Review- The Grown Up Chocolate Company Cups: Hazelnut, Caramel, Spiced Praline and Peanut

Hi, it's me! Did anyone assume I had died a grizzly death?* I wouldn't blame you if you had - One can only be MIA for so long before others evidently conclude another's demise.. Have no fear though, I am back! I don't know how long for and shall make no promises as life has gotten pretty hectic but I am hoping to at least squeeze out a couple of reviews before my next vanishing act!

So, getting back into the swing of things, today we have some goodies from The Grown Up Chocolate Company who ever so kindly, sent me some of their "Handmade in the UK", NEW chocolatey treats to try. 

Cups, cups and nothing but! ..Except a bar.. But more of that later! Priced at £1.99 a pop and sold in sixes, not to mention extremely cute packaging, each variety offers up 75-80g of chocolate, with all being veggie friendly from what I can tell. 

Heavenly Whole Hazelnut Praline Cups

Smooth milk chocolate praline cups with whole hazelnut and crispy rice crunch. 

Well the description was true to its word.. Check out that mahoosive hazelnut! Taking a munch, the flavour of the aforementioned was very much apparent and as one would expect, paired pretty well with the milky cocoa hit of chocolate from the smooth shell. Unfortunately however, I found that with the addition of puff riced, it was all a bit too much of a mouthful and did start to detract from what could have been a superb "plain" nutty/praline chocolate combo. It's a 3.5 out of 5 from me. 

Gorgeously Gooey Caramel Truffle Cups

Milk chocolate toffee cups filled with a runny caramel truffle. 

Apologies for the dark picture - I am putting it down to lack of practice! ..Or perhaps the slightly odd description of these Cups - What on earth of a runny caramel truffle? I was under the impression that a chocolate truffle is anything but runny? Someone explain it to me. Melting in the mouth wonderfully, this little gleaming beauty certainly packed a buttery, toffee punch from the oozing centre with just the right amount of sweetness to compliment the once again, faultless milk chocolate. Deliciously indulgent - A 4.5 out of 5!

Spectacular Speculicious Praline Cups

Milk chocolate cups filled with sumptuous warm spice praline. 

Cutting the Cup in half, the inside dense truffle texture was clear to see and produced an ever so slight whiff of spice. Taste wise, it was far more warming than I expected with a real "Christmassy" inviting flavour that reminded me a lot of a strong Speculoos based Spread. I am not entirely sure what the sprinkling was on top of each of the rich chocolates but I liked it and its crunch! Wintery and warming - A 4 out of 5 from me. 

Perfectly Buttery Peanutty Cups/Superb Salted Caramel Peanut Bar

As some of you may be aware, peanut** and I don't exactly fair well together so I passed both these Cups and the Superb Salted Caramel Peanut Bar, pictured below, onto my darling Brother to review on my behalf with the strict instructions of "not consuming before I have a chance to take internal shots". Did he listen? No. Of course he didn't. Lovely chap is BSW (Winning personality, fabulous beard, etc) but he chooses to have the memory of a dead goldfish. So.. There's that. No pictures, a rating or even description as he also disposed of the boxes but he did say as follows.. 

"The Bar was better than the Cups. 

Strong peanut taste. 

Chocolate, creamy and nice.

Do you have any Reese's?"

Take from that what you will. 

Overall, minus the peanut fiasco which I can't personally judge for certain, these NEW Cups from The Grown Up Chocolate Company aren't too shabby at all.. There is definitely room for improvement with the Heavenly Whole Hazelnut - Maybe doing away with the puffed rice and making it into its own Cup would be nice, but aside from that, the Gooey Caramel Truffle is practically spot on despite still not being overly sure what a liquid truffle is and Speculicious Praline is to be a sure winner for anyone who loves a bit of spice in their life. Be sure to check out everything mentioned on the website and see if anything takes your fancy! 

Aaaaand lastly, a huge thank you to the folk at The Grown Up Chocolate Company for sending me all the deliciousness - Your chocolates are always much appreciated and rarely disappoint! 

