What To Do With Failed Macarons – 25 Life-Hacking Innovative Ideas That Will Blow Your Mind

As we practice, we are bound to make some mistakes along the way. This is especially true when it comes to baking.

Perfecting a macaron requires exceptional skill that only comes with hours of practice and multiple attempts. Initially, while trying out a macaron recipe, you’re likely to have a lot of failed macarons.

However, the fruits of these failures are sometimes delicious. More importantly, those are probably the products of a lot of hard work. And a lot of you must be thinking ‘why macarons are so hard to make’ or ‘what to do with failed macarons’. You wouldn’t want to throw out macarons after spending hours making them, would you?

‘What to do with failed macarons’ can make you go thinking. But this blog brings you amazing ideas on how to make failed macarons into enticing treats.

Let’s explore some of the ways for perfecting macarons without resorting to simply throwing them away. After all, no one wants to waste good food.

Let’s begin macaron troubleshooting, shall we?

What Are Macarons?

A macaron or French macaron is a sweet meringue-based confection. Simply put, it is a small sandwich cookie that comes in a variety of flavors and colors. A macaron is a popular French dessert.

It is said that the macaron was introduced in France by the Italian chef Catherine de Medici, dating back to the 8th Century. The macarons made during that time were made with almonds, egg whites, sugar, and were called called “priest’s bellybuttons”.

French Macaron

• Ingredients – Almond flour, food coloring, filling, egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar,

• Appearance – Filling in between two round shells

• Pronunciation – Pronounced mack-a-ROHN

A partnership among local bakeries in Paris began the Macaron Day tradition in 2005 to celebrate French macarons and support local charities.

Don’t Get Confused Between Macarons And Macaroons

Even though macarons and macaroons share a similar-sounding name, they taste and look quite different from one another.

1. Macaron (pronounced mac-ah-ron, where ron rhymes with gone) –

A macaron is a French cookie. In this French cookie, blanched (peeled) almonds are finely ground and suspended in a meringue. Each macaron is flavored with vibrant colors. The food coloring for macarons indicates its flavor like green for lime, pink for raspberry, etc.

A filling such as jam, buttercream, or chocolate ganache is sandwiched between the two shells after they are baked. The ruffled bottom and smooth top of a macaron demonstrate its perfect baking.

2. Macaroon (pronounced mac-uh-roon, where roon rhymes with moon) –

An iteration of meringue that doesn’t have as much airiness as a macaron, macaroons are typically made from shredded coconut and mixed into whipped egg whites and sugar.

Compared to macarons, macaroons are larger, denser and chewier, and certainly easier to make. Despite being flavored with vanilla and sugar, macaroons are primarily coconut-flavored. The dense and stable texture of coconut macaroons makes it easy to add chopped dried fruit or chocolate to them, which is a popular addition.

In addition to macaroons being drizzled, glazed, or dipped in chocolate, they are sometimes dipped in chocolate.

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What Does A Perfect Macaron Look Like?

Well, a perfect macaron is subjective. But overall, a perfect macaron has smooth shells, ruffled feet, small delicate air pockets in the feet, full inside, appropriate filing ration, matching sized shells. 

Macarons with small unbroken feet are not hollow. Unlike biscotti, macarons do not need to be super crunchy or crunchy. Not too puffy but also not too flat, the shells should have a healthy rise.

Hollow macarons are typically bloated shells that are disproportionate to the entire macaron.

A perfect macaron should be round. It should not have an overstuffed or understuffed filling, which unbalances the overall construction of the macaron.

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What Does Failed Macaron Look Like?

• Erupted Shells: Shells were pushed down with wet fingers

• Soft & Wrinkly Shells: Excess moisture in batter, under-beaten meringue, oily almond flour.

• Too Thick Batter: Incorrect proportions of wet and dry ingredients, oily almond flour, overbeaten meringue, etc.

• Blotchy Shells: Oily almond flour, too long sitting of the batter before piping, etc.

• Lopsided Shells: Lack of even air circulation in the oven, Improper piping technique, Shells were dried for too long, etc.

• Too Crispy Interior: Over-baked shells.

• Flat Shells: Over-mixed and watery batter.

