Light Lunches •
Beetroot Horseradish Risotto - with Macarons
How I turned a junk food challenge, looking for a different macaron filling, into Coca-Cola macarons.
When you love macarons like I do and discover macaron blogs like MacTweets, it’s all part of the magic! Run by Jamie and Deeba, who are both adorable macaronivores, sadly they don’t run it any more but the blog continues. What was particularly fun about their blog, is that they set a macaron challenge every month. Each month the challenge is something different and inspires us to come up with macarons that are rather original.
Previously, the macaron challenge was something spicy.
For spicy macs – have you seen my mini Thai Red Curry Macarons, Tikka Macsala or Beetroot and Horseradish macarons (all in the savoury chapter in my first book, Mad About Macarons)? I contacted them, excitedly. Can I join in, too, even if I’ve written a macaron recipe book? Eeek. Yes! The filling fun was going to start.
The Junk Food Macaron Challenge
When I saw their macaron challenge based on JUNK FOOD (which is not me at all) – it was definitely a personally difficult challenge I had to try!
“….Put aside all of those elegant flavors, the sophistication and beauty of those little French treats and think junk food! Transform your macs into the perfect ballpark (or couch potato) snack food! Give it the old ballpark twist, salty or sweet, creamy, crispy or ice cold and here’s a Hip Hip Hooray for the old ball game….snack!”
My first reaction was to go for a buttery, caramel popcorn. That was perfect; but I discovered quickly that others had thought of this already with beautiful popcorn adorned macarons. I had to think of something else. Not easy, especially as we’re too tempted to dream up elegant flavours and go the sophisticated route with macarons. But JUNK FOOD?
I am definitely not a junk food eater but one thing I could identify with is Coca-Cola. A chilled coke in the summer heat, watching your favourite match. Could I turn this into a macaron? The beauty with macarons, you have an empty canvas – so you can make any kind of filling to make the macarons of your choice!
Creating the Visual and Taste of Fizz in a Macaron
I made a start, flicking (perhaps a bit too wildly in places!) dark food colouring to show a visual fizz. Antoine’s cousin had a brilliant idea: use some space dust fizzy sweets to crumble on top (just discovered they’re called pops rocks dips here in France).
Taking the fizzy filling a step further, I used some sucre pétillant – fizzy sugar or popping candy. What a real fizzy sensation as a result on the tongue! So, ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, I present you with my fizzy Coca-Cola Ballpark Snack Macarons for MacTweets.
Idea for the Filling
The filling’s main ingredient is actually Coca-Cola. Except this is not an easy one for the flavour, as it’s not strong enough for a macaron. It needed a bit of a boost with extra flavourings. Coca-Cola extract is not something I normally have in my cupboards (although I’d recommend using it if you have). Instead, I added a dash of caramel flavouring to concentrate the flavour.
Macaron Shell Decor
Then I had some fun and sprayed them with Wilton red food colouring. And since I’m a bit Mad About Macarons, I couldn’t resist finishing off with a fun shot using my kids’ doll house toys – just to throw them into the ballpark!
The Fizzy Soda Macaron Recipe
For the complete recipe how to make Fizzy Soda macarons, such as Coca Cola macarons or Orangina (fizzy orange) macarons, get my second book, Teatime in Paris! It’s in the Macaron Recipes chapter on page 165.
This blog post was originally published on 23 May 2011 but text is now updated and includes better images
Amazed at the endless varieties of macarons you come up with!
So creative Jill.
xxCarolg
Hi There, This is looking absolutely delightful. Loved the new combo of ingredients and the recipe is so nicely made and presented. Saving this recipe of urs and wud love to give ur version a try on the coming weekend. Lovely pictures…Have a great day….Sonia !!!
What a great idea. The filling is really cool, and they look very pretty, too.
These are so pretty and fun! I love coca cola and I love how you misted them with a pop of color!
Ha! I just love love love it! Very creative and adorable!
Am so honored to be participating in the Mactweets challenge with you, an expert and mac book author! The Coca Cola logo is a great idea. Very creative. Love that last photo of the macs relaxing in all their colorful glory. 🙂
this is so quirky cool!
That is so, so clever! And I love the idea of pop rocks. I don’t eat a lot of junk food either but an icy-cold coke does help during summer 🙂 How did you make the filling, did I miss that bit? Very impressive take on the challenge.
OMG! Kind of retro..but very now! Love these.. you are incredibly creative!
now these are some cool macaroons your a pro he he hence your book
This is amazing, this is art on the plate. Brilliant:)
Oh wow, I’ve always been meaning to make something with cocoa cola in it, but I never really had an idea how to start. This is really creative, and looks excellent too. I’ll go check out the egg yolk stuff now 🙂
Your coca-cola macs are fantastic, and I love that you ‘carbonated’ them with pop rocks! I’m totally awed! Amazing job!
Absolutely brilliant! And so much fun…love the last photo in their little beach chairs 🙂 The pop rock idea would be a great add as well, fizzy macarons 🙂
You are so clever! Your creativity never ceases to amaze me. My hat is off to you on this one… I would have been stumped!
Jill, you certainly know how to rise to a challenge. I love your response to ‘junk food’. These are really imaginative and I love the little deck chair – very cute.
Hi! jill u are a super GENIUS! u r so creative! And those macarons look perfect and delicious! Fantastic job!
Love them!! Im not surprised though that you would come up with such a great idea! Absolutely brilliant!