*Or care? You lot are so heartless. 

*The nut/legume not the ACTUAL Peanut, NibsnScribs - Go read her review, she's a hoot and far more conscientious than my stupid sibling. 

Snackmas Day 24- Tesco Finest Shortbread: Clementine Honey & Oat and Mulled Spice & Cranberry

Merry Christmas Eve! Yes, Santa has left the Pole and is on his way with hopefully a full sleigh of presents for each and every member of the Snack Army - Who's giddy? I am giddy! 

What do people leave out for the Big Man nowadays anyway? My Santa always wanted a mince pie and tumbler of Brandy.. But I often found only the latter would be empty with just a nibble missing from the pastry - I fear this says a lot about Santa and just maybe some AA sessions might not go amiss in terms of his Christmas gift! Unless he's secretly more of a Shortbread fan? Hmm.. 

I picked up these 2, rather pretty and most definitely reusable tins of Scottish Shortbread in Tesco's festive aisle where they cost £4 each, although I have seen them on offer at £3.50. Both suitable for vegetarians, it is recommended to keep the biscuits in an airtight container once opened which is kind of confusing.. Does this mean the tin itself isn't air tight? Or will only a double container keep them fresh? Someone find out.

Crumbly all butter biscuits, traditional baked with oat, sweet clementine, candied orange peel & smooth Scottish blossom honey and Crumbly all butter biscuits with tangy cranberries and an aromatic blend of cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg.

Clementine Honey & Oat

Cracking into the packet, a real waft of citrus from the biscuit rounds was immediately apparent and very much pleasant indeed. Taking a munch, texture wise they were everything a shortbread should be - Crunchy, crumbly and melt in the mouth with some contrasting harder nibs thanks to the oats. The initial orange-y aroma reflected in the flavour with a hit of clementine combined with comforting buttery tones along with plenty of sweetness - Not that I would identify this as being anything akin to honey however! Despite the aforementioned, the balance of elements was spot on making for one very delightful, not too sugary, "grown up" shortbread that made the perfect tea companion! A 4 out of 5 from me. 

Mulled Spice & Cranberry

Up next, the more "adventurous" yet once again, traditionally flavoured, Mulled Spice & Cranberry. I can't say the scent of these ruby studed beauties appealed to me quite as much as the above given the slightly bizarre, uncannily cheese like, "winey come nutmeg" smell they gave off - It wasn't particular potent but enough to question at least! Delivering a superb feel once again and bundles of buttery flavour, the biscuit thankfully provided no other dairy but very subtle flares of spice, complimented by the fruity bursts of cranberry. One negative I did experience however was a bit of a sore tongue after having eaten a biscuit which I don't know whether was down to the texture or something in the ingredients that just didn't agree with me in particular! A 3.5 out of 5 from me. 

So I am thinking.. Unless you have a super fussy Santa, I can't see either of these Tesco Finest Shortbread letting down the jolly chap! The Clementine Honey & Oat are without a shadow of a doubt, my favourites and mysterious prevailing ailment aside, the Mulled Spice & Cranberry aren't too shabby either although perhaps lacking the sparkle of the first.. I guess it depends what floats your boat most - Citrus or spice! 

That's your lot Folks, our last Snackmas post done and dusted - I'll be back this evening to kiss you, Cupid and all the other reindeer goodnight with a red nose roundup! 

Snackmas Day 17- M&S Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Rolls

I couldn't get enough of the Maple Bacon Tortilla Rolls that graced us last Snackmas - They were ridiculously moreish and I thought, quite an "original" idea to put out there despite still not being all too sure exactly what Maple has to do with Christmas..  

M&S being M&S however aren't just happy with one repeat flavour and this year have chosen to embrace their spicy side with these NEW Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Rolls. I snapped up the physically dinkier, although still 190g bag, for £1.50 and took reassurance in the fact that they are gluten free as well as suitable for veggies and vegans. 