• Hollow Shells: Weak meringue, improper piping technique, high oven temperature, under-baked shells, etc.

• No Feet: Over-mixed batter, watery batter, weak meringue, too low oven temperature, etc.

• Bulging Feet: Too high oven temperature, Use of a silicone mat, etc.

• Uneven, Grainy Macarons With Nipples: Too coarse almond flour, under-mixed batter, etc.

• Cracked Shells: Weak meringue, high oven temperature, shells weren’t rested, etc.

• Concaved (Inverted) Shells: Low oven temperature, under-baked shells, macarons not cooled before being removed from parchment paper, etc.

This elegant sweet is light, delicate, and can be made for almost any occasion. Even if you follow the recipe exactly, if you make errors or miss a step, you may end up with hollow macarons, flat macarons, cracked macarons, or even burned macarons.

In an effort to help you make perfect macarons every time, this troubleshooting guide has got some great tips for you.

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Top 25 ‘Must-Try’ Ideas – What To Do With Failed Macarons

#1. Recycle: Make Macaron Flour From The Shells –

If you are wondering what to do with failed macarons, this should work as the ideal way. The best use of something that cannot be used anymore is to reuse them. If you have not succeeded in making macarons in the first attempts and they have come out failed, don’t worry.

You can store them and later make macaron flour from macaron shells & store them for future use. This way you are recycling the unused products which will also save you money while paying for your efforts.

#2. Make Some Delicious Ice Cream Toppings –

There is hardly anyone who will say no to tasty ice cream. And, we all know how delicious of a dessert macarons are.

So, what if you can combine these two and make something more delicious?

Yes, you can do that, just by making some cute and delicious ice cream toppings (crushed or whole) with your failed macarons.

Making ice cream toppings with failed macarons is one of the easiest yet one of the smartest ideas to reuse. Crush them or put them as it is. Either way, it is bound to taste good.

#3. Give Them To Your Children –

The best part of making delicacies for children is that they love whatever you make and eat them without complaining. That is what makes it suitable for feeding the macarons even if they are not perfect. Your children will not understand what perfect macarons are.

The only thing you need to worry about is if your macarons taste good. So if its taste is good, give them to eat. This is one of the smartest ideas to implement if you are worried about what to do with failed macarons.

#4. Use Them In Making Various Other Food Items And Desserts Of Your Choice –

As long as your macarons taste good, there are endless ways to reuse them. You can make plenty of items using your failed macarons. Thus, you don’t need to worry much even if your first few batches were not perfect and up to the mark.

You can mix your failed macarons along with other food items, for example, trifles, pancakes, or even your waffle batter. Macarons are absolute delicacies when it comes to taste. So, if you add them to other food items, they are bound to enhance the taste too. You can crush your failed macarons and add them up to the batter of other items to make their taste better.

#5. Share With Coworkers –

Your co-workers will hardly judge you for perfection. If the food you give tastes good, they will undoubtedly be happy to share. So, if you are wondering what to do with failed macarons, this is undoubtedly a considerable option. Your co-workers will hardly judge you for perfection. If the food you give tastes good, they will undoubtedly be happy to share.

So, if you are wondering what to do with failed macarons, your co-workers will hardly judge you for perfection. If the food you give tastes good, they will undoubtedly be happy to share. So, if you are wondering what to do with failed macarons, this is undoubtedly a considerable option., this is undoubtedly a considerable option.

#6. Bake Some Cakes –

If you love to eat cakes, this is your go-to idea when it comes to using failed macarons. You can design the cakes with your macarons. Crash macarons and use them as your cake toppings or use them to decorate the whole cake.

#7. Try Baking Some Brownie Cookies –

Brownie cookies are the all-time favorites. Doesn’t matter if you have some midnight cravings, or just want to grab a snack, nothing works better than some delicious brownie cookies. You can crash your failed macaron shells to make some flour and use them in making brownie cookies. Macaron shells give a better flavor to your regular brownie cookie dough.

#8. Eat The Failed Macarons Straight Away –

If you notice that your macarons are turning out failed, eat them straight away immediately when baked. Failed macarons are still tasty! So, you won’t regret eating them anyway.