I love your coca-cola macs! Brilliant idea, I didn’t even think of cola. I love the design too. Thanks so much for visiting my blog, I’m still loving your book, every recipe I have tried has been perfect. I love that you’re joining Mac Tweets too. x
Mad Hatter, Pretty Woman…wowsome and incredibly fun…coca cola and caramel…wow!
kudos!
is your editor still against large pics?
Bravo, Jill! Those are definitely ball park-ish. I love how your creative mind works.
Oooo… these are so adorable! Love them sitting on the deck chairs!
LOVE this! Such a fun twist on the macaron. You are indeed the Macaron Queen!
Jill,
You totally nailed the theme! Kudos to you. I love the picture with the straws:)
You are so darn creative!! What a fun idea… The photos came out wonderfully and you’ve captured the game!
If this is not the coolest thing I’ve seen all day, I don’t know what is! You are so awesome! Seriously, you are Jill :D.
Love the creativity you used on these. I never would have thought to use Coke. Such a fun theme to play around with.
Amazing – again – what an occasion you & your macarons create!
Well done you, what fun & flavours. Of course you could also sing along with ” I’d like to buy the world macarons, and furnish them with fruit, iced apple trees & honey tease & perfect patisserie cream. I’d like to teach the world to bake, in perfect harmony, I’d like to buy the world macarons & keep its company .. I’m the real thing 😀 Oooh soo clever Jill You are absolutely Macarons’ Real Thing 😀
These are so funny! What a great take on the junk food theme and you made them look so good. I especially like the macaron hanging out on the deck chair. Who know coke could be made into something so lovely.
I am in awe… these macs are just WOW!
Well, you just won the hearts of every American out there..LOL. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these!!
They look fabulous, Jill! And “macaronivores” – that is so cute 😀
Hi Jill, I can appreciate the name of your blog after seeing all the incredibly pretty macarons you made. I have only try to make macaron once a few weeks ago and it was a BIG failure. My macrons become macawrongs!! I go to come here more often to get inspired to try again. Lovely work!
You are a GENIUS! I think I have already told you that, but I cannot find a better word… You are so creative! And those macarons look perfect and delicious! I’d rather have those than ANYTHING else!!! Fantastic job Jill! 🙂
You knocked this challenge out of the park Jill. Fabulous idea and very cool looking macs!
Wow Jill…you are really creative! Coca Cola macarons sound wild. I will have to jump into the macaron bandwagon soon as I am missing out on all the fun.
This is such a fun post! And I love those macarons! How creative 🙂 the ‘fun shot’ is very cute too. What is that macaron drinking? Coca Cola, perhaps? I love how that other one’s relaxing on the pool chair. Very cool macarons! Thanks for sharing, Jill!
That is just so crazy clever! I love it!
What a creative idea – I love it, especially the food coloring on the top. Making a coca-cola filling would be a tough task, and I bet the carmel extract hit the nail on the head.
Jill, these are awesome! I would never have thought to make coca cola into a macaroon, and they are so cute with the coca cola design! You are always so creative and inspiring with your recipes :)! Hope you have a wonderful week!
You make such amazing stuff! These are so cute, and have to taste wonderful! Well done!
Hi Jill! I can totally imagine your shocking face when you found out this month’s theme! But you did so well making only one of kind macarons! Cola-cola macarons!!! Macarons are simple, yet there is no limit in design, colors, and themes! What an Amazng job!!!! I don’t know anyone who’s serious and creative about macarons than you. You always surprise us with some new kind of macarons. I would never thought baking macarons can be this much fun!
Super cute! I was wondering how you got them to look like coke symbols!
This is so outrageously good…I just can’t stop grinning! I love macarons, but have never attempted making them. These are just so creative! I’m just amazed! : )
Well done you. If anyone could rise to this challenge you certainly could. Great couch potato shots too.
What fun and crazy macarons! Love your “at the game” shot, too!
You really are a macaron superstar. I think these look perfect! Glad you bucked the trend and came up with something other than popcorn.
Fantastic! They are so pretty. Too bad I’m macaron challenged and can’t make them.
These are amazing! I love the food coloring on top, it really adds to the magic of the coke bottle appearance. Maybe you could do a chapter on “junk food” macs in your next book!
Jill, your creativity is amazing! What a fabulous idea! You went all the way…and I love the whimsical shot at the end.
I’m still waiting for my Mad About Macarons book to arrive…I think my first attempt will be chocolate 🙂
Interesting post! I loved the concept of using coca cola in macarons!! And, what i’d say is that you have made the perfect, NEW-GENERATION macarons. Thanks for sharing.
Wow, another incredible macaron! So amazing how you’ve perfected the art so that you can be so experimentative with them. Can’t wait to try my hand! Yummy!
Jacqueline, you’ll see for yourself just how fun they are. You can do what you like!
These are absolutely wonderful and so inventive!
Jill, you have amazed me once again! Your creativity with the macaron is unparalleled, haha!
I must check out this site, it sounds like so much fun!
Wow, coca-cola macaroons! How neat, I love it!
Jill they are absolutely adorable. So so so creative. I was one of those who went with the buttery caramely popcorn theme (to be posted later this week) but I played with using different nuts for my shells (with – ahem – a lot of trial and error). I can’t wait until my macarons work 100% of the time so I can play with flavours like you do. Fun pics too! (PS, I need to get me some of that spray!!)