Tuesday 31 May 2016

Review- Ritz NEW Crunchy Grains Breaks

Ah Ritz.. Who doesn't love them? No one I know that's for sure - The crackers (Or biscuits as MSW would call them) were a lunch box and road trip essential when we were kids with my personal favourite way of eating them being with Laughing Cow Cream Cheese. I hadn't had them for years until I stumbled across these NEW Crunchy Grains Breaks.. Whether they are actually new or not though, I wouldn't like to say. 


Good old Tescy was of course, the place of purchase where at the time, they were on offer for £1 - Sadly, they are back up to full price now at £1.89 so that's a bummer. Containing 6, 32.5g packets, the Veggie friendly, niftily breakable snacks are designed to enjoy on the go and even save some for later.. Because people do that.  


Baked savoury crackers topped with caramelised rice, wheat and barley cereals. 


The packet contained 5 rectangular crackers, each slightly perforated to be snapped into 3 - I didn't do this except for picture purpose and just got munching! As buttery smelling as ever, the Ritz were super crunchy and crisp with the usual satisfyingly light and airy texture. Taste wise, they were full on butter as expected with a real kick of salt which aside from leaving me gagging for a drink, was very pleasant and just how I remembered. As for the grains on top.. I am not sure they brought much in terms of flavour but the almost hard "nibs" made them, well.. Nibbly and as though there were a bit healthier than the "plain" original version. 

Overall and as snacks go, these Ritz NEW Crunchy Grains Breaks are more than adequate - They taste nice, have a fab texture and like they claim, are perfect for eating when on the move. I am not entirely sure how paramount the breakable aspect is as I wasn't remotely inclined to do so.. But I guess somebody might! Cheese or pickle, the choice is yours.. But do Put On The Ritz - It's a 4 out of 5 from me. 

Sunday 29 May 2016

Review- Asda NEW Custard & Raspberry Mille-Feuille

Mille-Feuille - It's a beautiful thing.. And actually one of my very first reviews here on R4R! The Custard & Cream Slice was legendary but it doesn't seem to be in my local Asda anymore which is a great concern.. Thankfully, a potential replacement is now on the shelves instead - It's the NEW Custard & Raspberry! 


I picked up the pack of 2 slices for £2 along with the horrific Neapolitan Cheesecake back in April. They are suitable for Vegetarians but not for soya allergy suffers, they may contain traces of nuts and are heavy on gluten.. As it's pastry! Shock horror. 


Lovely layers of puffed pastry sandwiched with vanilla custard and raspberry filling, topped with pink fondant icing and a sweet dusting. 


One, very soft and squidgy Mille-Feuille - The custard was very much intent on oozing out the sides when cut! Flakey and layered was the texture of the pastry with the chew you only get from keeping such a thing, refrigerated. Taste wise it was semi buttery which was improved by the instant hit of creamy vanilla custard. As for the raspberry, it was very much like a fresh puree with a tang as a nice contrast to all the sweet - The dusting a fondant only adding to this! The elements were all in good proportion to one another and paired up a treat. Yum! 

Overall, this Custard & Raspberry Mille- Feuille is a mighty tasty addition to Asdas' dessert section - I am not sure it matches the glorious Custard & Cream Slice but it is decent nevertheless. If you like sweet pastry and custard, then its worth a whirl! It's a 4 out of 5 from me. 

Friday 27 May 2016

Review- M&S NEW Activehealth Roasted Vegetable Ravioli with Tomato Sauce

So, after eating all that Chocolate Spread, I am thinking I need to get back on the healthy and start lowering my cholestrol once more.. Move over scrumptious Slow Cooked Lamb, Roasted Vegetable Ravioli is here! 


Free range egg pasta parcels filled with roasted vegetables with a smoked tomato sauce, roasted baby plum tomatoes and parsley. 

I don't know if M&S heard me moaning about the price of these NEW activehealth meals or what but the entire range is now a Mix & Match, 3 for £10 deal which is far more reasonable than having to fork out £4.25 each! 


