If you do one thing this October, think pink
Staying true to the macarons it features, I’ll try to keep this post short and sweet. We’re coming to the end of Pink October – an annual international health campaign organized by various breast cancer charities to raise awareness and funds for research – and any mention of the dreaded ‘c’ word inevitably lends a certain seriousness of tone to proceedings. However, while cancer undoubtedly brings sadness and suffering to everyone it touches, the communities and support networks it creates are incredible. Rather than dwelling on the hurts and horrors, this post is intended as a celebration of life, of humans finding strength in adversity; above all it’s a toast to every woman who has ever been affected by this destructive disease.
Writing a food blog has made me think about what we eat in a very different light. While some simply consume for sustenance, there is a whole community out there for whom food is so much more. Cooking is an opportunity to explore our creative sides, to share experiences and mouthfuls with family and friends, to try new things, take a trip down memory lane, to celebrate, commiserate or simply to indulge. Food can also be used to positive effect, from the good old Blue-Peter-style bring-and-buy charity bake sale through to bigger events such as Action Against Hunger’s Love Food Give Food campaign.
Pink champagne macarons with white chocolate & hidden ‘pop’
This month, the lovely Mactweets ladies have challenged their community of bakers to ‘Think Pink!’ with a macaron dedicated to Pink October. Dozens of bloggers around the world will be posting pretty pink recipes on their sites in aid of Breast Cancer awareness, using something as simple as baking to spread the word about this terrible disease. A tall order, perhaps, for a frivolous confection consisting mainly of sugar, egg white and air, but not one to be underestimated. I think we can rise to the challenge.
Already numerous bloggers have posted their recipes, sharing personal stories, raising awareness and helping hundreds, if not thousands, of women out there to realize that they are not alone. If just one person reading this post is encouraged to donate some money, to check themselves for lumps and bumps or even to bake a batch of popping pink macarons to celebrate the life of a woman they love, then I’ll be happy.
Pink champagne buttercream with a fizzing white chocolate centre
When coming up with this recipe, I tried to think which ingredient would best represent the message I was trying to convey. I considered raspberries and strawberries, rich dark chocolate shells filled with purple-pink cherries and custard creations sandwiched with sticky rhubarb jam. Roses felt fitting for the girly theme, but the flavour of rosewater is a somewhat acquired taste, and I just wasn’t in the mood for its punchy floral overtones at the time. In the end I alighted on a single ingredient that signals celebration around the world, that opens with a pop and flirtily fizzes before disappearing completely in a flurry of bubbles. A message, if ever there was one, to live for the moment.
So here it is, the popping pink champagne macaron; a simple coloured shell filled with bubbly pink buttercream and a swirl of white chocolate and popping candy. It’s a celebratory sweet which pops and fizzes like a real glass of champagne, making grown adults feel like big kids, and reminding us that even when times are tough, simple pleasures can inject just a little joy into the everyday.
The message this month? Wear it pink
Popping pink macarons with pink champagne buttercream & white chocolate ‘pop’
(makes about 20)
For the shells:
I made the macaron shells using my favourite fall-back macaron recipe from the Ottolenghi cookbook. You can find the recipe and instructions here (just omit the cinnamon and replace with a couple of drops of natural pink food colouring).
For the filling
Ingredients:
100g unsalted butter, softened
135g icing sugar
15 – 20ml pink champagne
Few drops pink food dye (optionl)
50g white chocolate, melted & cooled slightly
50g popping candy
Edible glitter & pens
Method:
Cream the butter til light and fluffy then add the icing sugar and blend til smooth. Slowly add the champagne to your blender to taste. If the colour isn’t pink enough for your liking, add a little pink food dye.
Mix the popping candy into the white chocolate.
Pipe a swirl of pink buttercream onto half a macaron shell, place a blob of white chocolate popping candy in the middle, then sandwich together with a second shell. Repeat.
Decorate with edible glitter, writing icing or a dusting of icing sugar.
I absolutely adore your Pop Rock and Champagne macarons. I loved pop rocks as a kid and this is a very grown up version that promotes a worthwhile cause. You rock girl!
These are fabulous – I love the double fizz of champagne and popping candy! Perfect macarons as ever.
Thought inspiring post. Will need to bake something pink before the end of the month 🙂
This is a perfect recipe for Think Pink! Love the fizzing element to it too 🙂
These macarons look and sound fabulous, your idea of using popping candy is so creative! And all for a very worthy cause. You’ve inspired me to think about making something pink too, great post.
