Double-stacking the pans? Is it necessary?

There's always a debate going on somewhere...the question I've been pondering upon for awhile (even more than my schoolwork...) "Is it necessary to double stack the baking pans?"

I used to think that it didn't matter...but that was until after I baked at my workplace, and there is already a pan in the oven, so the heat distributes more evenly when baking the cupcakes at work. The ones that I baked there turned out so beautifully. The insides were so moist, fluffy, and cake-like. The shell was just crisp enough to give way to a fluffy inner center. I always thought the macaron was such an interesting dessert, and it has many different textures to it that make it unique to a macaron.

So I have always baked with only one pan, and it always seems to have air pockets. Especially if they're not good quality pans, like Farberware...the ones at my work are Nordic Ware. I feel so sad when my macaron looks so pretty on the outside, but ghastly hollow on the inside.  But just this weekend, I tested out my baking pans, and the insides were much more fluffy than usual because I double stacked them. Now my Nordic Ware pans are coming in the mail, so hopefully I can test them at home and be as successful as I was at work :)

Cookie Monster Macarons!! With a cookie dough buttercream filling.

These are probably my favorite macarons thus far. So yummy and cute! Above is a series of pictures that explain how I make macarons. :)

Top from left:

• Boiling the sugar syrup to 250 degrees Fahrenheit
• Finished Italian Meringue; stiff, shiny, glossy, marshmallowy
• Tant pour tant with food coloring (almond flour/powdered sugar/egg whites)
• Mixing the meringue with the tant pour tant
• Finished macaronage
• Freshly piped circles
• Macarons that are ready to go in the oven (duller surface and not sticky)
• Macarons baking
• Finished macaron 

Although I love the flavor of these macarons, I think the feet are a tad bit small for some odd reason :( I looked it up online and there's no explanation. I suppose I either overmixed it or I banged it on the table too hard and knocked the air out of them. Oops. At least they're not completely hollow :)

Macaron Recipe (Italian Meringue Method)

Mostly I am posting it so I won't forget (not like I will anyway), just for my basic recipe. I originally got this recipe from Not So Humble Pie, but I found that the temperature was too high and made ugly frills instead of nice compact feet. So I only edited that aspect, but everything else is spot on. Not too sweet, and the insides are nice and soft. I will be posting pictures of how to make them later on, but I am too lazy at the moment and will just type it out for now.

This is the macaron baked at 325 degrees, as in Not So Humble Pie's recipe. See the frills? Kinda ugly to me. I didn't even post these on Instagram because I hated them so much.

And these are my macarons with the adapted recipe of 300 degrees instead of 325. Nice straight feet and a slightly firm shell.

Which do you guys like better? In any case, these below will be the recipe I am giving. Please use a kitchen or postal scale for these, I find that this creates foolproof macarons that are exact ingredients every single time.

Italian Meringue Macarons
(adapted from Not So Humble Pie)

Ingredients:
Mass:
150g almond meal (It is much cheaper and efficient to buy Trader Joe's Blanched Slivered Almonds and grind them up in your food processor. I used to actually blanch almonds myself and grind and dry them, but that was WAY too much work.)
150g powdered sugar
50g egg whites (do not have to be aged, approximately 2 eggs)
Gel food coloring (optional)
2 tsp cornstarch (if weather is humid)
pinch of salt


Meringue:
55g egg whites (do not have to be aged, approximately 2 eggs)
35g granulated sugar (to stabilize half egg whites)
120g granulated sugar
40g water


Materials:
Candy thermometer
Kitchen/postal scale
Piping bags/tips (These give the most perfect results if that's what you're going for)
Good insulated baking sheets (I use Airbake)
Parchment paper or silpats (I prefer silpats but parchment is nice too)
Stand mixer (recommended, but it is possible with a hand mixer, just takes longer)

Sift almond meal and powdered sugar together into a large bowl. Add the 50g egg whites and mix until it becomes a dough-like consistency. (This is the time to add food coloring, remember the meringue will lighten the color of the mass)

Set aside and cover with plastic wrap so it doesn't harden.

For the meringue, beat the 55g egg whites in the bowl of your stand mixer until soft peaks form. When egg whites become bubbly, add the extra 35g sugar to stabilize it. DO NOT overbeat egg whites at this stage. After they have formed, turn down your mixer to "stir" or very low to keep them moving so they don't deflate.

At the same time, put the water and sugar on the stove over medium-high heat and attach your candy thermometer. When the mixture gets bubbly all around with no spots of unboiled water (or 240 degrees F) pour the sugar syrup into the egg whites and turn up the speed of your mixer to high. Let it beat until the bowl of the mixer is warm to the touch (body temperature). It should look like this:

                                                               Shiny, stiff, and smooth.

Then, add 1/3 of the meringue to the mass and fold until you cannot see any more white streaks of meringue. After you have lightened the mass, add the rest of the egg whites and fold.

Now you are ready to pipe them with your piping bag into 1-1.5 inch diameter circles, however big you like. I pipe them onto a parchment paper-lined or silpat-lined aluminum baking sheet. I usually fit about 20-24 circles on each pan.

Then drop your baking sheets about 2-3 times until they flatten out and the air bubbles pop. If you still see any, pop them with a toothpick. Now let them dry about 20-30 minutes or until they are dry to the touch (depends on humidity). While you're waiting, preheat your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit  Check your oven to make sure it's the correct temperature! Sometimes the oven lies. lol

Dull and dry, ready for the oven.

Now bake them for 10-13 minutes, or even longer if they are still too moist inside. Bake only one tray at a time if your oven has inconsistent heat. Let them cool completely before you take them off the parchment/silpat.

Sandwich together with a filling (my favorite is Swiss Meringue Buttercream) and you're done! Store filled shells in an airtight container in the fridge for at least 24 hours. This helps the shell meld together with the filling, making it a bit crisp on the outside but melt-in-your-mouth on the inside. :)

This is my favorite recipe. I have not had a single macaron crack or turn out feetless after using this recipe. I will NEVER go back to French meringue method. These macarons turn out more cakelike and have better structure on the inside. Look at the nice inside on these ones!

Do you see hollows?!?! Nope. Unlike this ugly one here from this patisserie in SF. How sad.

And if you still do not understand how to do this recipe, here is a video I made instructing you how to do it,

Hope this helps!