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- Thorntons NEW White Chocolate Caramel Shortcake Bites

It helps having friends who are eager snack finders.. Not only do they inform you of said NEW products but if you've been really good, they send them to you too! It's a win win situation! 

My lovely buddy-chum, Charlotte is to thank for these Thorntons White Chocolate Caramel Shortcake Bites which appear to be the same as the regular Milk variety just with a different topping - It's about time we all got something even sweeter in our lives! Purchased in Asda and priced at £1, I am yet to see the Veggie friendly, dinky delights in store myself or in any other supermarket.. But no doubt, Thorntons themselves have their shelves stocked to the brim!

Scrumptious shortcake squares covered with a delicious caramel layer and topped with smooth white chocolate. 

Turns out, they were a bit smooshed but no matter - No one is ever going to refuse oozing caramel.

I cut the Bite in half, purely for picture purposes and it actually turned out to be more robust than I expected with not a single crumb out place. Smelling beyond ridiculously sweet of a butter, Werther's Original combo, I popped a piece into my mouth and let the sugar overload engulf me. Starting with the base which was quite gritty, it didn't add anything to the flavour with the middle of thick, squidgy caramel completely overpowering any potential other taste and generally being just how it smelt! The white chocolate, albeit a nicer contrast to all the soft, didn't really come through either due to the aforementioned but did add further sweetness. The 3 elements together were pretty sticky, cloying and definitely something that would give you diabetes.. And a dry, sore tongue! 

Overall, unless you're an absolute sugar fiend or are prepared to power on through the initial sweet, sickly punch to the face, I am not sure these NEW White Chocolate Caramel Shortcake Bites are going to woo everyone.. There is nothing wrong with them as such but even I, the lover of all things with more sugar than anything else, found them to be a tad too much. Perhaps Thorntons should stamp "Enjoy with a strong coffee!" on their packaging.. Because believe you me, you're going to need it! It's a 3.5 out of 5! 

Review- Ikorn NEW Gourmet & Health Kick Popcorn: Sweet, Salted & Himalayan Salted

Last week, a lovely chap called Richard (Hi Richard!) from Ikorn Popcorn contacted me asking if I would like to try their recently released, brand spanking NEW Premium Gourmet Popcorn. I was never going to refuse such an offer and in no time at all, an assorted box of 12, 25g bags landed on my doorstep.

Ikorn is proud to present you with our Popcorn. We use the highest quality non GM, butterfly corn along with premium coconut oil to bring you this delicious snack. Using the finest corn, finest ingredients and finest recipes, we satisfy the finest popcorn connoisseur. We're sure you won't be disappointed. Gluten and Wheat free. 

Inside was 3 flavours, all having under 120 calories each.. Sweet Korn and Salted Corn (RRP £1.29) along with a Himalayan Salted (RRP £1.49) coming from the Health Kick range - With some very fancy thick packaging that was almost a struggle to get into, I might add! All made from the most poppy, voluminous corn known to man, the team at Ikorn tried and tested over 40 different varieties of the stuff to ensure only the best was to make it into their product with refined coconut oil and Virgin Organic coconut oil (Used in the Health Kick) being the catalyst to ensure for the most fulfilling, healthy snacking option - None of this "cheapy" Canola oil which is slowly killing us all. 

Tech to your eyeballs, Folks.. Or save and zoom for those less frivolous. 

Sweet Korn

Starting with the Sweet and my personal favourite when it comes to Popcorn flavours, upon opening the bag an immediate buttery scent was apparent with what I thought was lemon tones despite none being in the ingredients. Taste wise, the sweetness I envisaged wasn't quite there and certainly not the sugary stuff I am used to with some pieces being more coated that others, in turn being a bit hit or miss on the flavour front! It did however have that "cinema-esque" feel with a satisfying airy crunch, transitioning into melt in the mouth goodness. A 3.5 out of 5 from me. 

Salted Korn

Moving onto the Salted.. I have to say I was dubious - I have never been one for savoury Popcorns with the whole notion just not sitting well with me quite frankly! Trying to keep an open mind, the Popcorn once again had the buttery and lemon scents mentioned above but of course this time, not remotely sweet in taste. The salt was undeniable and at first a bit of a shock for me but thankfully with the buttery tones, things mellowed and along with another fantastic texture, it really wasn't half bad! It's a 3 out of 5 from me. 

Himalayan Salt

Some salt is good for you too, don't cha know! Get zooming and reading please.. Apologies for the blue hue!

