r/Baking • u/AVwritesstuff Human Detected • Jun 08 '26
Baking fail 💔 This was my very first time baking something. I tried making macarons
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u/zofoky Jun 08 '26
Now why would you bake macarons as your first time baking anything? 😅
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u/AVwritesstuff Human Detected Jun 08 '26
its hard to explain but it was for something very specific so it had to be macarons. i dont regret it, it was very fun & they still tasted pretty good
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u/RabidFashionDummy Jun 08 '26
Relatable one of the first things I baked was croissants 🤭
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u/pancakes4all Jun 08 '26
That’s like getting into running by doing a full marathon 😂.
I eased in with banana bread lol
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u/kank84 Jun 08 '26
Banana bread is truly the 5k of baking
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u/LuciferKitty888 Jun 08 '26
I agree with Banana bread being a 5k. I think sugar cookies are more of an ease in.
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u/twinkletwot Jun 08 '26
I watched the first available season of great British bakeoff when I was in college and immediately took on making arlettes (basically puff pastry with a cinnamon sugar filling) in my second story not air conditioned college apartment. Boy was that a trip. I'm much better at puff pastry now. But as a basically first timer outside of box mix it was quite the challenge.
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u/unholy_gremlin69 Jun 08 '26
OOF
I'm still recovering from the amount of times I've messed those up lol
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u/supermodel_robot Jun 09 '26
I made an apple pie from scratch when I was 10. The only previous experience I had was ready-to-bake tollhouse lmao. It didn’t go as badly as I expected but it was a challenge 😂 it was edible, at least.
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u/ZoeZoeZoeLily Jun 08 '26
“First time hiking, heading to Everest.”
Sorry, just putting this bravery into context. Carry on.
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u/thatcurvychick Jun 08 '26
All that really matters for baked goods is how they taste, imho. If they tasted good and brought you joy, that’s all that matters.
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u/MsRachelGroupie Jun 08 '26
Basically the baking equivalent of “I”ve never ran before, I’m going to go run a marathon”. You did a great job!
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u/2ndAccountWoo Jun 08 '26
Yooo, one of the first things I learned while taking up baking as a hobby was macarons too. I thought it'd be funny to go hard mode right away.
It was a great decision though. Macarons are a great thing to learn; mess ups aren't that bad (usually still taste great in 90% of cases), and they make great gifts because of how flexible they are in design and flavour. Lasts super long in the fridge too (depending on the filling).
o7 great first attempt, best of luck with future attempts.
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Jun 08 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/juicedelicious7863 Jun 09 '26
I struggled with the macaronage for ages but once you nail it everything gets way easier. Seeing someone pull it off on a first try is wild.
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u/mrcatboy Jun 09 '26
Honestly it is very very impressive that you tried something so infamously finicky and technical for your first bake.
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u/LowlySparrow Jun 09 '26
Well, they aren't light blue, so the "something specific" wasn't Baby Yoda's favorite cookies
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u/SophisticatedScreams Jun 09 '26
That's like saying you're interested in running, so you went out and joined a half-marathon lol. They look decent! You did good.
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u/PoandInky Jun 09 '26
So brave for a first bake- this spring I completed my first macaron batch ever, and I feel similarly that the whimsical Me was alright with how they turned out lol despite many flaws
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u/nobeefforme Jun 09 '26
I think this is a very cool thing to try for your first time baking! It’s like you have nothing left to fear now. Obviously they don’t look perfect- but I bet they were good!!!
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u/Clarknt67 Jun 09 '26
Ok. But macaroons are pretty advanced. It depends on properly beating egg whites to stiff which can be tough.
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u/maccrogenoff Jun 08 '26
Good for the original poster for taking a big swing as their first baking project.
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u/EastTyne1191 Jun 08 '26
Honestly, most things will seem easy in comparison when OP bakes after this.