#9. Mix The Failed Macarons With Whipped Cream –

You already know that whipped cream is a key ingredient in plenty of baked goods. That is crushing your failed macarons and mixing them with whipped cream is a very smart move.

#10. Make Cake Toppings With Your Failed Macarons –

If you love baking, you should shed all your worries regarding what to do with failed macarons because there are plenty of things you can do. For instance, making cake toppings with your failed macarons is one of the smartest and easiest things to do.

Failed macarons toppings in the cake can either be crushed or whole because it is bound to taste good either way.

#11. Use Them For Cake Icing –

If you are new to baking cakes, you must have noticed that your icing often turns out imperfect. That is where your failed macarons will come into play. You can use your failed macarons in cake icing. It will help you hide imperfect icing on your cake.

#12. Decorate Desserts In Different Occasions –

You can decorate any dessert item in a family get-together party or dinner party or bridal or baby shower. Failed macarons will give you a cheap yet tasty decorating material for your desserts.

#13. Reuse For A Fresh Batch Of Macarons –

The best way in succeeding making macarons is to keep practising. Thus, you can reuse your failed macarons and use them for a fresh batch. Crush them and make filling for a new successful batch of macarons.

#14. Make Some Cookies –

No one would ever deny a tasty and good-looking cookie. Using macaron flour made from failed macarons for making cookies is the perfect way to do so.

#15. Pack Your Kid’s Tiffin –

Your kids are innocent enough to judge your imperfections. They will happily eat anything that tastes good. So, without wondering what to do with failed macarons, give them to your kids like their school tiffin.

#16. Sell The Failed Macarons Innovatively –

If you have a professional bakery company, you can sell defective macarons with an innovative name for half price. If your macarons taste good, people will buy them anyway even if they look a bit different.

#17. Bake Some Cakes And Brownies –

Crush the failed macarons and make macaron flour with that. Then use your macaron flour for making a variety of delicious brownies and cakes.

#18. Share Them With The Needy –

Sharing with the ones in need is always a caring gesture. So, if you are wondering what to do with failed macarons, share them with the homeless, needy people, public servants, local people, children, neighbors, family members, and friends. None of them would judge you if the food is imperfect.

#19. Mix In Cookie Butter –

Cookie butter is an essential element in baking. Crush your failed macarons and use them in cookie butter to make them tastier.

#20. Make Some Macaron Meringues –

Nobody would be unhappy with a tasty macaron meringue. And your failed macarons are the best way to make some. Yes, you can crush your failed macarons and use them in macaron meringues.

#21. Use To Make Crepe Cakes –

Crush macarons if mixed with whipped cream, are bound to taste awesome. So, if you are wondering what to do with failed macarons, use them to layer crepe cakes to make them tastier and better-looking.

#22. Use Them As Snacks –

Beverages and snacks are the all-time favorite duo. Your failed macarons can serve great as a snack while you drink a cup of tea or coffee. As long as it is tasty, nobody minds a messy snack.

#23. Use Them In Other Recipes –

Mousses are all-time favorite desserts. If you are wondering what to do with failed macarons, crush and mix them with chocolate ganache or whipped cream and use them in mousse recipes.

#24. Use Them In Filling Cream –

Filling cream is usually used in plenty of delicacies. Crushing your macarons and adding them to the filling cream will make it even tastier.

#25. Make A Treat –

Your friends will always appreciate you making a treat for them. Make different layers with fresh fruits, custard, melted butter, honey, and crushed macaron. And finally, bake it. This will be a delicious dessert suited for a friend reunion.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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Conclusion

From flat macarons to cracked macarons, now you know what to do with failed macarons. Hopefully, you can find some enjoyable alternatives to those treats that didn’t quite meet your standards.

Sometimes, our macarons fail for unknown reasons and leave us puzzled. I encourage you to keep trying.

There is nothing quite as rewarding as seeing your macarons grow ruffled feet and turn out perfectly round with shiny smooth tops.

Do not let the challenge of making the perfect macaron discourage you. No matter what you do with the failed macarons, learn from the mistakes. Without first understanding what went wrong, it’s impossible to fix it. Consider not learning the biggest waste of all.

Happy Baking Readers!!