Snackmas Day 3- M&S Christmas Dusted Pearls: Mocha, Orange and Strawberry

Who's got their tree up? Too early? Well, maybe these M&S Dusted Pearls might just act as some inspiration.. They are glittery gold, silver and bronze after all!

Weighing in at 110g each and costing a rather pricey £3.50 a pop, the Malteaser sized, Mocha, Orange and Strawberry balls are made with Swiss chocolate and are all suitable for Vegetarians - Can't forget about Veggies at this time of year! Much to my disappointment, the Pearls don't actually come across as sparkly on camera as in person.. But fair warning, you and everything you own will end up glistening upon opening the plastic packaging! 

Mocha

Lustred milk chocolate with coffee filling - 33% Cocoa Solids. 

Orange

Lustred milk chocolate with an orange flavoured filling - 33% Cocoa Solids. 

Strawberry

Lustred milk chocolate with a strawberry filling - 33% Cocoa Solids. 

L-R Mocha, Orange, Strawberry. 

Mocha

Smelling strongly of freshly ground espresso, the ball immediately packed an authentic coffee flavour which was just the right strength and went wonderfully with the cocoa rich tones from the creamy and smooth chocolate. Texture wise, the melt was superb and not all to dissimilar to a butter-like, Lindt Lindor with the edible glitter exterior not adding anything gritty. One for the coffee addicts - A 4 out of 5 from me. 

Orange

Next up, the classic christmas flavour that is Chocolate Orange! The signature aroma was instantly recognisable and most inviting. Thankfully, it was just as decent in taste with the orange coming through plenty without being overpowering and as expected, pairing up with the melt in the mouth, Swiss Chocolate a treat. Would a dark chocolate have been better however? Perhaps. Another 4 out of 5. 

Strawberry

Lastly and sporting the bronze (Or as the cool kids would say, rose gold) dusting was of course the Strawberry. As seen with both other varieties, the melt and quality of chocolate was one again second to none with a ridiculously silky feel. A real tangy strawberry kick was provided which wasn't all that sugary sweet and generally very more-ish! Where is the white chocolate, I hear you ask? Good question. It's a final 4 out of 5 from me! 

Overall, these Dusted Pearls are most tasty indeed and would make a great addition to your Christmas party table or just in bowls for your family and friends to grab at over the holidays - They are certainly very striking and with flavours to please everyone.. There's nothing not to love! Yes, it is a shame that M&S didn't consider pairing the flavours with different types of chocolate to switch things up a bit but no matter.. Only a real Scrooge is going to moan about having too much of the decent Swiss stuff! 

Review- Nutri-Bombz Box: Salted Caramel Protein and Coconut Flapjack Bombz & Raspberry and Toffee Apple Bitz

A couple of weeks ago, the unbeknown company to me, that is Nutri-Bombz, asked if I would like to sample some their 100% natural, gluten free, protein packed snacks which are currently wooing premiership footballers, celebrity personal trainers and a number of professional athletes. With such a list of clientele, I was hardly going to say no and a few short days later, a box arrived on my doorstep. 

Designed to fit through your letterbox, the biodegradable pack is also perfect for being delivered to your work place - Ideal if like me, you're only too tempted to go buy a sneaky Twix for Elevenses.. Followed by a Wispa to get over the 3pm slump. 

Opening up my mysterious package, I found 4 packs of different and individually segmented snacks - Salted Caramel Protein-Bombz, Coconut Flapjack Nutri-Bombz, Raspberry Nutri-Bitz and Toffee Apple Nutri-Bitz - Great for portion control and all made without added sugars, additives or preservatives. 

Salted Caramel Protein-Bombz

Dates, Whey Protein (Milk), Vanilla Extract, Coconut Oil (Nuts), Cacao Powder, Chia Seeds (Seeds), Natural Flavouring - 71 Calories Each, 10.7g Carbs, 10.3g Sugars, 3.7g Protein, 1.7g Fats, 0.6g Sat Fats, 0.08g Salt. 

