Pink October: Breast Cancer Awareness & Chocolate

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and chocolate makers, chocolatiers and food bloggers offer some wonderful chocolate and recipes. The best part is that there will be a lot of awareness raised for breast cancer research. Think Pink!

Here's my inspiration for today's blog. Deeba Rajpal's blogs at Passionate about Baking, one of my favorite blogs. (You'll want to check out her site and archives). Two years ago she made a Think Pink for Pinktober Cake as a birthday cake but also as part of a blogging event in support of breast cancer. After missing last year, she returns with an incredible new Pink cake this year, joining other bloggers going Pink.

Her Chocolate & Strawberry Mascarpone Cake for Pink October is extraordinary. Not only is it a fabulous recipe, but her decorations include Rangoon creeper, which blooms the first week of October (in Malaysia/she's outside Delhi). Beautiful. I love to decorate my cakes with flowers from my garden. Of course this cake, like the Pinktober cake, is chocolate! Pink icing, chocolate shavings and that Strawberry Mascarpone is something else!

The basic cake is a chocolate sponge from Indulge-100 Perfect Desserts by Claire Clark that she reviewed for BloggerAid. The rest of the cake was a bit of a whim for her. She made her own mascarpone (yes!) because its firmer than soft cream cheese and really has a different flavor. Who doesn't love mascarpone? You have to read her notes! What a lovely Twitter/Blogger community that seemed to bake this cake along with her, if only in giving advice and tweets. Try this recipe in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. For the complete recipe and fabulous photos, go here. Be sure and bookmark this site or add it to your RSS feed.

Breast Cancer Awareness Chocolate to Buy: Donations & Awareness

Vosges is donating 10% of the sales of their new Goji Exotic Candy Bar Library to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure®. Four Goji bars are nestled in our signature purple box and finished with a large, pink satin ribbon--satisfying chocolate that is full of Goji berries (which have major health benefits) AND the purchase sends money to a worthy cause. Goji: goji berries + pink Himalayan salt + deep milk chocolate, 41% cacao

Sweet Earth Organic Chocolate is donating $1 for every framboise truffle sold to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation

Astor Chocolate has a 1 oz Milk Chocolate Bar with Breast Cancer Awareness Wrapper. Net proceeds given to the October Woman Foundation for breast cancer research to support ongoing research programs. They also have a 2 oz. Milk Chocolate Bar, and a 2 pc. Pearl Nouveau Truffle Box.

Pink Wish Tim Tams. Australia's favorite chocolate biscuit, Arnott's Tim Tam, has launched a limited edition product this month. Arnott's will donate ten cents to the National Breast Cancer Foundation for every packet of Tim Tam "Pink Wish" luscious Strawberry sold. They expect to raise $150,000 for breast cancer research.

Ghirardelli has a Luxe Milk Chocolates contest. They will donate up to $100,000 to the National Cancer Foundation.

Pink Hershey's Kisses: “Three of our most popular products — York peppermint patties, Hershey’s Kisses and Hershey’s Kissables chocolates — turn pink this fall, adopting this widely recognized symbol of breast cancer awareness. They are increasing their donation to the Young Survival Coalition in outright contribution, continuing their support for its important work on behalf of breast cancer survivors.”

Hershey's York Pink Peppermint Patties: Hershey partners with the Young Survival Coalition to help raise money in an effort to encourage young women to become educated about breast cancer. Donation from each sold.

Hershey's Bliss Chocolate features pink ribbon wrappers and is available nationwide. Hershey’s Bliss Chocolate also is honoring and supporting breast cancer survivors by profiling the stories of five women who battled the disease. All diagnosed under the age of 40, these women have shared their courageous, inspirational stories of breast cancer survival through personal video testimonials, photos and blogs. Their stories were chronicled on www.hersheyspledge.com throughout September as they trained for the Hershey’s Tour de Pink. Consumers followed along, lent support and encouragement to the women, and learned how to support the Young Survival Coalition.

Athena Chocolate by Dilettante Chocolatier has Chocolate Cherry Truffles. All company profits are donated year-round to breast cancer research and education.

Dove Promises of Hope Chocolate. Inside each chocolate wrapper is an inspirational message from a breast cancer survivor.

Mars will be donating $850,000 to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure breast cancer awareness foundation. Mars is also releasing Pink M&M's. You can buy them as one of the specialty colors or you can buy them Breast Cancer Awareness theme packs.

Strawberry Kit Kats: Nestlé who now produces KIT KAT supports the awareness of breast cancer with its annual limited edition Kit Kat Chocolate Strawberry flavor. Nestle donates to the NBCF.

The Signature Collection has Breast Cancer Awareness Coins. Dark Chocolate coins measure 1.5" in diameter and are wrapped in pink foil with a picture of a ribbon on the chocolate. Not sure if a donation is made.

4Imprint USA offers Chocolate Ribbons, for breast cancer awareness. Don't think there's a donation here.

Chocolate for the Fountain?
Food Network offers a recipe for Pink Chocolate. Great for a pink fountain!

Cupcakes?
Celebrations/Life of the Party has an easy recipe for Pink Lemonade cupcakes. Decorate with pink icing ribbons.

Send me your Chocolate Recipes for Breast Cancer Awareness Month or Blog a Chocolate Recipe for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and I'll post a link!