Review- Krispy Kreme NEW: Hersey's and Coconut & Raspberry

Oh hi little Bloggy, long time no post! It's been a while since my last review, almost a month* in fact..  But you know how life goes - "Busy" has a sneaky habit of keeping you just that! So what's new with everyone? Anything exciting to tell me? Has Spring, sprung where you are? New faves and foods? Gossip? Let me know!

Kicking things back off today, it's the NEW Hersey's Cookies 'n' Creme (Also available in Ring form) and Coconut & Raspberry Doughnuts from good old Krispy Kreme (Not Cream in name but said as cream, not krem. GOT IT!?), which I picked up in my usual Tesco cabinet. Price wise, I bought an assorted box of 3 for £4.85 but assume they are the usual £1.90 each. 

Hersey's Cookies 'n' Creme

Filled with Hersey's Cookies 'n' Creme Kreme, topped with white chocolate flavoured coating and Hersey's Cookies 'n' Creme pieces. 

I was so convinced that no filling was going to feature within my Hersey's number, I had a complaint tweet practically composed, ready to press send as soon as confirmed by the slice of my knife.. But the eager finger was soon shown the door when some Kreme did turn out to be present! - Not a lot mind but more than what it's weight suggested! Onto the eating and texture wise, the very bottom layer of the dough itself wasn't quite cooked and in turn a bit on the stodgy side. Thankfully, the rest was up to the usual fluffy KK standard and delivered that signature sweet flavour. As for the Hersey's aspect, both inside and on top.. It brought nothing to the party - No real creaminess, certainly not cookies whatsoever, perhaps some more sugary, wannabe white chocolate tones but generally, lacked all kind of flavour. It's a disappointing, 1 out of 5 from me. 

Coconut & Raspberry

Filled with coconut Kreme and topped with raspberry gloss and desiccated coconut. 

Moving onto the Doughnut which has been greatly longed for and the one that I had much higher hopes for.. The Coconut & Raspberry! Cutting in two, the dough still proved to be marginally raw a long the bottom but far less noticeable than the above and probably not something anyone would complain about apart from me! From first bite, the coconut aspect was instantly identifiable with plenty of creamy, tropical tones a long with sweetness, all packed into the super smooth, silky abundance of Kreme. The sticky gloss on top added a real pop of fruitiness which as expected, went wonderfully with both the chewy desiccated coconut and the aforementioned filling. YUM - A 4.5 out of 5 from me. 

Overall, it's a bit of a mixed bag here from Krispy Kreme. Hersey's is no Reeses in my opinion** so if KK are expecting it to catch on.. I can't help but think they've got another thing coming given what they've produced - Mine really did taste of nothing! As for the Coconut & Raspberry offering, it is a "spot on" delight and you would be a fool not to get yourself 1.. Or a dozen. Happy Doughnut munching! 

*Whilst I was MIA.. On the 23rd of March.. It was the Bloggy's 2 year birthday.. And I completely forgot. Whoopsie doodle. Happy Birthday Bloggy!! 

**What do I know, I don't even like Peanut. I'm just channelling my inner Nibby Nobs. She knows stuff, that one. 

Review- Maryland NEW: Cookie Bites and Crispies

Another day, another biscuit review and this time, it is the turn of Maryland with all that is NEW - 2 lots of Cookie Bites and Choc Chip Crispies, featuring both coconut and caramel! Oooh choices! 

I searched high and low for this little lot, across what seemed liked all of the supermarkets with no avail.. That was of course until the day that the ever so lovely, Charlotte popped the entire selection in the post for me - Sods law! Damn you, slow-poke Tescy! Suitable for Vegetarians across the board with absolutely no artificial colours, preservatives, flavours, hydrogenated fats, sweeteners or GM ingredients, one might go as far as to say that these are actually a health food.. 

Choc Chip Cookie Bites

Mini choc chip cookies bites covered in milk chocolate.

