So, First time making macarons. And I am so confused. I made one batch of vanilla, and one of chocolate. Problem is; The first sheet turned out perfect. The second cracked. (Same dough)

The first sheet of chocolate cracked, the second turned out somewhat okay. Some cracked some didnt. What did I do wrong? Since two sheets of the same dough turned out completely different?

Im thinking I might not have mixed it enough, the dough? But if I didnt, why did one sheet turn out perfect, and the second crack?

Please help :)

idk--but on egullet.org in the pastry & baking forum there are world class pastry chef discussions about macarons--just a thought for you to get some really good info with a search on there--

Possibly a streak of unincorporated (thoroughly) merignue.  If you can sort of draw a line from the crack in one to the crack in a neighbor, that's it.

ALove to eat these little guys, hate to make them! Oven temperature/fluctuations could play a part, as well as resting time before baking.

AI learned to make macarons last year. Here is my thread I posted here. It has amazing advice in it. http://cakecentral.com/t/767355/i-need-a-macaron-expert-please-pics-included-in-post

I found my main problem was that I wasn't letting them rest long enough to form a skin on top before they go into the oven. So the tops were too fragile and cracked when they rose. Now I let them sit for at least an hour to dry out (sometimes a bit longer, but I live in a very humid area).

If your oven has a fan it could make a difference. I can only cook one sheet at a time because I have to place them above the fan. Also, some recipes say to let the batch sit and form a skin, if I do that with my recipe, they crack and don't turn out right, I have to put them directly in the oven.  You just kind of have to experiment with your oven/recipe/environment, they are finicky little suckers.

Thanks :)