I figured starting with the snack which most appealed to me was the way forward and cut into the little domed beauty using some real elbow grease - It was mighty dense and mighty sticky! This reflected in the texture as it proved to be ridiculously chewy and not to dissimilar to Date Hearts in both feel and flavour with the super sweet dates coming through prominently, a long with lots of vanilla tones. The outside of Chia seeds didn't add anything in terms of taste but did deliver a crunch to break up some of the continuous chew. A bit heavy going but overall, not unpleasant - A 3.5 out of 5 from me. 

Coconut Flapjack

Apricot, Oats, Raisins, Sunflower Oil, Coconut (Nuts), Honey, Cashew Nuts (Nuts), Coconut Oil, Linseed (Seed), Natural Flavouring - 85 Calories Each, 9.8g Carbs, 6.3g Sugars, 1.7g Protein, 4.4g Fats, 2.9g Sat Fats, 0.01g Salt. 

Moving onto the Flapjack and unfortunately the one that I couldn't eat given the use of cashew nuts.. Luckily, MSW offered up her sampling services! Very crumbly as the picture suggests, the Bombz were really quite dry and bitty thanks to being loaded with coconut to the extent of it being the only element with any flavour.. It was that potent! The vibrant orange apricot pieces added a smidgen of sweetness with help from the odd raisin but in terms of taste, didn't bring anything to the table.. Neither did those pesky cashew nuts apparently! It's a 3 out of 5 from MSW. 

Raspberry Nutri-Bitz

Dates, Whey Powder (Milk), Soy Protein (Soya), Vanilla Extract, Coconut Oil (Nuts), Cacao Power, Natural Flavouring, Brown Rice Protein - 60 Calories per 20g Serving, 10g Carbs, 9.8g Sugars, 4.3g Protein, 0.6g Fats, 0.3g Sat Fats, 0.11g Salt. 

Back to the offerings I could actually eat.. The Raspberry Nutri-Bitz! Smelling very fruity, the miniature dusted balls certainly delivered their namesake flavour which slightly bizarrely, transitioned into a Parma Violet sort of taste, mixed with the usual "earthy/dirt" flavour I always find to be present in said snacks - Not as repulsive as the grim Good4U Bites but still apparent. Texture wise, there was not much to complain about being almost fudgy combined with crispy nibs.. Perfect for eating by the handful - 3 out of 5! 

Toffee Apple Nutri-Bitz

Dates, Whey Powder (Milk), Soy Protein (Soya), Vanilla Extract, Dried Apple, Coconut Oil (Nuts), Cacao Power, Natural Flavouring, Brown Rice Protein - 60 Calories per 20g Serving, 9.6g Carbs, 9.4g Sugars, 4.1g Protein, 0.6g Fats, 0.3g Sat Fats, 0.1g Salt. 

Last up and perhaps coming with a slighty blurry picture.. The Toffee Apple version of the above. Once again, the feel and flavour was spot on - Dense enough to be a decent mouthful but plenty soft and squidgy with tons of undeniably, appley tones. I can't say I noticed much toffee but vanilla was distinguishable, pairing up with the fruit nicely and making for something which was somewhat like a sweet. One thing I have to mention however was that my tongue and throat did feel a bit weird and generally sore after eating both these and the Raspberry which I can only put down to the Soy Protein in the ingredients.. So, if legumes are an issue for you, best steer clear! It's another 3 out of 5. 

Overall, this Nutri-Bombz Box seems just about ideal for anyone who's health-conscious and/or looking for alternatives to the usual "bad" snacks - Each that I received is more than adequate in hitting ones sweet spot and filling an empty gap.. But as someone who doesn't exactly stick to the #fitfam way of life, I personally wouldn't feel compelled to order on a regular basis. That is of course just me though and if your diets are much more admirable, hop on over to the Nutri-Bombz website, create a list of your favourites from the plethora of snacks available and let the team select 4 trays to send to you at a cost of £4.99 - It may just be right up your street! Thanks Nutri-Bombz. 

Review- M&S NEW Red Velvet Cake

Mondays tend to be pretty rubbish with the post weekend slump and seemingly eternal stretch until Friday.. But things can change in a heartbeat when you find a NEW Red Velvet Cake gracing the shelves of M&S before 9am has even hit! The bakery Gods must be shining down on me! 

