Macarons - EPIC FAIL

I feel that it is important to not only share my successes on this blog, but my failures as well.  We all have our mishaps in the kitchen, some worse than others.

Well, my friends, this may rank up there with my worst kitchen failure to date.

I was so excited to make macarons. I know how difficult these classic french desserts are, so I did research for weeks.  I learned all of the tricks - age the egg whites, trace the circles on the parchment paper, rap the pan on the countertop, let the meringue sit for an hour before baking it.  I had it down. 

What I never seem to get correct is what a "glossy meringue" is.  I need pictures!  Don't whip the meringue more than 50 times? Whaaaa?  Rules, rules, rules!

Despite my confusion, I thought I was good to go. I decided to make Chai Spice Macarons and Chocolate Macarons.  Into the oven they went as gorgeous little circles piped onto parchment...

.... and out they came as monsterous blobs with cracked tops.

But I did find some silver lining on this grey, murky cloud.

I did achieve the elusive "feet" that everyone talks about to as proof of a correct macaron!

So who cares if they look like the creature from the black lagoon? I have FEET, people!

Let's not even talk about the filling.  It was a watery pool of glop.

And you know what?  They were delicious.  Especially the chai spice macarons. 

I will try and try again. Right now, I may see an epic fail, but in the future, I'm coming for YOU, Pierre Herme!

Click here for a step by step directive by Helen of Tartlette on how to make Macarons - and don't follow my way or else you will FAIL!

Comments

[HappyTummy]

i know i'm not the only one who thinks these really do look delicious. there is something about that milky glaze and the crackly, flattened cookie portion that quite honestly looks fantastic. i picture it tasting very chewy and moist...was that the case?

good first try, and, hey, you're right--at least you were able to get the elusive feet! from what i hear, that's the hardest part! :)

[Lindsey (Cafe Johnsonia)]

So sad when you work so hard on something and it doesn't work out quite right. It happens to me ALL the time. And this is precisely the reason I have yet to make macarons.

(They do look tasty though.)

[Tracey]

Oh Teanna, that's a bummer, especially since you did so much reasearch! But hooray for feet! I'm sure you'll be more successful next time you try. I made macarons for the first time recently and I couldn't figure out how much to fold the almond mixture into the egg whites. I kept reading about "flowing magma" but what the heck does that mean??

[Cathy]

Well, they were delicious, so that is a pretty big silver lining too! I have fleeting thoughts about making these as well, but I kind of lump these with croissants -- they are something that "other" bakers can pull off, but not me. Maybe someday. I know that next time you make these you'll get them exactly as you want them. I think this was a brilliant first attempt!

[Eliana]

These are way way down on my list of things to bake, as they are not easy. I went to Paris a year ago to date and they were literally EVERYWHERE. I ate so much of them that I don't want to disappoint myself if mine don't come out right. I think this was a greta first attempt for you and I look forward to hearing about them again.

[The Duo Dishes]

This is a week of blogger failures!!! :) You saw ours yesterday...Yikes. Macarons are hard to make, so we give you props for trying them. But they tasted good, so that is nice to know. If they were tasty, they pass the test. Next time, you can make them pretty.

[Caitlin]

It took me a couple times to get these right, and oddly enough it wasn't until I stopped *worrying* that they turned out! Although I still question what a "glossy meringue" should look like, for the most part mine turn out now. But you're right - no matter what they look like, they always taste fantastic!

[Phyllis (me HUNGRY!)]

How very brave of you to post your failure. At least they tasted good. Giant props for even attempting to make the macaroons!

If it makes you feel any better I had a kitchen catastrophe this week as well. I left my bacon way too long in the oven - I was totally distracted deep frying my tempura gefilte fish. The bacon was black by the time I remembered. The absence of bacon kinda ruined my spinach and bacon salad.

[pinkstripes]

congrats on getting the feet (what ever those are)! And they tasted good, so you're almost there. Good for you for trying though.

[carolina]

I am so proud of you! I love it when foodies do this, write about their failures! It is so refreshingly human. I made some macaroons, not to be confused with the elegant macarons, and they were pretty good, not to brag or anything. Okay, I maybe just a little bragging. I am gonna try to post them soon. They are your typical American flaked coconut ones, but kosher. I want to try to make ones like you made. Alas, the intimidation is holding me back. So in my baking book, girl, you are so awesome to have tried these out!!!

[Rebecca]

A fail SHOULD be an epic fail. They make for MUCH better stories.

I've never even attempted macarons. Guess it's about time ...

[Megan]

You know, kudos to you for even attempting something like that. They scare the pants off of me -

I'm sure you'll master those meringues in no time!

[ingrid]

Aw, sorry about that BUT good for you that you tried and will try again! I'll be checking back for your next batch!
~ingrid

[justcooknyc]

delicious counts for a lot in my book

[April]

Oof, I too have visited the town of Epic Macaron fail. My husband however claimed them as 'fried chicken cookies' WTF? Better luck next time! I still haven't made my 2nd macaron attempt.

[deeba]

I hear you...nice & loud! I've failed twice, big epic fails both times. A bunch of us on twitter are going to get brave this September & try again...

[Ana Lopes]

This is one of the challenges I have to get over with, too... I made (at least I tried to make) macarons three times... Every time I feel I'm getting closer to the right result, but almonds are so damned expensive that I'm afraid of wasting more money.

I still would love to know if all the people we find in blogs saying it's their first time making macarons, with pictures of gorgeous ones, are telling us the truth...I just can't get it right...

[NFL Jerseys]

good first try, and, hey, you're right--at least you were able to get the elusive feet! from what i hear, that's the hardest part!

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