Macaron Basics (my humble first attempt at video tutorials!)

This is my first attempt at recording some videos of macaron making process that are a bit hard to show in static pictures. So pardon me for my amateurish attempt :p. All videos are taken using my phone camera mounted on a tripod.

Macaronage
How should you fold your batter? Not too gently but this way...

Use a fold and press motion to incorporate the Italian meringue into the mass. Make sure you scrape the bottom of the bowl to ensure that all the mass is incorporated into the meringue. I didn't take a video of the full length of the process. Just keep folding and pressing until no trace of meringue is seen, then start testing your batter consistency.

Testing batter consistency
Under-folded batter. Batter falls in dollops off the spatula...

Give your under-folded batter a few more folds and test again until you get...

Well-folded batter. Batter is able to fall in a ribbon off the spatula. When you tilt the bowl, the batter flows slowly.

No video of overfolded batter :p. I don't want to waste my ingredients, thank you!

Piping the batter
Keep the piping tip at right angles to the surface of the baking sheet. Release pressure on the piping bag and give a little twirl before lifting off.

Testing to see if shells are dry
You should be able to run a finger across the surface of your shell. If it sticks to your finger, it is not ready for baking. I piped the rows of circles on the left earlier than the ones on the right to show you dry and wet shells.

I hope you find these videos helpful! It's a challenge for me to do this while multitasking!

Checkout my next video tutorial on piping different basic shapes of macaron shells and another one on how to pipe complex shapes!

(Update 4/3/16): You may want to check out this short video on the correct way of removing macaron shells from baking sheet. Remember to peel the baking sheet away from the shell and not the other way round!

These videos are linked to my Creative Baking: Macarons book! Do check it out as the basics are presented in a more systematic way than what I can ever do on the blog.

With love,
Phay Shing