Tearing into the bag, a smell that can only be described as that of "seaside doughnuts" came from the Rolls which naturally, made my hopes soar to great heights. Almost greasy and buttery in taste, the Tortilla's still had the signature corn chip flavour combined with a semi sweetness that really was like the aforementioned.. Minus the overload of sugar, of course! The comforting warmth of cinnamon was consistent throughout and came through subtly along with providing a delicious aftertaste which made them all too easy to munch away at. Texture wise, they were equally as flawless in being satisfyingly crisp and satisfyingly crunchy - Yum!

Ah M&S have only gone and done it again.. These Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Rolls are bloomin' brilliant! They pack just the right balance of sweet and spice, combined with the pure delight of some sort of doughy fritter - I think I can safely say, no one is going to turn their nose up at that! Get a bag,  why dontcha - It's a 4.5 out of 5 from me!

Snackmas Day 8- Nespresso Holiday Variations ft. M&S Christmas Capsules

I trust you all go mad for the Christmas coffee ranges at Starbucks, Costa and co. From Fudge Hot Chocolates to Salted Caramel Cappuccinos, there's something about a calorie laden, festive bevvy that I just can't say no to, with the Tiramisu Latte from Caffe Nero being a particular favourite of mine this year.. But what does one do when they need a fix at home? The only logical answer is to turn to Nespresso, of course! 

2016's Limited Edition Holiday collection is inspired by Austrian Pastries - Apfelstrudel, Linzer Torte and Sachertorte - All with an intensity rating of 6 and coming in the 40ml espresso sized capsule. I purchased mine on the Nespresso website with a box of 10 costing £3.80 but getting them in store is always an option if you've got one close by - Saves on the p&p when not buying 200+! 

L-R Apfelstrudel, Linzer Torte, Sachertorte 

Look how cute they are! I adore the minimalistic swirly pattern design with a bit of colour to reflect the individual flavours.

The coffees essentially all looked identical so I shall not bombarded you with repetitive pictures.. Be jealous of my Christmas mugs though!

Apfelstrudel

A puff paste layered dessert revealing a sweet apple filling, delicately spiced with cinnamon. Variations Apfelstrudel flavoured espresso results from the sweet marriage of Livanto's balance and roundness with rich aromas of pastry, baked apple and a hint of cinnamon. 

Starting with the Apfelstrudel, I can't say I tasted actual apple or cinnamon but the flavour and quality of coffee was second to none with just the right strength and not remotely wishy-washy considering the full fat milk I used to top up with. A slight buttery taste begun to linger once well into the drink which was somewhat like the promised pastry! It's a 3 out of 5 from me. 

Linzer Torte

A tasty redcurrant tart, recognisable by the lattice design. Variations Linzer Torte flavoured espresso results in the sweet marriage of Livanto's balance and roundness with the taste of red fruits and notes of spiced dough. 

Moving onto the Linzer and my hopes were high from first whiff! Sweet, fruity and just like the actual torte, the jammy, berry flavour was undeniable with warming biscuity undertones to match. This was a delicious pairing to smooth, silky coffee and made for an all to easy drink to glug! A 4.5 out of 5 from me.

Sachertorte

A glaze chocolate cake containing of thin layer of apricot jam. Variations sachertorte flavoured espresso results from the sweet marriage of Livanto's balance and roundness with the flavour of soft chocolate and apricot notes. 

Last but by no means least.. The chocolatey option - Sachertorte. Super rich and creamy, the coffee was just as flawless to the above with no sharp notes. Chocolate tones came through beautifully with a sweet, mellow apricot edge to compliment and really reflect and taste of it's namesake. Delicious - A 4 out of 5. 

Overall, this is a gorgeous Holiday trio from Nespresso. I can't fault the coffee itself whatsoever and the balance of flavours is second to none. Yes, it would have been nicer to have more fruity tones in the Apfelstrudel a long with some warming spice but perhaps they were just saving it for my personal winner, the Linzer Torte! I am only too happy to drink all 3 regardless and will be buying more before they disappear.. If you have a Nespresso machine, I highly recommend you do the same! 