The 460g cake which is designed to feed 6 cost the usual £2.75 and doesn't specify whether is suitable or not for Vegetarians so best pop in store yourself if you're concerned. I can tell you however that it is not freezable or one for the Nut allergy sufferers due to manufacturing methods. 

A light and moist red chocolate cake, indulgently filled and topped with a tasty cream cheese frosting, finished with a delicate dusting of icing sugar. 

As you can see in the ever so slighty wonky picture, the cake cut well to reveal an abundance of both, off white filling and topping which looked pretty striking against the deep red hue - It also smelt most inviting!

Taking a forkful, the sponge proved to be sheer perfection with a light and moist feel yet was pleasantly dense and fudgy at the same time - Somewhat like a cakey brownie, I suppose but an extremely good one! A mild cocoa flavour was detectable although the signature tang of Red Velvet was amiss.. Luckily, what the sponge lacked, the frosting made up for! Very thick and super sweet, the cream cheese delivered a pure hit of indulgence that also came with what I think were lemon undertones to reinforce the zing. The two elements complimented each other wonderfully with great proportions to match - Scrumptious! 

Overall, this NEW Red Velvet Cake is most enjoyable, indeed. It ticks the boxes in terms of texture and taste with a glorious frosting as the star of the show, that I would only be too happy to eat by the pail.. Fair warning though, it won't hesitate in leaving you in a sugar coma! It's a 4 out of 5 from me. 

Review- BeLoved NEW Rich Cocoa and Cocoa & Berry Date Hearts

I love BeLoved Dates. So much so, it doesn't often go a week when I don't pick up a pack of both the Original and Zesty Orange Hearts - I would hate to think how many of the things I have actually consumed.. It's got to be hundreds! 

I now have the option to switch things up however, as there are NEW flavours in town - Rich Cocoa and Cocoa & Berry which I picked up in Asda for 50p each. As always, the Hearts are 100% natural, gluten free, high in fibre, low fat with only 105 calories per pack and suitable for the Vegans amongst us. 

T-B Rich Cocoa, Cocoa & Berry

Yes, are identical in appearance.. And smell essentially the same. Are they the same? 

L-R Rich Cocoa, Cocoa & Berry (I think..) 

Cutting the Hearts in half, they still didn't look all that different inside.. Maybe the Berry was sightly grainier or I could just be imagining things. Extremely dense and chewy to the point of being almost fudge like, the flavour of date was as prominent as ever with an ever so slight hint of cocoa in the background, adding richness but not enough to overpower the main toffee tones. The Berry option lacked all berry taste (Yet was somewhat "bitty" from pips) which was disappointing but did have more sweetness to it than the plain option which I am convinced tasted like either a cereal or cereal bar I have had before.. Although I can't for the life of me, put my finger on what! Tasty but lack lustre! 

Overall, these NEW Rich Cocoa and Cocoa & Berry Date Hearts aren't a bad addition to the range at BeLoved.. They just need a lot more cocoa to make them stand out and actual berry in the Berry! Great if you're looking for a healthy snack but not so much if you're wanting a "chocolatey" hit - It's a 3.5 out of 5 from me. 

Review- Shaken Udder NEW Uber Udder 1 Litre: Vanillalicious! and Chocolush!

Happy Chocolate Milkshake Day! This could be no more fitting since it's all about Shaken Udder and their NEW Uber Udder 1 litre cartons on this sunny Monday! 

I was contacted by the every so lovely, Nikki who asked if I would be interested in trying the larger sized, Vanillalicious! and Chocolush! Shakes which I didn't hesitate accepting given my all round love of SU. As seen with the 330ml bottles, both flavours are made from British Milk, are free from gluten, artificial flavours, colours and preservatives along with being a source of B12 and naturally, Calcium. They are also suitable for the Veggies amongst us with a recyclable carton for the planet savers. 

Vanillalicious!

Our divinely smooth Vanillalicious milkshake is made with real vanilla beans and is utterly delectable in every way. Get your vanilla fix in a flash!

Pictures lie - There were so many more vanilla seeds in the Shake than what appears.. It was loaded! This certainly reflected in the taste with a flavour of full on vanilla along with sweet, creamy milkiness which once again, just as the 330ml version did, reminded me of a White Magnum. Texture wise, the Milkshake slipped down a treat with its silky smooth feel and just the right thickness - Nothing claggy here! A 4.5 out of 5 from me.