Starting with the "plain" Bites, the marginally smaller than a £2 coin sized rounds were all well coated in chocolate and smelt most inviting. Satisfyingly crunchy in texture with lots of buttery biscuit flavour combined with cocoa, the Bites proved to be extremely moreish and all too easy to eat one after another. On the flip side however, they were equally as pleasant when left to dissolve and savour on the tongue rather than when munched - Yum! It's a 4 out of 5 from me. 

Choc Chip & Caramel

Mini chocolate chip and caramel flavour cookie bites covered in milk chocolate. 

Moving onto the caramel option which I so wish you could smell, these Bites once again possessed the feel of above with the same generous chocolate coating but with the glorious addition of sweet, indulgent caramel to compliment. Despite having that sugary edge, I found these even more enjoyable than the lone Choc Chip version - A 4.5 out of 5 from me. 

Choc Chip & Coconut Crispies

Coconut flavour cookies containing milk and dark chocolate chips, coconut and crisped rice. 

Having not bought Maryland Cookies in such a long time, my memory was a little hazy over how big (Or little in this case!) the biscuits actually are - They really were quite diddy and no more than 2 mouthfuls of a pleasantly grainy, slightly chewy contrasting crispy, airy mish-mash texture! Taste wise, the flavour was just as I remember with the signature Maryland flavour at the forefront with a coconutty edge that brought lots of sweetness yet was balanced out by the nibs of darker chocolate throughout. Tropical and tasty! Another 4.5 out of 5. 

Choc Chip & Caramel

Caramel flavour cookies containing chocolate chips, caramel pieces and crisped rice. 

Last up and by no means least, the Choc Chip & Caramel Crispies. Taking a bite, this cookie struck me as having the strangest feel out of the entire lot - It was hard and crunchy but perhaps had a little too much going on with the crisped rice being far more noticeable and bizarre harder lumps which I can only assume to be caramel pieces. Speaking of the aforementioned, I found the flavour to be a tad more artificial than that of the Caramel Bites and therefore somewhat masking the full biscuit flavour and not quite floating my boat. I did however enjoy the chocolate element once again! It's a 3.5 out of 5 from me. 

So, I am thinking if I were to eat one more cookie, I might just turn into one myself? - This NEW range of Maryland's isn't too shabby at all and without a shadow of a doubt, addictive! The Caramel Cookie Bites are my overall winner with the Coconut Crispies coming in at a close second. It's only really the Caramel Crispies that don't do it for me.. But having said that, offer me a cup of tea and I'll pretty much dunk and eat an old boot let a lone a much more delightful, if only "average" biscuit! Grab yourself a 120g pouch or 145g pack and let me know your thoughts.. Merry Marylanding! 

Review- Oreo NEW Thins: Original and Chocolate Creme

Is anyone still on their "New Year, New Me" January diet? I failed to even start mine and bow down to those who are firmly on the healthy wagon.. But everyone needs a treat every once in a while and these skinny mini, NEW Oreo Thins might just be the little somethin' somethin' to hit the spot! 

Inspired by AKA copied, from my darling Nibs 'n' Scribs, the 94g boxes cost me 54p in Tesco where they were on some sort of special offer - I can't remember the full price but I didn't want to pay it, I know that much! Each containing 16 biscuits, spread across 2 foil packs, both the Original and Chocolate Creme are suitable for Vegetarians and come in at under 130 calories and less than 2.5g Sat Fat for 4 Oreos.. We'll choose to ignore the sugar part as sugar is the devil in disguise. Obvs. 

I am not entirely sure of the logic behind wrapping the biscuits in 8's when the recommended portion, as stated above, is half of this but there you have it.. Your willpower game had better be strong.

Chocolate flavour sandwich biscuits with a vanilla flavour filling (32.5%) and Chocolate flavour sandwich biscuits with a chocolate flavour filling (32.5%). 

One each of the very dinky, oh so thin Oreo which I promise, do have a centre filling..

There it is! Almost damn near impossible to twist and split thanks to the uber snappy and crisp texture, the biscuits still provided the signature, dark cocoa flavour that we all know and love with a seriously munchy feel which I think I actually favoured over regular Oreos. The sandwiched creme in both was of a good ratio to the biscuit and more than enough for a real sweet vanilla hit from the pure white of the Original and the Chocolate element of the other, adding further cocoa tones to compliment. Tasty and good for dunking! 