M&S Christmas Coffee Capsules

An added hot drink extra. I was lured in by the promise of chocolate and citrus.. Not to mention the price - Sparks card holders had 20% off when I purchased the 10 capsules for a £2.40 opposed to the usual £3. As seen with the Nespresso, these are also a 40ml cup size serving but with a slightly stronger intensity of 8. 

Specially blended beans from Brazil, Ethiopia & Central America, roasted for a wonderfully deep, dark flavour with seasonal hints of chocolate & citrus.. Perfect at Christmas. 

No snazzy pattern but at least they're festively red!

The coffee smelt good when being dispensed but nothing like chocolate or citrus. This was reflected in the taste which was disappointingly, just that of a decent coffee in not being too strong or weak but neither of the promised elements were present. Nice enough but a tad boring - A 2 out of 5 from me. 

Snackmas Day 7- Tesco Finest Kir Royale Sponge Pudding

Ah Christmas Pudding.. It's a glorious thing. I always make my own, fruit filled version for the Big Day but never shy away from the varieties that the Supermarkets have to offer.. Especially when they are wreath shaped and topped with cherries! We're 1 week in, it's Snackmas Day 7, it's time for the Tesco Finest special.. It's a Kir Royale Sponge!

Priced at £6, the 400g pudding is designed to feed 4 and is suitable for vegetarians - Probably best to steer clear if you are a nut allergy sufferer though! Given its nature, it also comes with a long shelf life, making it an ideal dessert to have in the cupboard for those impromptu moments.

I followed the instructions of stabbing the film lid before zapping in the microwave for 90 seconds until it possessed the heat of something worthy of third degree burns. The pudding can also be steamed over boiling water or in a saucepan trivet for those who like to make life difficult and have 45 minutes to kill. 

Inspired by the classic Kir Royale, a delicate champagne and cassis infused, light free range egg sponge with cassis-soaked cherries, plump blackcurrants, topped with a golden cinnamon sauce. 

Having whacked the plastic basin upside down and left to stand for 1 minute after heating, the pudding came out perfectly, albeit not quite as glossy as the packaging image with a poor distribution of fruit and one side being totally void of cherries. Can we also just take a minute to appreciate the gorgeous gold rimmed plate? 60 years old it is from my Nanny Dearests wedding! Hi Nanny Dearest! 

Cutting the medicinal smelling sponge, the pudding didn't have the soft and fluffy texture, I envisaged.. Instead it was more like a bit of dry, stale bread which was generally grim and claggy. Things didn't improve flavour wise either unfortunately with hardly any sauce but enough to pack a revolting throat lozenge-esque taste, thanks to the overpowering blackcurrant and cassis. No cinnamon was distinguishable along with the champagne aspect being just as MIA which meant only one thing.. I spat my mouthful out and lobbed the rest in the bin. VILE. 

So.. It is safe to say that this Tesco Finest Kir Royale Sponge Pudding is bloody awful and should be taken off Tesco shelves for incineration - I'm even willing to do a bit of Advent arson myself just so people don't have to be subjected to something so foul and nauseating! It's a big fat 0 out of 5 from me! 

Review- Krispy Kreme NEW Pumpkin Spiced Cake

Happy Monday! It's a case of "last but by no means least" today with the final doughnut in Krispy Kreme's Vintage selection which would you believe it, has been keeping us busy (And well fed!) for the past 6 weeks - Time really does fly! 

Traditional American cake doughnut, flavoured with autumnal pumpkin spice and covered in our signature glaze. 

It seems as though people have gone off KK in my neck of the woods as once again, I was first to succumb to the Pumpkin Spiced Cake with not a single doughnut in my Tesco cabinet being MIA.. I doubt the staff hold some back and replenish them but surely the store can't be getting more than 1 delivery a day? It's a mystery.. As is the price as today I was charged £1.60. 