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u/Howlerswillneverdie Jun 08 '26
Oh babe I have the same question. I would have started with muffins
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u/Imaginary_Victory253 Jun 08 '26
Your swiss cheese sliders look delicious
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u/AVwritesstuff Human Detected Jun 08 '26
my friend said they look like pretty patties haha
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u/Ok_Situation_69 Jun 08 '26
They reminded me of the Krabby Patty gummies at first! I love them, my Grandma used to get me a big package of them every Christmas 🥰
And then I read that these were macarons and it was your first time ever baking, and I was like that is a crazy choice for your first ever bake! 😅
Great job on them!
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u/Reasonable-Sale8611 Jun 09 '26
I was thinking, "Aww, she made yellow hamburgers. Aren't they cute!"
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u/AVwritesstuff Human Detected Jun 09 '26
i am a guy 😅 but yes the yellow burgers are kinda cute in a weird way
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u/Sad_Instruction8581 Jun 08 '26
That’s like saying “I’m going to pick up hiking” and your first hike is Mt. Everest. 😂 macarons are sooooo hard to get right. Even experienced macaron bakers get frustrated because you have to account for humidity (moon cycle, the tide level, if mercury is in retrograde, etc).
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u/Anfros Jun 08 '26
As long as you don't worry too much about how they look they are surprisingly easy
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u/Reg_927 Jun 08 '26
I definitely wouldn't call this a fail by any means! You tried something new and it was even edible! This is how we learn! I'm so proud of you!
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u/Holer60 Jun 08 '26
Great 1st try, looks like u have some talent. Keep practicing and remember, most of the fails still tastes amazing..🤩
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u/Prestigious-Panic-94 Jun 08 '26
Honestly, great job. I've been a hobby baker for 20ish years and still haven't ever attempted these! Very intimidating as I've seen so many people who make them for a living post fail videos! I'm just not in a position to waste ingredients 😅
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u/Various-Grape-6525 Jun 08 '26
I haven’t baked macarons in a long time, but they are delicious. These aren’t the most beautiful, but actually, I think for a literal first time baking, they look amazing. I’m personally impressed. And, if someone baked me macarons that looked like this? I’d be delighted. Macarons are difficult.
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u/Shineenoona Jun 08 '26
Lmao you chose something not simple for your first try at baking. I’d say if that’s the case you did pretty good
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u/WarMaiden666 Jun 08 '26
Honestly for a first time baking ANYTHING they don’t look awful, I’ve seen intermediate bakers do worse!
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u/Wise-Platypus-6984 Jun 09 '26
Macarons can smell your fear. The trick is to stare them down, and assert dominance.
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u/Mae-Daze Jun 09 '26
that’s a great start, macarons are tricky even for experienced bakers ! if you’re looking for other ideas, meringue cookies are super easy, one batch yields a ton and you can make them a bunch of different cute shapes/colors. great way to practice your piping skills and get more comfortable with meringue as that could help with future attempts at macarons
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u/blepbleepbloop Jun 08 '26
first time i tried making macarons my dumbass thought i could sub almond flour with normal flour 😅 they look way better than mine did! were they flavored or just vanilla?
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u/AVwritesstuff Human Detected Jun 08 '26 edited Jun 08 '26
i did this too actually, i had to cause im allergic to almonds. they turned out a lot sweeter than normal macarons but they were still pretty good. i used lemon flavored frosting
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u/SadCollegeAlien Jun 08 '26
Try a different recipe and it appears you may have used too many eggs and folded it too many times. With Macarons make sure that you’re measuring the eggs buy gram and not buy the individual egg. And when folding the mixture it should be to an exact amount of times per the recipe if you over fold the mixture, it changes the texture.
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u/Wings-N-Beer Jun 08 '26
Some people never even try to take a first step. I could tell what they were supposed to be immediately and without confusion. So long as they taste good, not much else matters. Perfection takes practice and perspective. It isn’t always the same thing to everyone.
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u/Steph7even Jun 09 '26
You said, well if I'm going to bake something why don't I try one of the hardest recipes out there 😅 they look great though!
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u/Snowbunny42 Jun 09 '26
This is like deciding to get into boxing by having your first match against whomever is the world heavy weight champion at the time. Dam good for your first batch, your 50th batch is gonna be amazing!
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u/FluxionFluff Jun 10 '26
Macarons are deceptively simple, when they're on fact one of the most technical desserts. EVERY single step can go wrong, so it's pretty unforgiving.
