandwiched together with a flavored filling. Macarons are typically served as a dessert, and are a popular treat in France.
The French Macaron recipe produces a delicate, delicate, and delicious cookie batch. Even though macarons are a little difficult to master, once you learn how to make them, they will be a lot easier to master. Macaron cookies, no matter how bad they look when they come out of the oven, will still be delicious. When your macarons have a similar consistency to that of a lava ball, a thick ribbon forms and gradually blends back into itself when drizzled with your spatula. If a consistency is correct, a figure of eight can be used to determine it. Place batter in a pastry bag with a round tip and press down gently. Place a sheet of parchment paper over the cookie sheet.
A French Macaron is a delicate pastry sandwich made with egg whites, almond fours, and sugar, typically made with macarons. They’re crisp outside, but moist and chewy inside. You can choose from a variety of ganaches, buttercreams, or anything else you want to fill them with. In a mixing bowl, combine the confectioners sugar and almond flour, then the egg whites, cream of tartar, granulated sugar, vanilla, and food coloring. Begin folding the dry ingredients in one-third of the way through. A figure eight should appear to be flowing lava in the final mixture, and it should be able to remain in shape without breaking. After spooning the piping bag with a medium round tip into the bag, you should be able to begin piping.
In a saucepan, combine sugar and water to make the French Buttercream Filling. Bring the egg yolks to a boil in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and beat until thick and foamy with a wire whisk. Increase the heat to medium-high and boil the eggs. Allow each cube to be incorporated before adding the next, one cube at a time.
It is said that macarons were invented in the 17th century as a type of cake to commemorate special occasions. The pte choux is a French dessert made with almond milk and sugar. The Macaron was initially named the Macaron in 1884, after the French word for macarons. La Dureé has been making macarons since 1884, and they are one of the world’s most famous flavors. Ladurée’s macarons are gluten-free and made with almond milk and egg whites. The shop’s flavors include caramel, chocolate, pistachio, strawberry candy, orange blossom, rose, and other favorites. While many macarons are filled with cream flavors, La Dureé’s macarons are filled with a meringue filling. As a result, the macarons’ outer shell is crisp and they can be filled with a variety of flavors. Ladurée’s macarons are an excellent choice for anyone visiting Paris, and their gluten-free options are ideal for anyone who suffers from a food allergy or intolerance.
Hollow Macaron Troubleshooting
The inside of the shells does not have enough time to bake at a low oven temperature, so the shells will become hollow; this is because the shells do not dry and the oven temperature does not reach high enough. If you’re on the low end and don’t mind staying at temperatures below 300 degrees Fahrenheit, try higher ones.
One of the most common issues bakers have with macarons is that they end up with hollow cookies. Macarons are difficult to bake perfectly, and hollow cookies are an issue that many bakers face. Here are the most common causes of hollow cookies, in addition to what caused them. You can avoid hollow macarons by piping them properly in the How to Pipe Macarons section. When you squeeze the batter from the bag into the baking dish, make sure you have a 90-degree angle with the bag and surface where your baking sheet and template are located. As a result, the batter will be more evenly spread throughout the templates. Before putting macarons in your oven, make sure it is completely preheated.
A baking error at the wrong temperature can result in a poor or over-cooked cookie. An oven thermometer can be used to ensure that the inside of the oven is at the proper temperature. The meringue actually helps to hold the cookies together; in fact, it makes a big difference whether or not the cookies end up hollow. When macarons aren’t baked for an extended period of time, this is a common cause of hollowness. If your shells have completely baked, it is safe to say they are done. Before filling your buttercream-filled macarons, cool them down sufficiently. When it comes to making the perfect Macaron batter, patience is required.
Making a figure eight with your spoon is one way to see if you’re getting the right consistency out of your batter. The second reason for baking hollow macarons is that you forgot to tap the baking sheet right after you started piping. Make a very fine paste of almond flour, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder by sifting or combining them in a food processor. If you are experimenting with macarons, you should always try using food color paste instead of liquid food coloring. Because macarons are one of the most difficult types of cookies to bake right, you should never give up on your efforts to bake a perfect Macaron. According to some bakers, using a baking mat can help keep macarons from becoming too dry because moisture can be retained more effectively in macarons than parchment paper.
