Grande Macaron (Plus a Video)

My friends, Denver and Meng Meng, started a media company called Enjoy. Denver is very active in the film world, and has worked with the production of major shows, like MasterChef Junior, as well as filming music videos! The husband and wife duo branched out to grow their personal brand, while doing what they love! 

 

https://vimeo.com/171320772

 

When Denver approached me about doing this video, I was nervous to say the least... He and Meng Meng were so friendly and supportive when sharing their vision and directing me through it. Nonetheless, there's a reason I stick to blogging. You can take a peek at the 30-second promo here:


For this video, I wanted to make something that is elegant and makes a statement. The grande macaron was a great way to do that! It's basically a giant macaron filled with mousse and garnished with raspberries.

Grande Macaron (makes about 3-5 macarons)
Shells
100g Almond Flour
110 g Confectioner's Sugar
15 g Cocoa Powder
50 g Granulated Sugar
70 g Egg Whites (2 large whites)
 
1. Pulse almond flour, cocoa powder, and powdered sugar in a food processor until very finely ground. Be careful not to grind too long, because it will release all of the oils, ruining your final product.
2. Sift the powder with a medium-mesh sieve.
3. Place the particles that are too large to fit through the sieve back into the food processor, pulse, and sift again. Throw out the excess pieces.
4. In a grease-free bowl, place your egg whites and sugar. Allow to sit for a few minutes to begin to dissolve.
5. Use grease-free beaters on high speed to whip the egg whites to stiff peaks.
6. Use a rubber spatula to fold the dry ingredients into the meringue until the batter moves slowly, like lava. If you run your spatula through it, it should fall together after 5-7 seconds.
7. Put the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip (3/8 inch). 
8. Pipe rounds that are about an inch apart onto a nonstick baking mat (silpat) that is placed onto a cookie sheet. 
9. Do this by holding the bag straight up about half an inch above the silpat, applying pressure to the bag until about 2-2.5 inches in diameter, stopping pressure, and then removing by moving hand in a very small circular motion to release the tip from the macaron shell. Make sure there is enough space to spread.
10. Rap your cookie sheet/sheet pan on the table a few times to make sure there are no bumps on the macaron shells.
11. Let rest until dry to the touch (about 30-45 minutes, longer on rainy days).
12. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. If you have a convection oven, use convection.
13. Bake macaron shells on the second shelf of the oven for 20-25 minutes, until they do not wiggle when nudged.
14. Remove from oven and allow shells to cool completely before removing from the silpat.


Chocolate Mousse
3.75 oz Dark/Semi-Sweet Chocolate
4 oz Heavy Cream
.5 packet (.13 oz) Gelatin
.75 oz Water, to Bloom Gelatin
1.75 oz Sugar
.5 oz Water, to Melt Sugar
1.25 oz Egg Yolks
1 box Raspberries

1. Melt the chocolate in a heat proof bowl placed on top of a pot of boiling water (double boiler).
2.  Whip the heavy cream to soft peaks and set aside.
3. In a small container, mix gelatin and water and allow to bloom.
4. Begin whipping the yolks. You are looking to aerate them to a pale yellow.
5. As the yolks begin whipping, heat the sugar and water in a pan. Allow to boil and become slightly syrupy. The bubbles will start to linger slightly, but the sugar syrup will not become very thick or change color. You will probably cook the sugar for about 1 minute to get to this point.
6. Pour the sugar syrup very slowly into the yolks as you whip them. Be careful as it is extremely hot. This is best done in a standing mixer.
7. Once the sugar is poured in, melt the gelatin mixture. Pour the melted gelatin into the yolks. Keep the yolks whipping until completely cool.
8. Once cooled, fold the yolks into the chocolate.
9. Once combined, add the cream and mix until smooth. Allow to set in the fridge until it is no longer soft, and is completely set. This could be a few hours or overnight.

Assembly
1. Pair the shells by size.
3. Put the mousse into a piping bag with the same tip that you used to pipe the macarons.
4. Pipe the mousse into the center of the macaron. You want to hold the bag about 3/4 inch to one inch above the surface. Pipe leaving plenty of room for raspberries to go around.
5. Place fresh raspberries around the mousse, allowing it to hold them in place.
6. Put the other shell onto the top to create a "sandwich". 
7. Place in the fridge a few hours before to allow the flavors to develop.

The macaron definitely packs a wow factor, with great flavor. Chocolate and raspberry are the perfect pair, so I was definitely excited to try it!

If you ever have any film or photography needs, you definitely should consider Enjoy. They do corporate videos, events, weddings, and music videos. Enjoy also does social media management. I can attest to the difficulty of trying to manage social media while working full time. It's a great way to grow your audience, and can definitely benefit your site.

Be sure to check them out for all of your media needs!

Facebook: /enjoynewmedia
Instagram: @enjoynewmedia
Website: http://www.weareenjoy.com/