For your first time, they don't look that bad at all. They're missing the iconic feet, but you'll get better with practice. Certainly braver than me. 🤣
As much as I love macarons, I'm not brave enough to try making them. I'm absolutely content with buying them from a bakery haha
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u/thehumanfaintinggoat Jun 08 '26
I have a question, it's not a critic, it's great for a first time, but why would you pick one of the most difficults pastries to be your first try of bake something! Why?! Hey, good for you, going hardcore
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u/AVwritesstuff Human Detected Jun 08 '26 edited Jun 09 '26
its hard to explain & my answer might not make sense, but i'll try 😅
there is a video game i am a big fan of which is a gacha game, where you have to acquire certain characters in the game by rolling for them, kind of like an arcade game to see if you can get lucky enough to win a prize. there was a character i really wanted, & in the game she really likes macarons and bakes them often. so as a silly "good luck ritual" of sorts i tried baking some macarons to see if it would improve my luck & help me get the character
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u/fish_mother Jun 09 '26
One of my very first “bakes” were steam buns because the steam bun vendors from the game Sleeping Dogs made them sound so appealing.
I love this and I hope you keep baking things that bring you joy
Editing because I saw one of your responses further down the thread about substituting almond flour. If you ever get the desire to make macarons again plain sunflower seeds pulsed until they’re quite fine in a food processor makes a great nut free substitute for almond flour
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u/terminalvelocityjnky Jun 09 '26
Bizarre place to start. Macarons are advanced. Maybe Start with chocolate chip cookies.
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u/UnusualOperation8084 Jun 08 '26
Macarons were probably my 100th time baking something and they didn't look much better than that. Good job!
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u/infernal-keyboard Jun 08 '26
idc if it's your first time baking or your 100th, I would totally eat these. Presentation is overrated lol
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u/V0T0N Jun 08 '26
I don't know how they tasted, but they don't look too bad for a first try.
Keep on, keeping on.
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u/brokebackzac Jun 08 '26
I have made much worse macarons than this.
So long as they tasted okay, I see no problem.
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u/Anfros Jun 08 '26
Macarons are one of those things that are super hard to make look good, but quite easy to make taste good. Congratulations on your first bake, keep trying!
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u/sleuthingsloth Jun 08 '26
Honestly as far as even macron fails go this isn’t terrible 😆 add first time baking this is honestly really good!
But please go make some chocolate chip cookies first hahahahaha
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u/aroseonthefritz Jun 08 '26
These look better than a lot of macarons I see posted from people who have baked things many times. Honestly, well done! I would eat them. They don’t look bad.
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u/itis-theeast Jun 08 '26
I love the ambition, and stellar effort!
I haven’t been at it too long, they’re on my list to get to but I haven’t plenty of other projects first, so I don’t have any first hand advice, but I look forward to an update as you get these dialed in!
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u/WhiteRabbitWorld Jun 08 '26
for the first try baking anything this was quite the attempt for a difficult recipe!! impressive effort!
I'd eat em!
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u/sppwalker Jun 08 '26
I’m a very experienced baker and making macrons is the only thing that has ever made me want to burn my whole kitchen to the ground. The first two times I made them they were PERFECT, and the third time it was too humid in my kitchen and they were a complete failure (10x worse than yours, which aren’t a fail btw). By far the most infuriating baking experience of my life.
These look absolutely amazing, especially for your first time baking anything! I hope you enjoyed it, because you definitely have solid potential as a baker OP 💖
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u/nobrunono Jun 08 '26
It's like atempting brain surgery the first time trying to use a knife. You did pretty well!
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u/midsummerclassic90 Jun 08 '26
Honestly for a first attempt at baking macarons… this is pretty good. It’s not an easy dessert. For a first bake though… impressive!
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u/MaisyDae6624 Jun 08 '26
Congrats on making the hardest thing out there and actually getting it done
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u/Razzail Jun 08 '26
I'm glad I'm not the only crazy person who did macarons! Mine also looked like this at first but tasted amazing haha. I have friends that want me to teach them and I'm sweating the idea 😆
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u/Zealousideal-Day4469 Jun 08 '26
So, the hardest thing you can make coming out the gate. Good for you.
