All bloggers like macaroons. Or if not all bloggers, then at least the bloggers who are on Instagram. I have just checked and hashtag ‘macaroons’ has been used almost a million times, including by yours truly. This tendency to photograph every pastel sweet you see and immediately share it with the world is of course annoying, but it’s also entirely understandable. Macaroons are very photogenic and even people who have no photographic skills whatsoever, can take a picture of them that looks relatively nice. Probably exactly the same as the other million macaroon pictures on Instagram, but nice. (I can still mess it up, though.)

My tragedy is that I really like macaroons. I liked them before Instagram and will like them after Instragam is long gone. I love almonds, meringue and biscuits, so it follows logically that I would love macaroons, too, as they are in fact almond-y egg-biscuits. Or egg-y almond biscuits. A salted caramel macaroon combines almost every single thing I like in the world.

I’m sure you can already sense the ‘but’ coming and indeed, here it is: but! While I believe in cheap make-up and cheap cashmere and that almost every luxury item can be replaced by a more modestly priced alternative, I find it really difficult to believe in cheap macaroons. My experience has proved, time and again, that fancy, expensive macaroons are better than cheap macaroons. And believe me, I’ve tried, because the fancy ones really do cost a lot. Every time I go to buy them, I mentally prepare myself for the fact that this is going to be expensive, and it’s always even more expensive.

My absolute favourite macaroons are by Pierre Herme: I prefer them to Ladurée’s, as they seem more delicate and a bit more refined and the flavour combinations are amazing (yoghurt, rose, lychee and raspberry or licorice and violet, to name two). That said, I will never say now to a bit of Ladurée. They now have shop in Brussels, too – a strange baroque place that looks like an average-size ballroom with small tables in the corners.

The most stylish macaroons, however, actually come from Belgium. And when I say ‘most stylish macaroons’, I mean ‘most stylish packaging’. Take a look at this Maison Kitsuné and Pierre Marcolini collaboration and try to tell me that you don’t want that box. See! Of course you do. A bento-box inspired packaging with a fox, brought to you by a guy who used to manage Daft Punk – what’s not to like? The cute textile/scarf is included, too. As they say in women’s magazines: if you only buy one box of macaroons this month (week/day), make it this one.