I stabbed the 355g, Veggie friendly meal with a fork, ready to pop into the microwave for about 4 minutes.. Although you can also whack it in the oven at 160ºC Fan for 15 minutes, if you live for hard work. 


It looked a real treat after a good zapping! - Gloriously tomato-ey with a very rich, slightly smokey scent. I have to admit, I was hoping the latter wasn't going to reflect to much in the taste.. 


Thankfully, my wishes came true as the smoked tomato sauce wasn't really smokey at all - Just tomato all the way! 7 large and generously coated Ravioli were the star of the show with a soft bite (Some might say al dente!) and well filled vegetable centre. As expected, the pasta paired up perfectly with the not to sloppy, super fresh tasting sauce which came with a ever so slight hint of basil. The whole baby tomatoes were another element in abundance with 6 present.. But unfortunately, the skins were really quite unpleasantly chewy - I ended up peeling them and just eating the soft, juicy centre! One other negative which although didn't effect the overall deliciousness, was how one of the Ravioli had gone crisp. I can only assume this was down to not being covered in sauce fully which was unfortunate but easily avoidable with a bit of shifting about, next time! 

What on earth has happened to M&S? This Roasted Vegetable Ravioli is another champion product from the store! I am starting to worry a bit really.. I'm seeing past "faults" like undigestible tomato skins and occasional plaster like pasta all for an amazingly potent sauce come carb fest. You wouldn't even recognise it as a healthy meal either - It tastes that good.. And even better with cheese on top! 

Could they be "poisoning" us all into liking them? Perhaps. Are they intent on taking all our money? Wouldn't put it past them. Is this all part of a grand scheme in which we get hooked on Spirit of Summer? Without a shadow of a doubt. It's a cracking 4.5 out of 5 from me! 

Monday 23 May 2016

Review- Cadbury NEW Spread: Caramel and Crunchie

I don't know if I've just been a dummy and completely missed the press release but it appears Cadbury have NEW Spreads out - Huzzah! Caramel and Crunchie versions is where it is at and although not exactly adventurous.. I was still pretty chuffed spotting them when shopping. 


It was of course in Tesco where I found these 400g screw top jars, priced at £2.25 each - I very much like how the packaging reflects the actual chocolate bars! Further snazzy news.. They are only bloomin' suitable for Vegetarians!


A swirly and a bobbly - The Spreads looked the part! 

Caramel


If only you could smell through your Tech screens as the scent was sensational! - Buttery, caramelly, sweet goodness! Taking a scoop, the Spread appeared to be very soft and ready for spreading but naturally, I just ate it as it was, there and then. Silky smooth in texture and a good chocolatey flavour was the first thing to hit me which then developed into a super sweet toffee like taste - Not super high quality but decent enough. It was a little to easy to eat one spoonful after another but fair warning, it did get a tad cloying.. I expect this would be eliminated though if you had it on something rather than straight out of the jar! It's a 3.5 out of 5 from me. 

Crunchie


Up next.. The Crunchie Spread! Once again, it smelt divine and this time, almost coffee like despite none being listed in the ingredients. Another difference I noticed immediately was that the contents of the jar seemed to be a tad thicker to the above with more resistance when scooping - Perhaps due to the nibs or maybe just pot luck! Taste wise, it was less sweet and more cocoa rich to the Caramel with a fudgey hint along with a whiff of that coffee I could smell.. Or imagined more like! The honeycomb pieces added the signature Crunchie taste and were a lovely contrast in texture to the soft, although some bits were really quite hard so I would advise going easy and watching your teeth! It's a 4 out of 5 from me. 

Well, I don't know why these NEW Spreads haven't been plastered everywhere online as they really aren't half bad! Yes, they are very sweet and probably quite sickly if you ate a lot.. But on toast, porridge or heaven forbid, spread on a cake, they will do the job nicely! Well done, Cadbury.. Mondaléz.. Whatever you're calling yourself nowadays. 

Thursday 19 May 2016

Review- Thomas J. Fudge's Wonderful White Chocolate Flapjacks

You'll never guess what I've finally managed to locate.. I'll tell you what, Thomas J. Fudge's Wonderful White Chocolate Flapjacks! It's only taken me about 6 months but I finally stumbled across them in Waitrose and snapped up the £3.25, LE box promptly! 