Overall, I enjoyed these NEW Oreo Thins more than I thought I would.. Much to my surprise! Usually being one to adopt the "go big or go home!" mentality, I didn't feel as though I was missing out on anything by having a slim jim biscuit opposed to the usual thick and chunky, albeit not as sizeable as the US version, Oreo.. And I did even manage to stop at 4 biscuits! Definitely one to put on your next shopping list whether you're watching your weight or as Nibs put it, a "sophisticated" adult or not!  - It's a 4 out of 5 from me. 

Review- Tesco Ready to Bake LE Toffee Apple Cookie Dough

I am going to warn you now.. The pictures in todays post are horrendous to the extent of me having to'd and fro'd over whether it was even worthy of a review for the last 3 weeks - The colouring is whack, I seem incapable of shooting things in the centre and one might even come with some sort of photo effect. Safe to say, I don't know what went wrong.. But Cookies! Cookies always come first!

Technically, this is actually Tesco Ready to Bake Toffee Apple Cookie Dough which I bought for £1.50 after having enjoyed the Chocolate Chip version. Given it's Fall-esque flavouring and Limited Edition status, I do wonder if it was originally for Autumn 2016.. But I can't say I saw it until just after New Year so it's a bit of a mystery. 

Designed to be cut into 8 rounds after being left out of the fridge for 10 minutes to soften, the cookies  are to be cooked at 160ºC Fan for about 14-18 minutes or until golden brown.

I opted for the lesser duration purely as I didn't want a rock solid biscuit and they turned out pretty nicely - Not to mention, smelling amazingly buttery combined with an almost acidic, fruity yogurt aroma which filled the entire house! 

Breaking the slightly warm cookie in half, pieces of the add-ins were visible and of a fairly generous quantity. Crunchy on the outside with a chewier centre, they tasted just as they smelt - Super biscuity with a pop of tart apple a long with pockets of sweet toffee. A tang was definitely apparent which once again, reminded me of a yogurt and worked surprisingly well in a Cookie. Perfect with a mug of tea, sprinkled over ice cream for that hot/cold hit or even with actual yogurt! - Delish!

Overall, this Tesco Ready to Bake LE Toffee Apple Cookie Dough seems to be a pretty foolproof way of a getting fresh, warm, decent tasting treat into your life without much faff at all.. Well, that is to say as long as you use some sort of baking parchment on your tray otherwise you'll never get the welded little buggers off! Give it a whirl whilst you can.. And a sneaky taste when raw! It's a 4 out of 5 from me. 

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 13- Hotel Chocolat Festive Wreaths: White and Cookie

After having decided to Dasher-way from the disappointing LE Selectors that Hotel Chocolat push out at this time of year, I figured it would be worth giving the Wreaths a whirl - A cranberry and pistachio packed White for those who like things on the sweeter side and a Milk Chocolate, cookie, florentine combo for the traditionalist with a twist. 

Priced at £7 and each weighing in at 100g, these Wreaths are definitely a big of a splurge.. But when something looks so beautiful, it makes for a pretty stunning gift to a loved one.. Or to yourself. 

Made using 36% cocoa and 27% milk solids for the White and 50% cocoa and 20% Milk for the Milk Chocolate, only the finest of ingredients are used by Hotel Chocolat with both being suitable for vegetarians and are alcohol free. 

On closer inspection of the Cookie Wreath, it appears mine had bloom on it. Why does something that is meant to be a luxury product have bloom on it? "It won't effect the taste"? I don't care. I don't want bloom, thank you very much! 

The Festive Wreath - White

Solid creamy white chocolate with cranberries and pistachio nuts. 

Extremely sweet smelling and not all to dissimilar to a MilkyBar, the quality of chocolate itself didn't disappoint in melting perfectly on the tongue with a silky smooth feel and having a creamy, sweet flavour that was by no means sugary or cloying. A whole host of different textures contrasted this from the plethora of added extras - A pleasant chew from the plump, ruby cranberries which also provided a pop of tartness and a solid crunch from the gloriously green, pistachio nuts. The balance of different elements was perfect despite having a lot going on and it even wasn't too rock solid to bite! A 4 out of 5 from me. 