Cutting the heavily glazed ring-ish cake in half, I can't say the scent of pumpkin or spice was at all noticeable and certainly not what I had envisaged - Although deliciously sweet smelling, it could have been any old KK ring doughnut which didn't leave me too optimistic! With lingering faith, I took a bite and was pleased to be proven totally wrong! The crisp icing gave a satisfying crunch before hitting the soft, squidgy and remarkably moist "doughnut" which was miles superior to the dry, crumbly texture seen in the Cruller. A real warmth of spice* came through complimenting the sugary sweet tones perfectly - There was even enough potency to pleasantly tingle the back of the throat! As for the pumpkin aspect.. I can't say there was any but can say, it didn't need it! Yum! 

So I think Krispy Kreme may have left their best doughnut until last.. This Pumpkin Spiced Cake is amazing! I have no clue where the pumpkin part is meant to come into play as it lacked all likeness but what is in a name? If you like spices, this could very well be the one for you! - The texture a lone is a winner in my books. Get one in the next 2 weeks and reap in it's autumnal glory - A 4 out of 5 from me! 

*Which spice? Mixed? Cinnamon? I don't know but I liked it.. As did Nibs! Go read her review.

Review- Waitrose Easter Panettone

Today, the 23rd of March is a very special day. It is Reaching for Refreshment's 1st Birthday! YAY!

I can't quite believe it has been a whole year of reviews.. It seems longer than that and yet at the same time, only yesterday that my first post went up. It's been a journey. There have been some amazing snacks and some I wish to forget, some lovely comments and some that leave quite a bit to be desired! I've met some bloomin' brilliant people who I count just as much, if not more, my buddy chums as people I've known for yonks - This blogging malarky is a beautiful business and I would only encourage anyone considering it to give it a go.. You might just find yourself. Anyways, moving on to the real importance of today.. Easter Panettone! 

Yes, you did read that right - Christmas has merged into Easter with a Hot Cross Bun twist on an festive classic! I figure this is quite a natural progression really.. Despite having very little knowledge on the history of said Italian cake as well as being no expert on the religious connotations of it all, but Jesus, right? Lets just eat the bloody thing (It cost £8 from Waitrose, FYI). 

Italian cake made with butter, sultanas and candied orange peel.

Those are some big sultanas right there, studding the top of the cake which can only be described as perfectly golden brown! As you may be able to see, there is a lighter cross through the centre which is ready for the following.. 

A dusting of spiced icing to be sprinkled on with the help of a handy dandy stencil! 

There was no way I was going to miss the full experience here so did as instructed to get my cross - The stencil was surprisingly effective and produced a neat design.. The same can't be said for the table, unfortunately.  

Oh how I love Panettone. Cutting a wedge was a dream with the knife slicing through super easily thanks to the ridiculously light and airy texture of the bread. The pure buttery flavoured dough melted in the mouth after an initial soft chew to deliver the sweet, rich taste that we all know and love. Dotted throughout was an abundance of both plump sultanas as well as chunky pieces of orange peel - I have never seen such big bits with these here being 10 times the size of any bought "tub" kind! Fruitiness came in every mouthful which as expected, paired beautifully with the cakes flavour and with the ever so subtle spice of cinnamon, thanks to that light sprinkling of icing sugar, it certainly rang distant Hot Cross Bun bells! Delicious! 

Once again when it comes to Panettone, I am lost for words to describe how amazing this Easter offering is - It is everything you could ever want it to be and so much more! If I was to be really  really pernickety, the Hot Cross Bun aspect could be elevated just that little bit as it is quite subtle.. But then again, I didn't pour the entire contents of the spiced icing sachet on so perhaps this is my fault. Sensational - It's a 4.5 out of 5 from me!

Lastly.. Just a quick thank you to all of you who continue to read and support R4R. I appreciate it probably more than one should and most likely more than what is deemed normal, but it really does mean the world to me. You're the best Snack Army a Warrior could ask for and I salute you all. Here's to a fabulous and perhaps, slightly less soppy year 2!