We appear to have moved on from balancing buildings on ones head to a rather natty, fruit hat.. Good luck to you when you get stung by a buzzy insect in the summer sun or even better, when it starts to rot and drip all down your neck - Pretty images for everyone there. 


I've missed the 8 items in a plastic tray within a cardboard outer packaging.. Haven't you? It's classic Fudge's!


I have to admit on first impressions, I wasn't blown away - The Flapjacks smelt nothing like the Milk Chocolate variety with no real buttery scent or syrup tones with more of a semi sweet rabbit food aroma! Texture wise, they were equally not up to scratch thanks to a much drier and crumbly feel that really wasn't all that pleasant to chew - It was too "bitty" and had relatively hard oats in places. As for the flavour, there was also quite a lot to improve on. The lack of decent scent certainly reflected in taste with very little in terms of butteriness or sweetness along with the unfortunate kick of bitter "orange" which I swear was more grapefruit and didn't appreciate at all! The abundance of cranberries did go some way in making it more palatable and went well with the thick coating of creamy, white chocolate.. But disappointingly couldn't mask what was essentially, a poor excuse for a Flapjack! 

Oh dear. My beloved Thomas J. Fudge's seem to have come down with an almighty crash! I don't know what they're playing at as usually, their treats are flawless and I moan that there isn't enough in the box and yet with these dry, grapefruit Flapjack wannabes, you couldn't pay me to eat them! Thank goodness MSW liked them otherwise the bin would have been their fate - It's a 1 out of 5 from me. 


Tuesday 17 May 2016

Review- Asda NEW Hog Roast Pasties

The humble Pasty - A British Classic. Despite never been to their Cornish home and probably never having had the real deal regardless of any "authentic" claims, I have always enjoyed them. It was when on a recent trip to Asda that something a bit wild caught my eye.. Breaking completely from the traditional beef and vegetable recipe, they've only gone down the pork route! - It's NEW Hog Roast Pasties. 


I picked up the packet of 6 for £1.85 in the Pie/Quiche/Sausey Roll aisle where they were situated with a whole array of NEW picnic-esque goodies to be enjoyed either hot or cold. Personally, I always opt for the latter option so did just that and didn't turn on the oven on to 160ºC fan and cook for 6-8 minutes.. But you always can if you want! 


Pork and roasted shredded pork with Bramley apple and sage filling in buttery shortcrust pastry. 


Cutting the Pasty in two, the lack off filling was immediately plain to see with a big airy gap in each half.. Typical! - Why is it that more often than not, such snacks lack a decent centre?! I didn't want to write them off completely so tried to overlook the initial disappointment and am glad I did.. Buttery and crumbly, the pastry shell itself was delicious, just of the right thickness and making for the ideal casing to the soft meat inside. The flavour of pork paired with sweet yet subtle apple was of course, a match made in heaven with a real herby-ness to only improve things further. I did notice a slight hint of black pepper/spice but I don't expect anyone else would and certainly wasn't to much - Not even for sensitive old me! 

Overall and lack of filling aside, these NEW Hog Roast Pasties are really quite pleasant. They are fab cold, would make a great addition to any summer Picnic and I can see them going down a treat if you take them for what they are - Quick, cheap and simple. Nice one Asda, it's a 3.5 out of 5 from me. 

Sunday 15 May 2016

Review- Organix LE Cherry Rice Cakes

It's an R4R first - We've ventured into Baby Food! No, I am not on a weird fad diet but there is a thrilling tale behind todays review.. Get comfy. One of my buddies has a toddler. A fussy toddler at that, she won't mind me adding, who is a professional Food Launcher come Toxicology Analyst. The child possesses endless talents when it comes to avoiding eating but one thing that has recently wooed her and what her Mother is referring to as "Baby Crack" are these Organix LE Cherry Rice Cakes. 


Delicious organic wholegrain rice cakes covered with cherry juice.

