20th March is National Macaron Day

Macarons have taken the foodie world by storm. Wonderfully colourful and absolutely delicious, they're now a main feature of afternoon teas, weddings and parties up and down the country.

If you've never had one, you're missing out. The shells are made of soft meringue, and filled with a flavoured buttercream . Many a diet has been broken thanks to these little lushes. Can you tell I'm a fan?

If you've never had one, you'll have every reason to this month, because on the 20th of March, the UK celebrates National Macaron Day for the second year running. More than that, Pierre Hermé and Relais Desserts members are joining forces to support the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. Volunteers from the charity will rally at each Pierre Hermé Paris boutique to encourage involvement and collect donations.

Why have they chosen to help fight cystic fibrosis? Because despite 1 in 25 people in the UK carrying the faulty gene that causes cystic fibrosis, and over 9,300 people in the UK having the disease, it remains relatively unknown. This genetic disease affects the respiratory and digestive systems, making it hard to breathe and digest food.

So. The money raised on Macaron Day will help fund research to better understand the disease and develop new treatments, as well as help and support sufferers and their families. There's never been a better reason to break the diet.

There are two boutiques in London:
13 Lowndes Street, London SW1X 9EX
Selfridges Oxford Street, London W1A 1AB

But don't worry if you can't make it. A special commemorative box is being released with a  portion of the sale going directly to the charity which you can order by calling 0207 245 03 17. Oh, did we forget to mention the flavours?

JARDIN ENCHANTÉ - Lime, raspberry & espelette pepper
JARDIN MARIN - Green tea, chanterelle mushroom & lemon
JARDIN SECRET - Rose, vanilla & clove
JARDIN PARFUMÉ - Rose & jasmine
JARDIN DU PARADIS - Aniseed & saffron
JARDIN D'ÉDEN - Vanilla & basil
JARDIN D'ÉTÉ - Lemon & caramelized fennel
JARDIN SAUVAGE - Chocolate & lime
JARDIN ORIENTAL - Orange blossom, rose & ginger
JARDIN D'ANTAN - Violet & aniseed

I'll have the Jardin Parfume, s'il vous plaît.

Laura is the editor of six out of ten. She has a background in journalism and PR, and loves nothing more than writing. Well. Maybe she loves Eddie Vedder a bit more (a lot more). She lives with her boy and her boycat in a house in Essex. Her favourite things are red lip stains (lipsticks never last), sweet cocktails and fresh, new notebooks.