Review- Asda NEW Puds: Carrot Cake, Banoffee Bombs and Rhubarb Jumbles

Something crazy seems to have happened to Asda's Fresh Dessert section - It's over run with Puds! No word of a lie, there are about a dozen+ NEW additions.. From fruity, St Clement, Passionfruit and Coconut to Millionaires and Mocha with Gingerbread Latte, Afternoon Tea, Apple Betty and a Blueberry Pancake number thrown in along the American way for good measure.. And that's just to name a few!  

After much umming and ahhing, I decided on the Carrot Cake, Banoffee Bombs and Rhubarb Jumbles which all cost £2 each with the latter weighing in slightly less at 96g per pot rather than the 100g seen in the Carrot and the 135g with the Banoffee. I'm going to assume this theme runs throughout all the NEW Desserts as they come in variety of different size pots.. Just to boggle everyone a bit. 

Carrot Cake

Cream cheese flavour mousse, carrot cake flavour compote and mixed spice sponge pieces.

Oo look at the gooey, ooeyness. The Pud smelt amazing and surprisingly like Cream Cheese - I half expected it to be nondescript! Digging all the way down to the bottom to ensure I got all three elements, I took a big mouthful and was immediately in heaven! The super smooth compote was the first thing to hit with its relatively spicey kick of cinnamon and ginger - Something we all know to be key with a good Carrot Cake. This was only complimented by the sponge which was soft enough and once again, packed full of those signature mixed spice flavours as well as proving to be a decent contrast in texture to all the soft. As for the pillowy mousse which was generously topping the lot, it was creamy and sweet with a good tang that was only to easy to identify as being Cream Cheese. Delicious - 4 out of 5 from me!

Banoffee Bombs

Banana mousse with fudge and toffee flavour sauces, sponge pieces and toffee chips. 

Moving onto the Banoffee Bomb and the one I was the most apprehensive about.. I love the flavour combination but in recent years have acquired an on-off banana allergy but figured I would risk these given my general wild ways and the fact the content of said fruit was only at 2.4%. This may seem not a lot but boy, did these pack a punch! The mousse was full on banana and nothing but with the balance of being "real" and artificial, perfectly paired. Super smooth and sticky, the toffee flavour was the next element to show itself which I would liken to the buttery taste of Werthers Original. The odd bit of sponge came to light but wasn't any where as near apparent or abundant as the Carrot Cake, above. A sprinkling of crunchy chips on the top was the delicious finishing touch which heightened the Toffee even further as well as complimented the lingering, banana aftertaste! It's a 4.5 out of 5 from me! 

Rhubarb Jumbles

Vanilla flavour mousse, cheesecake batter, rhubarb compote and flapjack pieces. 

Finally, the Rhubarb Jumbles which were bought in mind of MSW who can't get enough of the pink stalked stuff! As seen with the previous Puds, the mousse was whipped a treat with a lovely texture but this time didn't deliver in terms of taste - It was bland with no real vanilla flavour and all a bit claggy! The Cheesecake batter was also a let down as I couldn't even distinguish such a thing, let alone taste it. A very subtle tang came from the measly portion of Rhubarb at the bottom which was certainly way more chunky than a compote should ever be. As for the flapjack pieces, they were buttery and soft with a good chewy, oaty texture but unfortunately, couldn't save the thing from being almost tasteless overall. A disappointing 2 out of 5 from me. 

Well, minus the Rhubarb Jumbles, I am quite pleased I picked up these NEW Desserts - Both the Carrot Cake and Banoffee Bombs have some serious flavour and make for very luxurious, indulgent Puds that would go down a treat with anyone and everyone! I would definitely buy both again, if not, try some of the others flavours from the never ending list. One thing that I can't not mention though is the absence of a Red Velvet option - Why Asda have covered classic American Desserts here but failed to include the best of the lot, is beyond me.. Someone sort it out, please! 

Review- Tesco Finest Hot Cross Buns: Extra Fruity and Bramley Apple & Cinnamon

Easter may be a whole month away but in my house, that doesn't prevent us from buying Hot Cross Buns as soon as they hit the shops - We do like them an awful lot and get through packets and packets! Nowadays you seem to be able to get a smorgasbord of different flavours.. I've seen Cherry ones, St Clement, Ginger, Toffee, Chocolate, Mocha - You name it, you can pretty much get it! 