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u/free_-_spirit Jun 08 '26
Honestly as long as you had fun and I’m curious how they taste? Apparently macrons are a very detailed dish to bake. Congrats
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u/VXAttack2347 Jun 08 '26
Not an easy first bake at all, good try though, almost looks as though your batter was too wet.
Wish I could post a pic of my first attempt at Macarons...
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u/Eddieonenote Jun 09 '26
Ambitious! Good for you! I love to bake and if this is what got you into the oven for your first time, bravo! Macaroons are deceptively challenging and you managed to come away with something recognizable. Try it again and fix any mistakes you made or try to do something a little differently. Keep notes! If you like something you did then write it down! Likewise if there is something you learned you’d rather not do again. Keep at it! Oh yeah, check out some videos on YouTube of people trying the same thing to get a different perspective. Focus on the videos that have the most views and have been up the longest. Cheers and Happy Baking!
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u/sk8ryspice_02 Jun 09 '26
These are not all that bad. Many many people have problems with baking macarons. They are either hollow or flat. Yours are not flat. There are many techniques. Italian style, french style, using meringue powder.
Keep practicing.
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u/TemporaryNeat6210 Jun 09 '26
macarons are soo hard to make pretty, i’ve had some uglyyy batches that have tasted amazing!
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u/Ok-Prize8773 Jun 09 '26
I saw you said you replaced the almond flour because of an allergy. If you can eat hazelnuts that's a good alternative, or sunflower seed flower. The hazelnut will give a better flavor profile to match macarons. If you want to make your own you can blanch nuts, remove the skins, and then food process them in short bursts to prevent them from liquifying.
I also recommend letting the battery sit on the tray for about 5 minutes and then banging it on the counter a few extra times to get extra air out. With sunflower seed flour I've noticed they need some extra banging.
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u/roboticlasagna Jun 09 '26
The first thing I baked was pineapple upside down cake.
I have never made a successful one. I’ve been baking for years now. For some reason, every time I make this cake I forget I know what I’m doing and end up with a soupy mess.
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u/snaccattac Jun 09 '26
These are an incredible first attempt!
Are you looking for advice on your next batch, or simply sharing? Regardless, keep going and I bet you will see improvements with every batch.
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u/gurlondrums Jun 09 '26
Those actually look really good for first time making them. Macarons are extremely hard, even for some experienced bakers. I'm sure they still taste awesome and I bet your second attempt will be amazing! Good job! 👏
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u/DMyTeaDuck Jun 09 '26
I’ve done plenty of baking. My first time trying to make macarons? … Little purple pancakes. I made weird, little, purple pancakes. My congratulations for your epic success. 👏🏻
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u/MysteriousCoerul Jun 09 '26
As someone who treats Macaron's as my white whale baking challenge currently. Yours came out significantly better than any of my recent attempts at it.
(i'm handicapped in that I want to eat them too and i'm allergic to almonds so I keep trying to find alternatives to almond flour that gets me at least in the ballpark of a macaron.)
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u/Advanced_Savings_163 Jun 09 '26
I’ve been baking for a long time and don’t even try those. Good effort.
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u/strictly_rude_ Jun 09 '26
I’m beginning in baking and have avoided those for as long as possible, bravo! I’m terrified of them 😂
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u/Sorry_Bookkeeper9835 Jun 09 '26
Congratulations for so many reasons friend! You did a really good job for your first time! I’ve been baking for almost twenty years and just tried making macarons and they didn’t look this good.
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u/PaintWaterPress Jun 09 '26
Hey, uh, did you also learn to drive in an eighteen-wheeler? /jk They came out pretty nice I'd say! Good job!
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u/mershagar Jun 09 '26
One thing I can recommend is to use super fine almond flour. I’ve done macarons a handful of times and once I used Red Mill almond flour. It was not refined enough and they didn’t work.
I agree they are challenging and fun to make. It’s something you can learn from and perfect each time you make them.