The Festive Wreath - Cookie

Milk chocolate with nibbly cookies and caramelised almond florentines squares. 

Moving onto the Cookie option which I am happy to say, possessed the aroma that any decent dark chocolate should. Taste wise, things were plenty rich with cocoa tones of a good sweet/intense balance and certainly a lot more pleasant than most milk chocolates. Packed with chunky, crunchy cookie pieces and hard yet chewy florentine, the biscuity and caramelised nutty flavours came through a treat and provided a real mouthful, especially when contrasting to the sleek feel of melting chocolate. Another absolute delight - 4 out of 5. 

Overall, both of these Festive Wreaths do it for me and I am pretty chuffed I picked some good'uns from Hotel Chocolat this year - £14 well spent, I reckon! There is also a Rare & Vintage number, packed with hazelnuts, almonds and cranberries for anyone who favours the dark side as well as the option to go big with a 450g Wreath, priced at £22 for the aforementioned and today's variants at £20.. Just incase anyone is feeling particularly generous and up to sharing this Christmas! 

Review- Red Velvet Oreo vs Red Velvet Chips Ahoy

Who here likes biscuits? Who here likes Red Velvet? Who here likes both, especially when provided by Nabisco? Wave your hands in the air, like you just do not care as it's Cookie vs Cookie, Red vs Red.. Oreo vs Chips Ahoy! 

I hadn't seen either of these Biscuits here in the UK (Until this Monday which is bloody typical) but had been pining for them since a certain someones glowing reviewing of the Oreo. Luckily for me, my friends sister was jetting stateside in September and managed to nab not only the aforementioned but the Chips Ahoy version too! - Thanks Lottie! Thanks Lucy! 

Red Velvet Oreo

I couldn't not start with the biscuit which in my opinion is THE biscuit - Who doesn't like Oreos? No one, thats who. Smelling absolutely sensational upon tearing into the packet, the deep red hued sandwiches looked remarkably in good nick considering the miles they had travelled with a creme filling that was only to apparent to be far thicker than anything we get here in the UK. Taste wise, they didn't disappoint in the slightest! Crunchy on the outside with the signature Oreo, albeit slightly sweeter than "usual" cocoa flavour, the biscuit itself went perfectly with the abundance of soft, super sweet filling. A cream cheese tang was definitely noticeable, despite none actually being listed in the ingredients, which delivered the flavour that we all know and love to be that of Red Velvet. Amazing - 4.5 out of 5!

Red Velvet Chips Ahoy

Having never tried Chips Ahoy, not even our British version, I wasn't sure what to expect from the cute and dinky Cookies which unfortunately, this time, didn't fair so well in transit - Crumbs galore! Soft and chewy on the outside with a hidden pocket of something(?)*, they were just as sweet as the above but with a slightly artificial edge and lacking a real tang, even from the cream cheese flavoured chips - Not to dissimilar to the Red Velvet Pop Tarts which came close to being Red Velvet.. But not quite. After a few, I found the chemical flavour and general sugar rush all too much and called it quits whilst I could still stand - A 3.5 out of 5 from me. 

Well, there you have it Folks.. It's clear to see which 'Bisco Biccie reigns almighty in my books -  Both on the Red Velvet front and in general when it comes to the quality of biscuit. Granted, the 2 are very different with the Chips Ahoy being a much softer, cookie texture but the promised flavour just isn't quite there and certainly a way off from the near perfection of the Oreo! Having said that, if you do happen to stumble across either, don't hesitate in picking yourself up a pack.. You'll only regret it! 

*Haven't the foggiest what the something is.. Frosting, perhaps? Not cream cheese, I know that much.

Review- Oreo NEW Mint Flavour

You wouldn't think locating a packet of Oreos would be so difficult.. But blimey, it has been a challenge! Every supermarket known to man has been scoured up and down, all in the hope of finding the shiny green packet of joy. No avail until Tuesday when Sainsbury's finally saved the day! 