Some say we are boring but we say we are traditional when it comes to the humble Hot Cross Bun. I picked up these tame Finest offerings from Tesco on a 2 for £2 deal - Extra Fruity and Bramley Apple & Cinnamon.. Oo exotic! 

Extra Fruity

Packed with plump orange juice-soaked raisins, sultanas and Chilean flame raisins. With a touch of honey. 

Extra fruity, plump dried fruit? Hell yes - The bun was packed as you can see! Soft and squidgy, the dough itself was the perfect texture and wasn't remotely dry with pieces of fruit running throughout. The signature taste of the well loved Easter treat was very much apparent with its subtle spice and citrus-y notes from the peel as well as the juice. I personally couldn't taste any honey but naturally, there was a sweetness with a super sticky exterior to match. Sheer perfection - A 4 out of 5 from me. 

Bramley Apple & Cinnamon

Made with Kentish Bramley candied apple, juicy sultanas and spiced with cinnamon.

Moving on to the "exotic" option.. Once again, the Hot Cross Bun was packed to the brim with both plump, squidgy dried fruit as well as apple pieces - Although these claimed to be candied, I found them to be much softer than a citrus peel and would have just assumed they were just chunks of the fruit. The warmth of cinnamon paired with the apple went perfectly together and had a very much Autumnal/Christmassy feel which not so surprisingly was a match made in heaven to all the other elements of the melt in the mouth, springy, moist bun. Another 4 out of 5! 

See, it pays not to break from tradition! These Tesco Finest Hot Cross Buns are very enjoyable indeed and far superior to any supermarket regular line, I've ever had - You don't even need to toast or smother them in butter (Although I understand if you do feel the need) because they are perfect as is! I highly recommend you hop on down to Tesco, buy both now and maybe keep your eyes peeled for the Hot Cross Scones of last year for me, as they were superb.. And I am still in denial over the fact they are no longer doing them. Boo. 

Review- Ryvita Fruit Crunch Apple & Cinnamon Crispbread

It's a new year which can mean only one thing.. We have all decided we just have to go on some sort of healthy eating regime in hope of shedding those extra December pounds - I am the first to admit that I have been really rather naughty and need to get back on track! A long term healthy go to for my household has been Ryvita.. Be it the plain ones back in the day or now the plethora of tasty flavours of which Salt & Vinegar Mini's are of course my favourite! These Fruit Crunch Apple & Cinnamon however are new to me - I don't know if they are actually new or not but I've certainly never seen them before despite being a regular buyer of the Currant, Seed & Oat version! 

Wholegrain Rye Crispbread with dried diced apple pieces, currants and cinnamon. 

I picked up the 200g, resealable foil packet in Tesco for £1- They are usually £1.59 each but rarely aren't on some sort of offer.

Tearing open the packet, I was greeted by a familiar smell - Ryvita but with a Hot Cross Bun twist! Having a munch, it was a little bit of a struggle to get my head around the fact that these were sweet and not savoury.. They were far sweeter than the Currant, Seed & Oat ones I am use to eating, anyways! The signature flavour of Ryvita was still very much apparent but not as in your face thanks to being balanced by subtle tones of cinnamon with a pop of further fruity sweetness from the chewy dried apple which ran throughout. I couldn't really distinguish the currants listed in the ingredients but felt like nothing was missing regardless. Very moreish and very yummy! 

What a cracking first review of the year! These Ryvita Fruit Crunch are spiffing and a great alternative to all the bad things we could all very well, still be eating right now! On the packet it suggests serving the Crispbread with Cream Cheese and Peaches but to me, they are perfect as is.. Or maybe smothered in Nutella. Healthy thoughts, Folks, healthy thoughts! It's a 4 out of 5 from me! 