Does Cream Of Tartar Help With Hollow Macarons?
(For large eggs, the amount is about 1/2 tsp. To make it easier to apply, apply Cream of Tartar. This acid stabilizes the meringue and contributes to its stability. For the most part, I use it in macarons and chiffon cakes.
Lemon Juice As A Sugar-free Alternative To Cream Of Tarta
If you want to enhance the flavor of your macarons without using more sugar, use lemon juice instead of cream of tartar. It is critical to use only two times the amount as cream of tartar in order to achieve the desired results.
How Do You Troubleshoot Macarons?
The Shells Are Lumpy and Bumpy The Batter Is Not Mixed The key to getting good Macaron shells is to fold the batter properly and ensure that the wet and dry ingredients are homogeneous before piping. A FIX FOR ITALIAN FLOUR AND POWDERED SUGAR: Combine the two ingredients in the food processor and begin sifting and discarding bits that cannot be sifted.
How To Perfect Your Macarons
Make the delicate macarons batter ahead of time and store in the refrigerator for a leisurely hour to prevent them from falling out. If they continue to move when you touch them, they have not yet been cooked sufficiently. It is recommended that they continue to work for another 10-15 minutes before continuing.
Why Do My Macarons Have Air Pockets?
The oven temperature has reached dangerous levels. When baking macarons at high heat, the batter quickly rises, leaving a large air pocket behind. It is possible to reduce the temperature of the oven by 5 degrees at the same time.
You Can Still Fix Undercooked Macarons By Baking Them At A Lower Temperature For A Shorter Time.
When you’re short on time and don’t have enough time to let the macarons dry, baking them at a lower temperature can still help.
Nothing transforms a humble-looking pie into a stunning work of art better than a towering topping of glossy, snow-white meringue. And nothing is more frustrating to a pie baker than when that meringue “weeps.”
Weeping is when brownish beads of liquid appear all over the surface of a meringue or when a layer of moisture pools and separates the top of the pie filling from the base of the meringue. Either way, it’s not pretty. But it’s no reason to skip the meringue altogether. Thankfully, we have tips on how to prevent this from happening to your favorite lemon meringue or chocolate pie.
Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling; Tina Bell Stamos
Choose a Dry Day
Many meringue recipes call for granulated sugar, which has larger granules and takes more time to dissolve. If you don’t mix your meringue well, undissolved sugar will make it gritty and can cause weeping to boot. As an alternative, you can try using superfine sugar, which dissolves more easily when whipped with egg whites. Though superfine sugar is slightly denser, you can use a 1:1 substitution in your recipe.
Try a Swiss or Italian Meringue
A meringue is made of egg whites and sugar whipped together until they are billowy and smooth. French meringue is made with egg whites and sugar beaten until light and airy, then baked in the oven. Some recipes call for a small amount of cream of tartar or cornstarch, which helps stabilize the meringue and prevent it from deflating. But there are other methods for creating a more stable meringue.
Recipes using Italian or Swiss meringue call for slowly whisking hot sugar syrup into the egg whites, which makes a fluffy, stable meringue that doesn’t require baking in the oven (the hot syrup takes care of that). Try our basic Meringue Recipe for a stable, weep-free version of meringue that uses the Italian method. You can still bake the meringue to remove moisture and brown it if called for in your recipe.
Make Sure the Pie Filling is Hot
One of the most popular pieces of advice for making a meringue-topped pie is to make sure the pie filling is piping hot when you top it with meringue. The steam from the filling will rise up and pass through the meringue, cooking your meringue from bottom to top and preventing liquid from pooling underneath. As the pie finishes baking in the oven, remove it when the meringue turns light brown. Removing the meringue before it has finished cooking can cause condensation. At the same time, don’t overcook it, which can also cause weeping.
Spread Meringue to the Edges
When you spread the meringue on top of your pie filling, make certain to seal the edges of the pie. Leaving gaps allows moisture to collect and seep underneath, causing that dreaded separation between pie and meringue.
If All Else Fails, Use a Paper Towel
If your meringue does weep, you can try to absorb some of the moisture by gently blotting it with a paper towel. This works especially well for removing beads of moisture on top of your meringue.