Last but by no means least, the Health Kick Himalayan Salted, designed for those super duper health conscience. Tearing into the bag, as seen previously it was almost full to the brim with the decently sized Popcorn pieces although this time not having the familiar buttery aroma. I grabbed a handful and got munching.. Salt. That is all I can say. I found this variety to be overly salty - Almost to the point where it was unbearable. I can't fault the light, melty feel and total lack of hard husks or kernels but the sheer amount of salinity was all to much for me.. But brilliant, I expect if you're on a bit of a sugar rush! It's a 2 out of 5 from me. 

Overall, it is mixed bag from Ikorn. I really can't fault the texture and quantity found in an individual bag but I do feel the flavours need tweaking ever so slightly.. Ideally, more sweet in the Sweet and less salt in the Salt with a better distribution of coating to ensure the flavour flows throughout. The team at Ikorn are currently working on obtaining retail outlets (And expanding the flavour range!) so in the mean time, do check out Ikorn online if you fancy ordering yourself some Popcorn in bulk and go say "Howdy Do!" on Twitter. Thanks Ikorn!

Review- The Chocolate Smith's Ice Cream Sandwich Bizarre

Not to long ago I received a surprise package in the post from my dear old buddy chum and the Hand Snack Selfie King, Kevvie! It is safe to say I was giddy with excitement, especially since he had been teasing me with the prospect of summer goodies heading my way for about 2 months previous!

Is there anything that says "British Summertime" more than a trip to the seaside, or fairground? (Aside for the rain, we mean!). We can bring you the beach and the sun with this tropical ice cream sandwich! Coconut, banana, crispy wafer and creamy vanilla in Belgian white chocolate. Enjoy this limited edition Bizarre while you can!

Inside was this Ice Cream Sandwich Bizarre Bar by The Chocolate Smith's which I have to admit, I had been pleading for him to get me - If you ever want some of their wacky flavours, Butty is your man.. Although beware, he's a Bacon Chocolate pusher!

Unwrapping the bar, the smell of white chocolate was very much apparent with super sweet, vanilla tones.. No coconut or banana though as I expected! Not a glimpse of wafer was visible upon the first snap of the bar either - Perhaps the action was in the centre? Well, yes, the aforementioned did make a brief appearance, mainly causing the chocolate either side to go everywhere despite not being in abundance. Flavour wise, no banana was distinguishable bar a vague whiff in one chunk with the coconut aspect being just as MIA. The only real flavour was the pure sugary hit of white chocolate which I could have sworn to be MilkyBar - Creamy and enjoyable but hardly high quality! The wafer itself added a "wafer" ice cream cone flavour along with a slight crunch.. And that was it.

So, this Ice Cream Sandwich Bizarre is just a bar of white chocolate.. One which I don't even think is as nice as the what the Easter Egg Custard presented! It wasn't repulsive by any means but I can't quite fathom why The Chocolate Smith's have labelled it as coconut or banana - It oozes nothing of the sort! Absolutely zilch! Who's doing the taste testing to give the whole lack of flavouring the get-go? We need answers! Thanks Kev, Sorry Kev! It's a 2 out of 5 from me.

Review- Waitrose Jelly Mini Eggs

Another day, another Easter review and this one is completely down to the joy that is Mrs 1T - The woman literally has a built in sweet detector and finds all the goodies! I daren't copy all her reviews but these I just couldn't pass up.. It's Jelly Mini Eggs from Waitrose!
   

Soft jelly eggs in a crisp sugar shell. 

I actually sent MSW on a mission to locate these Eggs as I know someone who worked in that particular Waitrose store and I didn't want to speak to them (Don't you dare judge me - We've all been there!). She did a marvellous job and returned with not 1 but 2, 125g boxes of multicoloured eggs which cost a rather daylight robbery price of £3.50 a pop!

After a bit of a faff getting into the box, I tipped my gleaming eggs out and cut the slippery fellas in half for picture purpose. The first thing to hit me was how bizarre the texture was! Expecting a Jellybean like chew, it came as a massive surprise that the outer shell was quite solid and took a good chomp to break through. A gritty sugariness was most apparent which once again was a revelation of the best kind with a contrasting, York/Taveners/New Berry Fruit Jellies like texture in the centre. Flavour wise, it was a real mish mash! Starting with the Yellow and what I assumed would be pineapple, it turned out to be not so easily identifiable but I do know it was delicious and really fruity! Orange was up next and as expected, it certainly delivered its namesake - Full on orange and nothing but! I didn't have a clue what the White would be but it transpired that it was the elusive pineapple with a familiar, juicy tropical flavour which I am certain I have experienced before.. Chewits, perhaps? Pink was next and the one I was most looking forward to! Almost jammy in taste with a raspberry kick and what I think was a flash of apricot, this Jelly Egg was also mouthwateringly good and I could have quite easily eaten a whole carton full! Last but by no means least was the Green.. Apple, right? Well, not quite - This bad boy was actually one of my favourite foods.. Pear! The taste was second to none and scarily true to the fruit! Amazing.