Chocolush!

Our sumptuously smooth Chocolush milkshake made with real Belgian chocolate, is your moment of bliss anytime of the day. 

Moving onto the Chocolush! and our main source of celebration today.. It even smelt like traditional chocolate milk! Taking a swig, the familiar sweet, hint of caramel, cocoa tones were upon me with that uncanny "ice cream" flavour which I am still sure to be that of Ben & Jerry's. The consistency was undeniably luxurious, identical to above and overall, not sickly in the slightest, making for one very very drinkable Shake! - Another 4.5 out of 5! 

Well, I can't say I am suprised.. When it comes to store bought Milkshakes, I really think it's difficult to find anything more top-notch than Shaken Udder! These NEW Uber Udder Cartons are addictively good with a quality you can't question whatsoever - It is nice to see that the standard hasn't slipped just because of the larger quantity either! Available now in Waitrose, The Co Op and independent retailers with a RRP of £2.20-£2.70 a carton, I highly recommend you go get both. If only they did Top Banana in "big" too.. Alas, off you pop - Someone pick me up a 330ml bottle, thanks!  

Review- Tesco Finest The Coconut Egg

All together now! Come on, sing with me! I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts.. There they are, all standing in a row! ..Well, when I say all, what I actually mean is 2. I bought Tesco Finest, The Coconut Egg on Monday and then guess what turned up yesterday? Another one from the Nut to my Coco - Mrs 1T! I'm starting to think she only does these things to get shout outs.. That's 2 in 2 days now!

Belgian white chocolate with toasted coconut, hand decorated with milk chocolate and cocoa powder with coconut truffles. 

Isn't it glorious? £10 I paid at the beginning of the week for the 370g monstrosity of a Coconut accompanied by 5 Coconut Truffles which I thought was fairly reasonable.. But then again, I would probably sell my first born child for a Coconut given my love of the stuff! If you aren't quite as obsessed or don't fancy flogging your offspring, word on the street AKA Instagram is that the Egg is currently on offer for £7 so hopefully there are still a few knocking about!

Coconut Truffles

Starting with the pearlescent Truffles which today, appear to be on a blue background - Please excuse my horrid kitchen lighting! Slightly smaller than a Lindor in size, a crisp, thick, white chocolate shell encased a butter like centre that can only be described as perfect. The melt was exceptional with the most creamy, rich coconut flavour whilst being just the right amount of sweetness - Flawless.

The Coconut Egg

Moving onto the star of the show.. The Coconut Egg! Getting into the thing was a challenge - I bashed it on the table as a whole and it didn't crack as expected. I whacked it on the floor and still nothing. I took the biggest knife I could find and lobbed at it.. Nope, it wasn't going to budge. By this point, my Grandad who was sat at the Dining Room table having Tech Time, started giving me strange looks and thought it was an actual Coconut that I was trying to get into! My last resort was a sawing sort of action which finally did the job.. I was in! The chunky, Belgian white chocolate shell looked most inviting with visible coconut flakes running throughout with the outside most definitely looking the part thanks to a scraped coating of milk chocolate and cocoa powder. Taste wise, it was a case of love at first bite. Creamy and sweet with both vanilla as well as toasty coconut tones, the chocolate certainly didn't falter in terms of flavour or quality. Each piece melted on the tongue with a contrasting soft chew, from all the flakes which felt extra special and quite different! The cocoa went a long way in cutting any chance of things becoming to sweet and was all round, bloomin' marvellous! 

Overall, Tesco really have done a spiffing job here with this Finest, The Coconut Egg - It looks amazing.. It tastes amazing.. That is all I can say! The Coconut Truffles are also out of this world good as well as being far superior to their Lindt Lindor equivalent and I could quite easily eat them by the bucketful - I reckon they would make a fab addition to the all year round, confectionary aisle! 

Please do go seek out this Easter Egg if you are yet to have one (Or even if you do!), you won't be disappointed.. And if you turn out to be so, just send it my way - I am more than happy to have another to add to my collection! Thanks Kirks! It's full marks from me today.. 5 out of 5! 