Chocolate flavour sandwich biscuits with a mint flavour filling. 

Priced at what I thought was a quite extortionate £1.20 each, I picked up a couple of packets of the Mint flavoured biscuits and went on my merry way. As seen with the Strawberry, these are suitable for Vegetarians to enjoy so do just that why don't you, Vegetarians. 

Tearing into the packet, the mint aspect was clear from first whiff - Exactly what you want from something claiming to be of the flavour! The biscuits themselves were as awesome as usual - Crunchy and cocoa rich with the signature Oreo flavour. Sandwiched in the centre, despite not being all that generous in quantity, was of course the icy green creme which delivered plenty of minty tones (Not After Eight level but potent enough) that were by no means overpowering, artificial or tasting remotely toothpaste-y. The two elements paired up perfectly, just as mint and chocolate should, to produce one very delightfully sweet and moreish biscuit that would be perfect with any cup of tea or coffee! 

Thank goodness! These NEW Mint Oreos have lived up to my expectation! - I am not sure I could have taken another round of disappointment after the Strawberry which really didn't float my boat! If Mint Chocolate is your thing, you'll no doubt love these. It's a 4 out of 5 from me.. If only there was more creme filling! 

Hop on over to NibsnScribs to read her review - She's a beautiful person and also a big fan of all things Oreo.. And food in general really! 

Review- Oreo NEW LE Strawberry Cheesecake

The search has been high and low with everyone appearing to have struggled but finally, the NEW Oreos have been located! Well, the Mint option is still unobtainable but the Strawberry Cheesecake now seem to be in most Asda stores which is who I need to thank for todays review! 

 

The strawberry cheesecake Oreo is a tasty sandwich biscuit filled with creamy strawberry flavour centre. Yum!

I picked up two, 154g packets for 50p each, passing one on to my fellow Oreo enthusiast and general BFF, NibsnScribs (Go read her review!). Having read the description of the Veggie friendly biscuits, I was instantly dubious to just how "cheesecake" they would be.. The list of ingredients did nothing to reassure me either.

I was practically engulfed in a strong strawberry milkshake scent upon opening the packet - It was very sweet, slightly artificial and undoubtedly familiar. Having a munch, the biscuits themselves were up to the usual standard in being crunchy with the signature chocolatey, Oreo flavour that we all know and love. As for the cream centre, it certainly packed a punch, tasting just as they smelt - Not cheesecake in the slightest but instead uncanny to the centres of Strawberry Hello Panda. Together, I am not sure how well the two elements complimented one another given that the centre was so overpowering - A bit of a strange match! 

Overall, I can't say these NEW LE Strawberry Cheesecake Oreos do it for me unfortunately.. I love Hello Panda but in my opinion, such a strong strawberry flavour just doesn't suit this kind of chocolate biscuit - Not to mention the fact they aren't cheesecake in the slightest! Here's to hoping the Mint fair better.. If we ever find them that is! It's a 2.5 out of 5 from me. 

Review- M&S NEW Spirit of Summer: Alfajores Biscuits

For once, it's a SoS number which actually is undeniably Latin American - Today is golden, it's sticky and cloyingly sweet.. It's Dulce de Leche! Alas, not straight out of the jar as I favour to eat it but sandwiched in the M&S NEW Alfajores! 

I was in two minds whether to buy these or the Dulce de Leche Teacakes* but swiftly decided against the latter after remembering the disastrous Christmas Red Velvet Teacakes* which were essentially the thing of nightmares and tasting a bit like a shoe! Sadly, the price difference between the pair was vast and although not swaying me, I begrudgingly forked out £2.50 for the 210g brightly coloured box of Veggie loving, Biscuits. 

All butter biscuits with a dulce de leche caramel centre. 

I was even more narked to discover that it was only a pack of 6 - 6, albeit large, slightly cheesy smelling cookies! That's 41p each and who knows how much cheese!

