I’ll admit that I don’t totally understand the “millennial pink” craze; generally, I am not a pink kind of person. That said, though, I do enjoy a wide variety of pink foods (raise your hand if you, too, believe that the best candy flavors are all pink) — and if only I lived in the right location, I’d likely be able to add these “millennial pink” doughnuts from Crosstown Doughnuts to the list. Alas, I do not live in London at the moment, so I am unable to procure them for myself — so, uh, Londoners? Want to do me a favor and get one, then report back to me about how it tastes? Inquiring minds need to know.
Crosstown Doughnuts originally launched in 2014 as a stall at the Leather Lane Market — a market which, despite its name, isn’t a place you’re going to find a lot of leather goods. According to Time Out London, Leather Lane is “a haven for food lovers”; what’s more, it’s been operating for a whopping 400 years, so it’s got quite a lot of history behind it. In any event, Crosstown opened its first permanent shop, located in SoHo, about a year later; three others launched over the next few years in Shoreditch, Camden, and Victoria, along with continued sales at various markets. Now Crosstown’s treats can be found all over London (Whole Foods is apparently among the retailers who sell them), as well as online — there’s even online ordering and same-day delivery.
All of which is to say that I really, really wish Crosstown had existed about 10 years ago; I lived not too far away from the Camden location then, and you guys? These doughnuts look phenomenal.
The online menu divides the treats up into six different categories: Seasonal doughnuts, premium doughnuts, cake doughnuts, classic doughnuts, dough bites (which are basically mini doughnuts), and vegan doughnuts. The doughnuts we’re all referring to as “millennial pink doughnuts” are actually Crosstown’s Beetroot Lemon-Thyme doughnuts; they’re filed under the seasonal category, which means that you’ll probably have to act fast if you want to give them a try. They’re made of “soft, fluffy, pink beetroot sourdough with a lemon-thyme glaze” and finished off with a vanilla crumble and fresh lemon-thyme. Also, they’re vegetarian (although not vegan), if that is a thing that is important to you.
Happily, they appear to be available Monday through Sunday and can be ordered online for pickup or delivery either today or at some point in the future — because hey, guess what? That’s also a thing: Crosstown will let you order doughnuts to be delivered on a day that has not yet arrived, giving you something to look forward to all week if you like.
Yes, please.
Crosstown’s Instagram is full not only of beautiful pictures of drool-inducing doughnuts, by the way, but also of delightful behind-the-scenes tidbits. Here’s what the beetroot dough used for the Beetroot Lemon-Thyme doughnuts looks like when it’s being rolled out and cut:
Here’s what it looks like freshly cooked:
And here’s a peek at the whole doughnut-making process:
While Crosstown’s pink doughnut flavor is certainly unique and likely hard to replicate, you can at least make something that looks as pretty as the Beetroot Lemon-Thyme doughnuts do right at home — which, honestly, might be essential for those of us who don’t live in London. For example, baking kit company FoodStirs has a recipe for millennial pink doughnuts using their pancake mix; the treats get their color from pink food coloring, while edible gold sheets add some sparkle; however, you don’t necessarily need the mix to make them. Just take your favorite doughnut recipe (I like a lot of the ones at Sally’s Baking Addiction — there are both fried and baked options over there), add some pink food coloring to the dough, and you’re good to go.
Nor are doughnuts the only food to have gotten the millennial pink treatment lately; rosé alfredo, pink popcorn, and colorful cocktails are just a few of the cheerful eats and beverages you can treat yourself to if you feel like it. And I mean, honestly? I’m down with that. Sometimes, it’s the little things that help boost your spirits, and if pink food does it for you, then go forth. Happy noshing!