Well these Waitrose Jelly Mini Eggs have to be up there with the strangest sweets I've ever had.. And without a shadow of a doubt, the best! They are so different to any Jellybean (Or any other Sweet for that matter), in both terms of texture as well as flavour. If pure sugary, squidgy, juicy, fruity things do it for you, definitely give these a go - They are well worth their price tag and that's not something I say lightly! It's a 4.5 out of 5 from me.  

Review- The Buttermilk Confectionary Company Indulgent Irish Cream Fudge

Fudge. It's a beautiful thing. There really is nothing that comes close to it in terms of a hit of pure sugar - It's an unbeatable, delicious rush. I make my own on occasion but will never turn down the bought stuff.. Especially when, from the Fudge Lady herself, Mrs 1T!

Rich and crumbly handmade, luxury All Butter Irish Cream Fudge. 

I'm quite surprised this little green and white box of Indulgent Irish Cream Fudge even made it to my doorstep to be honest, given Mrs 1Ts intense addiction.. But I am glad it did as I have never heard of The Buttermilk Confectionary Company before and was instantly wooed by the nice packaging!

Look at those dusted cubes. I barely had chance to sniff them before shoving one in my mouth - They were just to irresistible! The Fudge was quite "hard" and dense rather than a squidgy offering with a sugary but not gritty texture - I would say half way between a Fudge and a Tablet, if that helps anyone. A good kick of vanilla was apparent to pair nicely with the real creamy and butteriness and ever so slight tang of something sort of alcoholic.. Although I don't expect I would have noticed this unless I had read the ingredients prior to eating! The pieces melted in the mouth beautifully and I found it all to easy to eat one after another, after another - Scrumptious!

Overall, this Indulgent Irish Cream Fudge is what it says it is.. Indulgent! It reminds me a lot of "Seaside" Fudge which is something I am sure you're also familiar with if you live on the coast or have ever gone to the beach at some point in your life. It's the addictive type that doesn't last 10 minutes and leaves you wanting more almost immediately - 100g wasn't anywhere enough for my borderline diabetic body today as the packet was gone in a flash! Thanks Mrs 1T, you Fudge connoisseur you - It's a 4 out of 5! 

Review- Chupa Chups Candy Sushi Take Away

Who here likes Sushi? Raise your hands, please. I know a certain someone who will be jumping up and down just at the thought.. Mrs 1T! Now, the lovely lady that she is.. After mocking me greatly when I announced I had never really had Sushi before, took it upon herself to send me a parcel packed with goodies which just so happened to include this MAHOOSIVE Candy Sushi set from Chupa Chups - Apparently sending real Sushi would have been problematic. Who knew. 

The "Take Away" set really is huge - 300g of sweetie Sushi goodness to be exact! Where she gets these things from is beyond me.. I have never seen anything like it in my life! 

L-R Candy Nigiri, Candy Californian Rolls, Candy Kohaku Namasu, Candy Urimaki, Candy Maki, Candy Ikurba, Candy Wa-Sabi and Candy Koikuchi.

The sweets were presented in a black plastic tray just like how the Sushi from Supermarkets is - Totally adorable! I hope the L-R guide, helps any other amateurs who haven't the foggiest about what the sweets are meant to resemble when it comes to the real deal! 

Here is my little Candy Sushi meal - How fancy.

Nigiri

I started off with the Nigiri which in layman's terms is essentially a Fish on top of a Mallow. I separated the two elements to try individually. The mallow reminded me of one from a Haribo tub.. It was super soft and foamy with a sweet flavour. A strong, tangy Orangey flavour came from the fish which was soft enough to chew but obviously, a lot harder than the Mallow - I imagine a great contrast in texture if I had eaten it as a whole. 

Californian Rolls

Once again, these consisted of the same base as above, wrapped in either a Red or Green sweetie belt which I ate alone as at that given moment, I didn't fancy another Mallow.. Big mistake that was as it was so bloomin sour! I thought I liked fizzy sour sweets but this thing was way to much for me and I ended up spitting it out on the table - So lady like. I am scared to try another but I think my mistake was not eating it as a whole.. The sweetness of the Mallow probably would have cut the sharpness - Oops. 