Have a lovely Easter, Folks and enjoy your Bank Holiday! 

Review- Good4U NEW Super Bites: Orange & Cocoa and Coconut

I like to be healthy.. Well, I try to be. The issue I often face is that most sweet snack bars contain some sort of problematic nut which prevents me from eating them and in turn I consume nothing other than Fruit - Don't get me wrong, I love Fruit but with the likes of Nakd having a smorgasbord of tasty healthy treats that I can't eat, things do get a little disheartening. Thankfully, Hannah has got my back and she sent me on a mission to pick up the Good4U Super Bites which contain nothing that can kill me.. Huzzah!

Asda was my port of call when buying the 40g bags of Truffles which are currently on a 2 for £1.50 offer. I opted for the Cocoa & Orange and the Coconut but a Banana option is also available if thats what floats your boat. The ingredient list on the back has nothing to turn your nose up at, comprising most notably of Dates, Milled Sunflower Seed, Raisin, Fat Reduced Cocoa, Chia Seed and Red Algae Seaweed with no added sugar. 

Cocoa & Orange

Cocoa & orange flavour raw seed and fruit bites. 

I had to pick this bag to start with - Chocolate Orange is one delicious combo! Sadly, they don't look all that appetising and were actually more solid than I anticipated, with a smell that can only be described as like a Garden Centre. With some hesitance, I popped one in my mouth and instantly disliked what I tasted - Gritty in texture but with a strange chewiness, the flavour was like flowers mixed in with some artificial orange that you would typically find in a cheap, jelly sweet! I couldn't taste any Dates or Cocoa.. Just a Soil. Absolutely grim - 0 out of 5 from me. 

Coconut

Cocoa & toasted coconut raw seed and fruit bites. 

On a scale of 1-10 on how much I wanted to try these.. I was on about a -7. Once again, they looked like Rabbit poop but this time were much more squidgy with a scent that was essentially, medicinal sun screen. With all the hesitance, I ate one and not so surprisingly, didn't like it - They tasted as above, shrubbery but this time mighty bitter as well. The coconut was sort of apparent but really was overpowered by whatever else was causing the yucky flavour and again, no Cocoa edge. Another 0 out of 5 from me. 

Good God. I have no idea what planet The Bananah was on when recommending these Good4U Super Bites to me - I have never pulled such repulsed faces when eating something in my life. If this is what healthy, Vegan, fruity, seedy snacks are like, well.. You can keep them! Me and my Fruit are going elsewhere! Jeepers. 

Review- NEW Kinder Joy

This is quite possibly the most exciting release since Giant Biscuits.. In fact, I think it is on a whole other level - Kinder Joy have come to the UK! Katherine, otherwise known as Grocery Gems was of course, the first person to jump on these and on her word, I promptly hotfooted it down to the Co Op to pick myself up a couple. 

Now, what these 20g eggs are actually priced at, I am uncertain. They were marked at an extortionate £1 each but I was charged £2.60 making them 86p a pop.. But Kev's, Co op had them on offer for 2 for £1.60 so who knows, exactly! 

For anyone who doesn't know, Kinder Joy are nothing like the traditional hollow, Kinder Surprise with chocolate cream and wafer balls rather than a set egg shell. A handy little tab helps separate the 2 plastic halves of the egg to produce a foil topped left side containing Kinder chocolatey goodness with the right, holding the signature DIY toy and a handy spoon to aid scooping! 

Since the quality of the toy is paramount, I got a dinky dune buggy in mine which was as easy as peas to put together.. Unlike some that genuinely require some sort of Honours in Construction to figure out! 

Crispy cocoa wafer bites on milky and cocoa creams 

I wasn't sure what would be the best way to picture these - 20g isn't an awful lot after all! I cut one of the balls in half to try first. As expected, the aerated wafer spheres were very light and crunchy with a roasted nut sort of taste, despite not any being in the ingredients, with a soft, sweet chocolatey cream centre. 

Moving onto the creams (And a different KJ, entirely!) of a sweet chocolate base layer with a milky top, both were silky smooth in texture and together, similar to the MilkyWay Spread but with a much nicer flavour. It really did taste like a gooey equivalent of the Kinder Chocolate Mini's. Very sweet, very milky and very yummy! 