Snackmas Day 5- Hotel Chocolat Festive Selectors

Who here likes Chocolate? Who here gets sick of the sight of the same mundane Chocolate we see every year? Who here loves that as soon as we Step Into Christmas the Gourmet Chocolate companies release their fancy festive ranges too? I know I certainly do to all 3 of those which brings us to today.. Hotel Chocolat LE Selectors!

I had a bit of a splurge and ended up spending £21 in Store.. But its ok because that included a present for someone and a free sample! After some debating, I went for the Mince Pie Brownie, Caramel Chocolate Pot, Christmas Mess and Caramelised Orange at £3.15 a pop - A good selection of Selectors, I reckoned!

Mince Pie Brownie

First came mince pies, then came brownies, then came mince pie brownies - Spiced pecan praline with raisins and wafer pieces in a milk chocolate shell, decorated with naturally coloured white chocolate and vanilla seeds.

I couldn't wait to try these little parcels of mince pie goodness and excitedly took a bite through the truffle like brownie, expecting to be in heaven. Heaven it certainly was not as I proceeded to spit it back out - They were disgusting! The spice element was ridiculously strong and mainly of what I think was ginger which completely overpowered the nuts and wafer pieces that ran throughout as well as any potential of the chocolate being rich or creamy. I couldn't distinguish any raisins either.. Not that it would've made a blind bit of difference to the over flavour, I'm sure! Not mince pie in the slightest and virtually inedible to my palate - Its a 0.5 out of 5!

Chocolate Caramel Pot 

A modern twist on a classic pudding, fine grey sea salt adds depth to the velvety caramel ganache - Salted caramel ganache sealed in a high cocoa caramel chocolate shell, decorated with naturally coloured white chocolate.

Next up was the Chocolate Caramel Pot. Surely they must be delicious.. How can chocolate and caramel ever be wrong? Well I have no idea what they've done here but the dark chocolate had little flavour to it and was very solid making for a rubbish melt. Inside was a blob of thick caramel ganache which was smooth and silky but again, no flavour - Not a hint of salt or even buttery caramel! I really don't know how thats possible but the thing was just completely tasteless. As it wasn't totally repulsive as seen above, its a slighter higher, 1 out of 5 from me.

Christmas Mess

It doesn't get much more British than Eton Mess! Traditionally served at summer cricket matches, we've transported it to a different season - Cranberry and cinnamon mousse sealed in a white chocolate shell, decorated with meringue and cranberry pieces. 

These smelt deliciously sweet with a cranberry edge so even after the 2 previous disastrous chocolates, I had high hopes for these. Thankfully, they were as good as they smelt! The dusky pink light textured mousse tasted exactly how described - Cranberry balanced with a subtle cinnamon. The creamy white chocolate was the perfect accompaniment in sweetening the slightly tart berry and having a lovely melt. On top was a crunchy sprinkle of light merignue and a further pop of flavour from what I think were dried cranberry pieces - A fab contrast in texture! Its a well done twist on a classic and a 4 out of 5 from me!

Caramelised Orange

Our version of the traditional orange in your Christmas stocking - Orange flavoured caramel layered with a dark chocolate ganache. Sealed in a milk chocolate shell, decorated in naturally coloured white chocolate.

Chocolate Orange, now we're talking - It ain't Christmas without one! I gave them a sniff and expected citrus and yet there was none.. A great start. The chocolate casing was pleasant enough but was ruined by the dark ganache beneath which was very rich and meant that the caramel centre although runny and smooth, was only slightly orangey - Not all that surprising considering the lack of scent! It got quite sickly after only haven eaten half so I decided it was best to quit whilst I was ahead and haven't touched them since. Not enough tang and questionable chocolate, its a 1.5 out of 5. 

Good grief. Apart from the Christmas Mess, these Hotel Chocolat LE Selectors certainly didn't make me, Jingle Bell Rock. Perhaps I was wrong in being bored with the mundane stuff that fills our shelves every year.. I'll never touch a Mince Pie Chocolate again but give me any other Caramel jobby (It may as well not be salted as todays wasn't) and a Terrys Choc Orange, any day! Boo!