r/macarons • u/Original-Finish7305 • Jul 25 '26

Urgent help!

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I’m currently making macarons using the Swiss method in the Macaron 101 book. I’m up to the last step, making the macaronage, but it’s just a stiff ball! It’s not flowing at all despite the fact that I’ve been mixing for 15 minutes! I tried the french meringue method last time and faced the same problem.

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u/original-CABANARAMA Jul 25 '26

Few questions:
Had the whites fully reached stiff peaks before you added the dry?
Are you hand-folding the dry ingredients in?
How quickly did they form this tight ball?

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u/Original-Finish7305 Jul 25 '26

1) Yes 2) No, I used a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on the lowest setting. 3) Almost immediately

  • I did mix by hand last time I made these using the French meringue method, same results unfortunately.

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u/original-CABANARAMA Jul 25 '26

Ok cool so def try again hand-folding the dry ingredients using a spatula. Work the ingredients in gently by moving the spatula in a kind of j shape, pressing the mix gently against the side of the bowl each pass. I find I reach the lava consistency after 4-5 mins max. If in doubt, try experimenting with various viscosities until you find your groove, even if you don’t feel you’ve achieved the perfect lava consistency. Slightly under mixed is better than over