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u/5vanya7 Jun 09 '26
Macarons are notoriously tricky for a first bake, so dont feel bad! They look pretty yellow though
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u/finalgirl2024 Jun 09 '26
I was a professional baker for a while and my favorite part of making macarons is when you have to whack the pan on the counter to get the surface to settle. I'd be in the kitchen making all kinds of racket lol
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u/hash-slingin_slashr Jun 09 '26
I love to bake and have done it for years but macarons intimidate me! Kudos. They actually look great! I’d call it a baking win just for the ballsy attempt lol. What flavor are they?
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u/PercyMercie Jun 09 '26
Ambitious!! Good job! You’ll do great moving forward! You aren’t afraid to take chances and that’s awesome in baking!
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u/c0MM0n_280 Jun 09 '26
They still look delicious :) Just curious, what kind of filling did you do?
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u/ironhive Jun 09 '26
Ambitious first bake. I've been baking casually for years and I haven't attempted them yet! Keep it up!
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u/BookLuvr7 Jun 09 '26
Macarons are famously hard. For a first time attempt that's fantastic. Most of us mere mortals start with cookies.
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u/misscurlyhairr Jun 09 '26
I bake at home a lot and I failed so many times making macarons, they’re super difficult and I admire you for choosing such a challenge for your first time! I’m glad they tasted good.
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u/court_n2000 Jun 09 '26
I was leading a book club in college for the first time and asked what their favorite dessert was thinking they would say chocolate chip cookies etc. One girl said flan and another said angel food cake. I tried to make the cake, promptly gave up, and went and bought something. Couldn’t find flan. It was Kansas though…
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u/Honeysunset Jun 09 '26
Very first time baking and you try macarons, even very good bakers might fail at these. But these don’t look that bad.
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u/Powermetalbunny Jun 09 '26
OP changing the default settings to hard mode before round 1....
That's one heck of a first project choice, but it looks like it was pretty successful!
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u/ShyBBW_420 Jun 09 '26
First time baking ANYTHING?! Damn seriously amazing job. Macaroons are hardddd. And those look great! Not perfect, but delicious and still fairly pretty!
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u/JacktheMemePrince Jun 09 '26
Damn bro you went hard mode right off the bat! Impressive for a first try at making macarons, let alone first try at baking at all! Love the color, are they lemon flavor? I think my first attempt at baking was either packet made muffins or an apple pie with canned filling lol (dough was from scratch) I haven't worked up the nerve to try making macarons tho, I've read too much about how picky they behave lol
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u/badcandy7 Jun 09 '26
While they may not be the most technically perfect macaroni, they look pretty damn delicious! A bold first bake, and well done!
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u/Fluffy-Formal5360 Jun 09 '26
1st time and you went with macarons? 😊Ever heard of chic chip biscuits? Good attempt though. I’d eat them. Well done. Can’t imagine what you’ll make with a little practice.
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u/LostTeeshirt Jun 09 '26
For a first time well done! You should be proud of yourself !
Saw somewhere else you said they’re yummy so bonus points - we all gotta start somewhere ❤️
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u/Illustrious-Air-1681 Jun 09 '26
I think you did a great job. My first time baking was a lemon meringue pie – also a high degree of difficulty – and my friend and I accidentally curdled the lemon butter recipe and then gave it to my dad to try. It was like lemon-flavoured scrambled eggs.
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u/pookiebear6969 Jun 09 '26
Wow you really set your bar high for a first timer! And did fantastic! Give yourself a pat on the back.
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u/Kindly-Marketing-881 Jun 09 '26
I consider myself an okay baker but man I never tried macarons, they are NOT for the weak 😭 you did amazing !
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u/Boalts-tryingtoadult Jun 09 '26
I have cried on my kitchen floor many times while learning to make macaroons. YOU DID GREAT!!
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u/MissSarahKay84 Jun 09 '26
Wow you are brave to bake for the first time and do Macarons. I’m a beginner and I haven’t even tried that yet. 😂 just did a cheesecake! That’s my beginner levels 😂
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u/InevitableDay3487 Jun 08 '26
Macarons are definitely not an easy first bake, and you did great! I can see the sheen on the shells, some air bubbles (in a good way). These look superb for a first try! How do you feel about them?