Kohaku Namasu 

Is this meant to be a choptick? Theres 2 of them therefore I have decided its going to be a chopstick.. And the best chopstick, I've ever tasted as these were absolutely delicious! The outer Strawberry flavoured tube was super fruity, encasing a white almost "cream" like centre - It was quite similar to the Cables you find in Pick n Mix just a lot softer and didn't get stuck in my teeth! A sugar coating was the perfect finish adding just that little bit more sweetness - Yum!

Urimaki

I particularly liked how the Candy Urimaki looked - They reminded me of little space ships! The chewy outer circle was soft and squidgy with a sprinkle of sugar on top. Inside was a jelly-like domed ball covered in sprinkles. I am not entirely sure what flavour it was meant to be as I thought it tasted a little perfume-y but I loved the sprinkles which would melt in the mouth after the initial crunch. 

Maki

This was the one I was most looking forward to as it contained 4 mini, Pick n Mix Cables wrapped up in Black Liquorice! Contrasting to the Kohaku Namasu.. This time, they were like traditional Cables in being harder but instead of being Strawberry flavoured, they were full on Cherry! The white centre was soft, sweet and a great contrast in both texture and taste to the tart, hard yet chewy tube casing. The Liquorice belt was like any other - Its definitely something you either love or hate! 

Ikura

These were the same size and shape as the centres of the Urimaki. The little domes were covered in orange sprinkles with the same, satisfying crunch before the melt. Thankfully, I enjoyed the flavour of gummy sweet a lot more than the aforementioned as these ones much were much more fruity and were Apple/Pear in flavour rather than perfume-y! 

Koikuchi and Wa-Sabi 

Last but by no means least, are the 2 little pots of Green and Brown Laces! Guess what flavour these were? You've got it - Apple and Cola! I am not a fan of the latter at the best of times but this was most definitely full of the flavour of the fizzy stuff - I am sure any fan would be thrilled with it. The Green Laces was more up my street and very apple-y with the usual chewy texture from a Lace. 

So I think I might like Sushi. Well, if its anything like this Chupa Chups Candy set.. I can see myself eating it regularly! I can't believe how much fruity flavour is packed into all the sweets and they are all so cute! This little lot would go down a treat with Kids (And big Kids) - Just think of how much fun they could have playing with everything! It's a 3.5 out of 5 from me. Scratch that - I'm bumping it up to a 4 purely because I've managed to get through a post not having a clue what any of the words mean. Thanks Mrs 1T! 

Review- Hope and Greenwood Pate De Fruit

I am quite the fan of Hope and Greenwood - They make some real amazing "posh" sweeties including Cherry Bakewell Bonbons and the Sicilian Lemon Curd Superior Coconut Ice, I reviewed previously. Today, it is the turn of the Pate De Fruit!

The 150g box consisting of Strawberry, Pear, Lemon, Raspberry and Apricot flavours, cost £3.99 in Waitrose - Quite a splurge!

I could only identify there to be 4 different coloured, 60% real fruit sweets in the box L-R Red, Green, Amber, Pinky Orange 

The sweets were sticky to the point where the sugar would stick like glue when even, ever so lightly touched - I didn't handle them for to long, in fear of losing all the coating! They had a ridiculosuly squidgy, jelly like texture which had a soft gummy chew before melting in the mouth. None were particularly fruity scented which did surprise me given that the flavours packed a serious punch! 

Red- As expected, this sweet was Strawberry flavoured and very strongly so! The taste was identical to that of a good quality jam which was a very pleasant surprise considering that most Strawberry sweets tend to either be wishy washy, artificial or sometimes even, medicinal tasting! 

Green- A potent Pear flavour came from this sweet - It was very true to the fruit and not like a hard boiled, nail polish-esque, Pear Drop. I also think that it had a slight apple aftertaste even though it is not listed as being one of the ingredients.. Maybe Mr Greenwood sneaked one in? 

Amber- I knew the flavour of this sweet in no time at all.. Apricot! Thinking about it, it probably tasted more of Apricots than actual Apricots do! They reminded me of Kellogg's Fruit Winders before they changed their recipe in attempt to make them healthy.. er. 

Pinky Orange- This one confused me a bit - I wasn't sure at first whether it was its own flavour or just a lighter coloured Strawberry/darker Apricot.. It turned out to be, what I think was, a Raspberry come Lemon, concoction! Although very pleasant, I do wish it had been easier to distinguish.

Overall, I loved yet another fabulously, flavoursome sweet from the Purveyors of Splendid Goods that are, Hope and Greenwood. They certainly aren't ordinary fruit jellies so if you are after something a bit fancier and don't mind paying a little bit extra, I highly recommend getting a box of these delights. Its a 4 out of 5 from me!