Finally figured out why my macarons kept cracking on top

For months I was getting perfect feet but the tops would crack every single time. Turns out I was resting them too long after piping (like over an hour) and the skin was drying out too much before baking. Last weekend I tried a 25 minute rest instead and got 15 perfect shells out of 16. The one that cracked was the one I accidentally bumped while sliding the tray in. Anyone else struggle with the resting window on macarons or is it just me?

2 comments

2 Comments

john_johnson7513h ago

Great tip about the resting time being a Goldilocks situation! I bet a lot of people just assume longer rest = better skin without realizing the top can actually over-dry and crack.

anthony42611h ago

Yeah totally @john_johnson75, I learned that the hard way when my pie crust turned into a brick after leaving it out too long!