Wonderful recipe and thought provoking post. What girl can say no to a pink champagne macaroon ?
Lady Macaron – thanks! They were so much fun to make, and also love that baking can be used to spread the word of this cause.
Kathryn – thank you 🙂
Slutty Cutlery – do it! Bake something pink and spread the word 🙂
Lorraine – you can’t have champagne without a little fizz!
Mandy – aw, thank you. Do let me know how you get on with your pink baking.
Ruthie – or boy! My favourite image from last weekend was Carniverous Boyfriend sipping on the leftover pink champagne while eating these pink delicacies – embracing his inner woman!
Great post! My mom was just diagnosed with breast cancer this month, so your post hits very close to home for me. I will never think of October the same way again. I am grateful for the huge network of support out there for breast cancer patients and survivors. I can fully appreciate it now.
And, I am a huge Ottolengi fan and have wanted to try his macaron recipe, so thanks for the tip that it’s your fall-back recipe:)
-E
I’m really sorry to hear about your Mum but hope that the huge support network out there can be of some comfort. And that people will continue to read posts like these and make a donation – it’s just one click away.
And yes, the Ottolenghi recipe is great – it’s the first one I ever used before I realised there was so much fear of macaron making out there, and it worked perfectly first time. No aged egg whites or counting the number of whisks – just a simple, straightforward, delicious recipe.
Nicely done! the pink is beautiful too….
popping candy is such a great idea! How did it taste when you bit into it? Love the pink champagne buttercream!
Beautiful efforts… they’re so perfect for Pink October!
Wow pop rocks and champagne!!! What a fantastic combination for a wonderful cause. 😀
Looks and sounds fab. I have been planning some pop rock macarons too and these look fab x
Pop rocks in macarons? How FUN!!! Beautiful macarons for such a worthy cause~
Jessica – thanks!
Beyond Umami – they popped! Possibly not quite as much as I’d have liked, but the fizz was definitely there.
Leaf – thank you 🙂
Jennifer – it’s just nice to be able to do something, however small, for such a good cause – and encourage others to bake!
Working London Mummy – ooh, looking forward to reading your recipe 🙂
Liz – thank you 🙂
These macarons are amazing!! Wow, so beautiful and creative, you clearly put so much thought into them and for such a good cause. Amazing work!
I LOVE how beautifully and enthusiastically you wrote this post, evocative and expressive. Whats not to love about pop rock pink champagne macarons! Yay you girl…you rock like these beauties. Thanks for bringing such pink happiness to Mactweets!
Oh, wow..those are some beautiful pink macarons – the pink champagne with the pink poprocks ‘popping’ couldn’t be a more perfect way to celebrate survival! Love how you managed to write such positive messages so neatly in such a small space. You’re amazing!
On another note – yes, angry baking – it never turns out right or tastes as good as love baking..perfectly demonstrated by my ripped dough. and no swirlies!
These are fun and gorgeous at the same time. Great job on these. Bravo!
So cute and so meaningful! Thank you for your efforts!
These are pretty much the most perfect and most PINK macarons I have ever seen – delectable!
your macarons turned out beautifully, littleloaf.
and i am very much intrudged by the champagne buttercream, sounds yummy!
and this post has such a good background of arousing awareness, so thank you for that as well!
beautiful! and this all for a good cause… even better! I love looking at your pictures, they make me so hungry xx
Katherine – thank you!
Deeba – it was such an inspired theme for the challenge 🙂
Lisa – I think it’s so important to be able to celebrate life as well as thinking about the serious side of this disease.
Lora – thanks!
Carroll – 🙂
Gourmet Chick – glad you like!
Jennifer – champagne buttercream is yummy – bubbly and delicious all at once!
Ute – the only thing better than baking is baking for a good cause 🙂
Wonderful post and you set such a nice tone. I doubt there’s anyone who doesn’t know someone whose had breast cancer, so doubly well done. Your macarons are such fun – I want to try some chanpage buttercream now!
They are simply beautiful! And yummy!
mm..will have to try with pops next time! It must’ve been an interesting surprise in the mouth!
I love the shimmer of the shells and the popping candy is such a great idea!
These macarons are so pretty and sound delicious! And I love the idea of using popping candy in the filling – I often see them in the shops but have never tried using them… Time to change that, I think!
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