I attempted to cut the biscuit in half and the texture instantly seemed weird - Hard yet soft, making for not a very clean cut but more of a wiggle. Munching my way through, it proved to be quite heavy going and dry with an almost powdery feel and uncanny to "shortbread gone stale" - I can't say this was all that pleasant especially mixed with the grainy centre! Thankfully and more on the positive side, the smell didn't reflect in the taste.. Instead a flavour that can only be described as extremely buttery with the sickly sweetness of caramel which was only vaguely like actual Dulce de Leche - Certainly not the jarred stuff! Naturally, the combination of elements were fairly claggy in the throat and poor MSW even started to question whether they were salty as they were so ridiculously sugary and hurt her tongue - There must be a fine line! 

Overall, these M&S Spirt of Summer Alfajores Biscuits are plain peculiar - They aren't really one thing or another and without a shadow of a doubt, require a hot beverage to get down. I suppose they aren't horrific if you can handle the impending diabetes and aren't fixated on the Dulce de Leche aspect.. But even then, I think most would struggle to eat more than one in a sitting. Perhaps they could be a diet biscuit? I'm struggling to be constructive when they could very well be a love-hate thing! It's a slightly frazzled, 2.5 out of 5 from me. 

*NibsnScribs AKA Peanut has reviewed both so go have a read and leave a friendly comment!

Review- M&S NEW Milk Chocolate Cookie Dough Bites

Once again, M&S appear to have gone overboard with NEW products.. They have literally got chocolate, biscuits and desserts coming out of their eyeballs with a fancy, Spirit of Summer range thrown in for good measure. I am not entirely sure of the logic behind the latter given it is barely even Spring but the brightly coloured packaging is quite enticing and worth a look if you're already feeling tropical! 

As I am not feeling quite "August Bank Holiday" yet I'll be sticking with the regular line today with the NEW Milk Chocolate Cookie Dough Bites which were specifically requested for review - I do aim to please! The 140g, resealable foil baggy of a metallic orange hue, cost £2 with its chocolate contents being suitable for Vegetarians.. Big up the Veggies! 

Milk chocolate and dark biscuit crumb with a soft white chocolate and biscuit filling (46%). 

I was pleased to discover some fairly sizeable nuggets in the bag which I would say were comparable to large marbles.. Although they smelt much nicer than marbles of chocolatey, cookie goodness! Popping one in the mouth, a soft bite that was almost fudge like was the first thing to strike me which then transitioned into something more crunchy with a gritty sugariness just like you would find with actual cookie dough! Taste wise, they were very chocolatey and rich with what I think was a malty sort of flavour - Not quite full on Malteser but definitely a hint! I can't say the cookie dough aspect was anything other than subtle but surprisingly, I didn't feel anything was amiss.. There was already plenty going on with the other sweet elements! Magically, more-ish!

Oh M&S.. Are you intentional mess-ers or genuinely ridiculously inconsistent with quality of your products as these NEW Milk Chocolate Cookie Dough Bites are shockingly glorious! They hit the spot big time and feel like a real substantial snack thanks to the different textures and all round chunkiness. I will certainly be buying more and can see them being a total hit with the masses so get yourself a bag, pronto! It's a 4.5 out of 5 from me. 

Review- Ben and Jerry's Cookie Dough 'Wich

Long gone are the days of boring Ice Cream tubs.. Ben & Jerry's have moved onto bigger and better things by sandwiching their deliciousness between Cookies! This may not seem all that ingenious but it is a NEW one for the UK B&J market (Or so says the Snack King) and I'm pretty much excited. 

Chewy cookies (40%) (made with 3% chocolate chips), with vanilla ice cream & chunks of chocolate chip cookie dough (4%). 

I picked up the box of 3 Cookie Dough 'Wich from Morrisons where they are priced at a ridiculously extortionate, £4.15. I am not entirely sure how Ben & Jerry justify their pricing.. How can a trio of ice creams weighing a measly 65g each, cost almost £1.40 a pop? It's absurd.

One, fairly dinky, slightly wonky, 'Wich - I've always wondered why during manufacturing they can never seem to get these things in the centre.. Surely, it can't be that hard to ensure they don't get nudged? 