Overall and not surprisingly, I am quite chuffed that these Kinder Joy have made it to the UK. Yes, the are minuscule and stupidly priced but for the novelty factor and pure Kinder hit, I can't fault them at all. I am not sure if and when they will be available anywhere other than the Co Op's Easter aisle but I highly recommend you seek them out. It's a 4 out of 5 from me! 

Review- M&S Cappuccino Bar

They say it isn't about the journey or the destination but about the people you meet a long the way. At the risk of sounding like a total Marshmallow, I can't find anything to strike as true when it comes to this blogging malarky. Eating all the snacks is mighty enjoyable, don't get me wrong but the wonderful individuals I have befriended along the way, truly are the best part.. They sometimes send you chocolate and everything! 

White and Dark chocolate bar with a coffee mousse centre, decorated with milk chocolate. 

This M&S Cappuccino Bar was a Christmas present from the all round delight that is The Bananah AKA The Review Addict (Also answers to the name Hannah, if you shout loud enough). I was most excited as I love Coffee and hadn't gotten around to trying any other M&S Bars since The Crazy One and Lemon Mousse. 

I had a bit of a Deja Vu moment when I unwrapped the Bar and plonked it on the signature piece of Plenty, that graces all my pictures. Was this a Thorntons Continental jobby that had taken a wrong turn in Chocolate Land? I swear it was identical.. In fact, it even looks like the individual Coffee Chocolates you can buy in Bags as well as Selection Boxes, just bigger! I stopped thinking and got eating. The smell of coffee wasn't all that strong until cutting in two to reveal the more of a dense truffle than mousse, like centre. Biting through the marginally firmer, white chocolate exterior, a sweet and creamy flavour melted in the mouth perfectly with the milk chocolate adding a richer tone. This went beautifully with the fairly strong coffee taste of the thick filling which wasn't bitter nor to sugary sweet. A sprinkling of chocolate was the finishing touch to the Bar and although it didn't add much in terms of flavour, it did look pretty! 

Marks & Spencer appear to be continuing their good streak of last month as this Cappuccino Bar is delicious - The coffee aspect packs a punch and the quality of chocolate itself is pretty decent. I don't know who is copying who here or whether Thorntons makes M&S chocolates too but I reckon they need to keep it up! It's a 4 out of 5 from me and a big thank you to Hannah for treating me! 

Review- The Grown Up Chocolate Company Dark Chocolate Smoothy

NEWSFLASH! The Grown Up Chocolate Company is now readily available to all and is stocked in WHSmith stores up and down the country - This is exciting! I almost couldn't believe my eyes when I spotted this Dark Chocolate Smoothy next to the magazines during a quick browse. To make things even better, it was on a "Buy 1 Get 1 Half Price" offer so I treated BSW to a Superb Salted Peanut Caramel.. Like the amazingly generous Sister, I am. 

This duo weighed in slightly more at 75g rather than the 65g seen previously with the White Choc Praline Wonder Bar and Glorious Coconut Hocus Pocus - Not bad for the £1.50 I paid on the deal. 

A rich chocolate ganache centre topped with sticky chocolate caramel slathered in intense dark chocolate.

Look at that thick caramel layer! Doesn't it just make your eyes light up? If it doesn't, for some strange reason.. The smell sure would as it was pure chocolatey heaven! Satisfyingly "bitty" cocoa nibs ran throughout the relatively soft ganache base which produced a lovely crunchy contrast in texture as well as boosting the chocolatey flavour. Upon this was the almighty doubly dense buttery caramel layer with a super smooth and soft feel yet sticky and chewy at the same time. The whole lot was encased in a surprisingly deep, cocoa rich, dark chocolate which balanced out all the sweetness from the caramel as well as complimenting the base elements. Sheer perfection. 

Things just get better and better with The Grown Up Choc Company - Its not often you find a decent dark chocolate bar that isn't milk in disguise or is just plain bitter.. This Dark Chocolate Smoothy is spot on! I didn't think anything would come close to the Crunchy Crispy Toffee Trilogy but today, we've got something real special. Its a 4.5 out of 5 from me!