Practically forced into buying some myself, I hot footed it down to Tesco and picked up a 50g bag of the 7 months+ Finger Foods for £1.19 - Absolutely absurd pricing but they are currently on offer for 3 for £3.. Which obviously makes all the difference. Made from organic wholegrain rice along with apple and cherry juice concentrates, the Rice Cakes have no hidden nasties or junk and are also suitable for Vegetarians if your offspring has made that life choice at an early age. 


I was pleasantly surprised by the quantity in the bag and for once, it wasn't half full like you so often find with "Grown up" packet snacks. The rosy pink dusted and slightly sticky Cakes smelt good and how Rice Cakes should with a subtle sweetness. Taking a munch, the sort of dry and airy, crunchy signature texture was there with a Puffed Wheat taste along with a mild fruity flavour which I am not sure I would have been able to identify but I did like it! One thing that I did notice however was that the Rice Cakes weren't coated evenly and in turn meant that the flavour wasn't consistent throughout the bag - A shame! 

Overall, these Organix LE Cherry Rice Cakes aren't to shabby at all - They taste as expected with a smidge of sweetness and I can see why they would be popular with little ones. My only real qualm is the overkill of a pricing but I guess these Baby Food companies like to (And can!) prey on parents obvious desire to give their children the "best" organic, nutritious food.. And of course, the convenience of it all! My advice would instead be to pay a visit to my buddy who currently has a cupboard full of the things equating to about £50s worth.. It's a 4 out of 5 from me!

Friday 13 May 2016

Review- M&S NEW St Clement's Cake

Another day, another product from my favourite love to hate, store - M&S! I am still going strong in refusing to cave into the Spirit of Summer range (Extending across every foodstuff ever made, flowers and bizarrely, homeware too) and vow not to delve in until the actual summer.. But in the mean time am more than happy to munch on any other NEW additions.. Just like todays St Clement's Cake! 


I picked up the 385g Citrus "Taste of the British Isles" Cake on the same day as the EPIC Banoffee Tartlets which were both part of a 2 for £4 deal, saving £1.20 overall. If for whatever reason, you don't want double the cakey goodness then it'll cost you £2.70 when bought individually.. But you really do need the Banoffee Tartlets too so just do the Saving, OK? Ok! 


Moist orange sponge filled with orange & lemon curd and topped with lemon buttercream and candied orange shreds.


Aside from the one sided sprinkling of orange peel which was easily rectified, appearance wise it was spot on - Just look at that pilled high, buttercream glory! The scent was also wonderful to match with no problem in cutting through the sponge with a sharp knife.


Soft and squidgy, the Cake was essentially perfect in terms of texture with a real sweet and stickiness to add to the delight! Both lemony and orangey tones rans throughout the sponge thanks to the thick layer of curd, without being overpowering or bitter. A good sweet, buttery flavour came from the silky smooth topping which despite being dense was of the ideal proportion and only heightened the citrus element further. As for the candied orange topping.. It was delicious! - Sugary, chewy and a great contrast to all the soft. Fantastic!

So I don't know if I've just been lucky when choosing my recent M&S purchases or whether they've genuinely stepped up their games as this NEW St Clement's Cake is another winner! Of course, it isn't like homemade (I have to say it. I can't help it. It's the Baker in me) but as supermarket bought Cakes go.. This is up there with the best in terms of texture and taste! If sweet, sticky, citrus-y things float your boat then you absolutely need it - It's a 4.5 out of 5 from me!  

Wednesday 11 May 2016

Review- McDonald's UK NEW Great Tastes of America: The New York Stack

Move aside Tennessee Stack, there's a NEW Burger in town.. Well technically, the City as for Mcdonald's Great Tastes of America Weeks 3 & 4, we've headed to New York with a second double patty delight! 


Behold! Another mysterious box which could entail literally anything.. Would it be really pernickety to have wished that each Burger had its own box rather than the same for all 3? I get the marketing perspective but one could quite easily find themselves at Weeks 5-6 and be revelling in the fact that they had missed out on prior Burgers and it now being rubbed in their face thanks to the not so snazzy, same-y box, illustrating all 3. Packaging rant over and moving on! 


Two 100% British and Irish beef burger with bacon, cheese, chunky coleslaw, tomato ketchup, mustard, lettuce and pickles in a sesame & poppy topped bagel. 

Yes, that is a bagel you see before your peepers - A first for McDonald's here in the UK! I'll admit that said bready ring hasn't ever been up my street but with something that looks so gleamingly good and packed with cheese, bacon, slaw and lettuce.. Well, who would ever refuse!? 


I decided on cutting this fortnights, packed Burger in half after the landslide shot of the Tennessee Stack.. Although todays seemed surprisingly robust considering the soft, crunchy topped bagel. Could the lack of ketchup and mustard be the reason why? I am going to assume so as the aforementioned ingredients were totally MIA, much to my disappointment! Thankfully this little oversight didn't ruin things entirely with the juicy beef patties at the forefront, delivering a decent meaty flavour along with hits of slightly salted bacon. The cheese and coleslaw went a long way in preventing things from becoming dry with the latter being particularly enjoyable and almost tasting like a creamy homemade version - Although generally pleasant and crunchy, I did stumble across a few hard bits of cabbage which weren't so nice! As for the pickles, they were removed pretty swiftly but from what I could tell, the flavour given overall was reminiscent of a Cheeseburger.. And I'd imagine would have been even more potent if the sauces had been included!

Overall and once again, The New York Stack is a cracking inclusion to Great Tastes of America.. And that is coming from someone who isn't mad for bagels or gherkin/pickles! I did miss the sauce, but the use of coleslaw did compensate and fortunately didn't end up being make or break.. I would of course like to try it with the ketchup and mustard though before the Tex Mex Stack is upon us! It's a 4 out of 5 from me.

Monday 9 May 2016

Review- Asda NEW Neapolitan Cheesecake

It is no secret that I love all Cakes, Desserts and anything remotely sweet but I do have my favourites.. Cheesecake being one! Homemade is of course best but when you see NEW Neapolitan Cheesecake in Asda, you can't exactly refuse.. Who doesn't love that childhood classic ice cream trio!? 


I picked up the 550g Cheesecake in the Fresh Dessert section for £2.75 - I tried to choose the one with the best sprinkles as a lot of them had bled into the top and consequently, were white in colour which didn't look all that attractive! 


As instructed, I ran a knife around the edge of the Cheesecake which was sat upon a piece of cardboard within a nifty plastic outer and popped the thing out with ease - I did half expect it to break but thankfully not. 


Vanilla and strawberry flavour cheesecakes on a biscuit base topped with chocolate sauce and edible decorations. 


We are on a bit of an angle for today's picture - Needs must when it comes to not getting a blue hue! Extremely sweet smelling, I was excited for the impending Neapolitan delight to hit.. Boy, was I wrong. The aforementioned signature flavour did deliver on first bite but was then completely ruined by the overpowering and artificial strawberry layer which was so potent and sweet, it almost tasted bitter! Given that nothing else was identifiable, I tried both the vanilla and base seperately and together, were pleasant enough in being sweet and biscuity but fairly generic with no Cheesecake tang. As for the chocolate on top.. The texture was most odd - Jelly like and bizarrely flappy! Things didn't improve any in taste with a bland, lack lustre flavour which I am pretty sure, you wouldn't know was meant to be chocolate! Rubbish! 

Overall.. This NEW Neapolitan Cheesecake is a catastrophic let down! I am not sure how Asda have managed it but it has to be one of the worst Desserts, I have ever had. Even by removing the ghastly strawberry layer, it is still ridiculously cloying with the joy of remnant artificial, bitter tones. Please, whatever you do, don't be lured in by the promise of Neapolitan.. You may just end up rueing the day. It's a 0 out of 5 from me! 

Saturday 7 May 2016

Review- Asda NEW Bourbon Cake

Like a woman possessed after the epic, Custard Cream of a few weeks ago, I couldn't wait to try the chocolate cake version of a biscuit classic.. The Birthday Bourbon was purchased! Who decided that certain Cakes were meant specifically for Birthdays anyways? Surely that's Cake discrimination. 


Once again, the Whopper of a delight cost £7 and designed to feed 16.. Although I am sure it is overall larger than the Custard Cream despite the obvious shape difference - It is a shame Asda didn't include a weight on the boxes!*


What a whopper! This cake takes the biscuit.. our spectacular sponge sandwich flooded with chocolate flavour buttercream filling and topped with chocolate flavour icing - perfect with a cuppa! 

Tadaaaa! One slightly squiffy and buffed yet still effective looking, Bourbon Cake. I love the attention to detail - A sprinkling of sugar goes a hell of a long way in making or breaking said biscuit! 


Slicing up the Cake, a knife went through the layers with no real effort to reveal the chocolatey goodness which smelt nothing but delicious - Not of biscuits though as I had hoped!


Pro tip - Always go for the corner piece of a cake.. You get double the icing! Speaking of this rolled chocolate fondant, it was a lot harder than the soft, malleable kind of the Custard Cream Cake as well as being noticeably thinner - Thankfully, this didn't effect the taste and was still as sweet and chocolatey. A good squidgy texture came from the sponge which I would say was a cross between cake and brownie with a rich flavour and absolute zero in the way of dryness. Sandwiched between the 2 layers was of course the buttercream. Again, although less than I expected, it was beautifully light and whipped with further sweet, chocolate tones and generally scrummy! Sadly no Bourbon flavour transpired but this didn't take away from the Cake being enjoyable.. Not to mention almost tasting homemade!

OK, so this NEW Bourbon Cake may just be a chocolate cake dressed as a biscuit but it is a very yummy one.. And not to mention, very aesthetically pleasing! No, it doesn't come anywhere close to the Custard Cream but I have never had a supermarket chocolate sponge (Cake/Brownie hybrid) quite like it or anywhere near as good so it isn't a complete fail for Asda. A difficult one to mark - It's a 3.5 out of 5 from me!

*I did some maths and worked out that each of the cakes if meant to weigh 800g (I think). I don't believe it. 

Thursday 5 May 2016

Review- Pot Noodle NEW Mac & Cheese

I have a confession to make.. Best take a deep breath and brace yourself as I have never eaten a Pot Noodle in my entire life. Apparently this isn't deemed "normal" and in turn, always been shunned because of it... Time's are about to change though as I picked up this NEW Mac & Cheese number! I'm embracing the Noodle and making friends at the same time! 


Bought purely on the basis of my love of the "real" cheesy, pasta stuff, the 90g pot cost me £1 and was purchased from Tesco although they are only 50p in Asda! - Naughty Tesco. 


Noodles in a Macaroni Cheese flavour sauce and a little sachet of tomato sauce. 

Given my zero lack of experience with a Pot Noodle, I followed the instructions to the letter, starting with ripping off the lid, whipping out the sachet (I didn't know they came with sachets!?) and proceeded to add boiling water up to the first line and leave for 2 minutes. 


I gave it a stir and waited another 2 minutes.. It was still surprisingly liquidy? I assumed the water would absorb but this wasn't the case despite waiting 8 minutes in total! 


I decided to get stuck in as I wanted to try it hot.. The regret was almost instant. "What is this crap!?" was my immediate thought when chomping away on the soft yet tasteless noodles. The flavour, which can only be described as somewhere between nothing and plastic was equally as grim with no cheesyness or any of the chive and garlic, listed in the ingredients. It did however have a sort of powder taste to it, regardless of the loose "well dissolved" consistency. Given that things couldn't get much worse, I did try some with the Tomato Sauce sachet which was super strong but very sweet and salty at the same time - It was plain rough. After 2 mouthfuls, I was done and left it for BSW to try..


He did well! - Far better than me. It was only this last bit he couldn't get down which is when I offered up some of the bright red sauce. "I'd probably be sick to be fair" was his words and we left it at that. 

Good Lord. So this NEW Mac & Cheese Pot Noodle is foul - The flavour is appalling in being anything but cheese, the sauce doesn't thicken and without a shadow of a doubt will be my first and last one ever! I wouldn't even want to try a different flavour.. I'd much rather go back to being shunned! It's a 0 out of 5 from me. 

Tuesday 3 May 2016

Review- Tesco NEW Jaffa Cake

I have fond memories of myself and BSW scoffing packets and packets of Jaffa Cakes when we were little.. I hate to think how many boxes MSW actually bought as no matter how many we seemed to get through, there was always more in the cupboard! We still love them to this day but now that we are big (Or at least pretend to be), we are broadening our horizons, branching out, being bold.. Eating Jaffa Desserts! 


I picked up this 430g frozen cake in Tesco for £2 after eyeing it up for a good couple of months - I was lured in by the spongey, orangey, moussey, chocolate and couldn't refuse any longer! As it contains Beef gelatine, it's not suitable to Veggies, I'm afraid.. But I am sure there is something that is, given the extent of the Dessert section! 


Baked orange filling on a sponge base, topped with orange flavoured cream cheese mousse and flooded with a chocolate flavour topping. 

As instructed, I left the Cake to defrost at room temperature for about 2 hours although it was soft and squidgy long before - Perfect if you're in a hurry. As for the "wet" thawed topping.. I did try to dab it to get a lovely glossy finish but that failed. Clearly. Never mind! 


Cutting a slice, the knife went through the soft layers a dream to produce a really quite neat wedge! A squidgy cakey base kicked things off nicely with a melt in the mouth texture thanks to being extremely light and fluffy. Jelly like pieces were the first thing to deliver a whiff of orangey with the pillow-y mousse layer adding both creamy and further citrus tones - I didn't find the flavour to be artificial nor real but just about right and certainly that of a Jaffa Cake! The thick chocolate on top paired up with the orange well as expected but alone tasted uncanny to the Askeys Crackin' Ice Cream Sauce which I just so happen to love! Good proportions and surprisingly moreish! 

Overall, this Tesco Jaffa Cake is really quite a delight! It's orangey but not overly so with lovely fillings to compliment, whilst being quick and relatively cheap! One thing to note though is that it doesn't deliver any hint of Cheesecake despite being listed as one on the Tesco website so if you were hoping for a tang.. You ain't going to get one! Oh and you best buy 2 as this is one Dessert that is all to easy to eat - I don't know on what planet that it would feed half a dozen! - A solid, 4 out of 5 from me today!

Sunday 1 May 2016

Review- M&S NEW Banoffee Tartlets

Does anyone not like Banana? I'm thinking not.. I love it despite having been left struggling to breath multiple times when eating it! The on-off allergy is no match for my admiration which is exactly why I wasn't not going to pick up todays treat.. M&S NEW Banoffee Tartlets! 


The 195g, very Banana-esque box of 6 tarts cost £2.50 although they are included in a 2 for £4 deal across all sorts of cakey items, if you're looking to go big. They are also suitable for Vegetarians but not for freezing.. Please someone enlighten me to as why one would have the desire to freeze them. 


All butter (17%) pastry tartlets filled with caramel (28%), topped with a banana (1%) flavoured buttercream, decorated with a sweetened dried banana slice and finished with crumbled biscuit. 


How adorable! I loved the look of the weighty, 33g treat and especially the kiss of buttercream!


As you can see, cutting the Tart in half was easy and very precise - No cracks or crumbling. Short and crisp in texture, the pastry was perfect with a lovely buttery flavour making for the best base to what sat above.. The toffee! A pure hit of sweetness came from this thick, yet soft and chewy golden layer which tasted a lot like Werthers and was generally bloomin' delicious! Things only got better with the doubly dense piping of pale yellow buttercream which delivered a pure hit of banana goodness, pairing up well with the caramel as expected and was just on the right side of artificial. The dried slice on top added a solid crunch although didn't really do all that much in terms of flavour.. Not that it mattered as the Tart couldn't have been any more banana-ry! 

Well these NEW Banoffee Tartlets are amazing.. And I didn't die when eating them - It's a double winner! If you like Banana or Toffee or Pastry or Buttercream or anything really, you need them - Get yourselves down to M&S pronto. I can find no fault - It's a 5 out of 5 from me!