Oo, look at those cookie dough pieces - I was pleased to see that B&J hadn't scrimped on the quantity! The Cookies individually were relatively thin with a soft bite once through the initial crunch to produce a sugary feel along with a vanilla-y, buttery taste - Pretty much the ideal Cookie that I would be happy to eat as is! A super smooth, creamy ice cream was the centre and thankfully it wasn't like a block but instead melted in the mouth perfect. Running throughout this was the relatively hard and crunchy nibs of dough which tasted of cookie dough and nothing but, adding to the overall flavour. Hits of dark chocolate were the last element to come through from the odd chip - This helped offset all the sweetness with a dark cocoa flavour. Yum! 

Oh Ben & Jerry.. You have done it again, chaps! These Cookie Dough 'Wich are delicious and I imagine they will go down a treat with the masses and especially those who are fanatics of the tubbed ice cream of the same name! A brilliantly named, Son of a 'Wich box of 8 minatures is also available for those who fancy a smaller treat.. Although they are even more pricey so perhaps cutting today's ones in half would be the way forwarding if you are calorie conscious. It's a 4 out of 5 from me! 

Review- Krispy Kreme NEW Brownie Batter and Cookie Dough

Happy Monday! Once again, it is Krispy Kreme time! Today saw the release of 2 brand spanking NEW Doughnuts despite having only just had the Valentine's editions - We are being spoilt! Rather than another fruity option, KK have ventured down the indulgent, chocolatey route with Brownie Batter and Cookie Dough options to brighten up their stores and our Tesco Cabinets. YAY. 

As I was feeling extra chunky, I bought an Assorted Box of 3 Doughnuts today but I am going to assume that these are priced at the usual £1.90 each. I would usually have been much more vigilant but I was kind of distracted by the appearance of the things - I don't know if someone had dropped the trays or if the KK minions are just getting sloppy during manufacturing (I expect the latter) but all of the Doughnuts looked a bit of a state with filling falling out of most, not to mention unequal toppings.. With some angst, I picked the best of a bad bunch and went on my merry way. 

Brownie Batter 

A brownie batter filling, hand-dipped in milk chocolate and topped with brownie chunks & choc chips  

What an anti climax! Where is the brownie batter filling? This only reaffirms my suspicions of slacking KK minions. Taking a bite, the chocolate on top cracked, sending the toppings everywhere but thankfully, it did taste good although I'm not sure I would have identified the brownie pieces as actually being brownie.. They certainly weren't of the texture. The dough was up to the usual standard with a light, fluffy texture and sweet flavour. A thick, gooey ganache like filling was in the centre and despite there not being a lot of it, it was mighty chocolatey and cocoa rich. Not quite brownie batter but yummy nevertheless - A 3.5 out of 5 from me! 

Cookie Dough

Filled with cookie dough kreme, coated in white chocolate and hand-decorated with cookie pieces and chocolate chips!

Once again, when cutting the lil fella in half, I was left wondering where all the cookie dough kreme filling was.. In fact, there was a massive gapping hole in the left half where I assume it had been injected! Luckily, this time a more than generous blob was hiding in the other section and was nice and whipped as kreme should be. Taste wise, it was cookie dough and nothing but, with a very sweet, biscuity flavour but I did feel it was a little lost when eaten with a big chunk of soft, doughnut itself. As seen previously, the toppings did crack, crumble and go everywhere apart from in my mouth but quality wise, they were bad at all.. Even if these Cookie pieces had the exact same, soft texture as the so called Brownie above! A 4 out of 5 from me. 

Overall, these NEW Krispy Kreme Doughnuts are pretty darn delightful - The Brownie Batter isn't revolutionary by any means but when you want a chocolate hit, it will certainly provide one.. And it hasn't got that god awful, chocolate sauce KK use which can only ever be a good thing! As for the Cookie Dough, you need one - It's as simple as that so treat yourself before they disappear! Go check out my Peanuts' review over at Nibbles 'n' Scribbles to see if minions were messing with her too and have a delightful Doughnut Day, folks! 

Review- Millie's At Home NEW Ready to Bake Cookies: Milk, White and Triple Choc

Behold! