Sunday Soundtrack - Valentine's Hearts.

(With apologies for photobooth mirroring).

As someone who regularly voices their dislike of Valentine's day when bearing witness to window displays at this time of year, I was very swiftly seduced by these chocolate hearts in Betty's shop-front.

The ones with the ribbons on are dark chocolate with raspberry ganache; the other is plain milk. You can buy them, among many other delicious treats, here. I look forward to the reaction I'll get from their recipients - so used to my cynical reaction to rampant February 14th consumerism.

As the years go by all I can conclude is that whether you love or hate Valentine's day, it's here to stay.

The Wipers - Window Shop For Love

Little Luxuries: More Macaroons from Bettys.

An unexpected gift, all the more delicious for being so. I ate the last pistachio one last night, and I'm missing these macaroons already.

However, the little green & gold box is beautiful, so that's a consolation... Even if it is now empty.

Little Luxuries: Bettys Macaroons.

This week, as my Mum was visiting, we sampled the macaroons from Bettys. This lovely picture from English Rose Rambles shows just how beautiful they are. I think that's one of the things I love most about macaroons; you almost can't bear to eat them.

Almost.

I am a self-confessed almond addict, and these are the perfect fix.

We got one of each flavour: lemon, raspberry, pistachio and chocolate. I had the pistachio one, and it was just perfect - crunchy and light, and gooey in the middle - and it tasted of real pistachios. My Mum & Grandad approved the lemon and chocolate, respectively. The raspberry was shared out in little nibbles between the three of us, and the verdict was that it was rather too sweet, but a beautiful colour.

Macaroons are such luxury items and the ultimate indulgence, so beautiful and delicate that you can't help but savour them.

Maybe living in York, so very close to a Bettys, will be a bit of a liability.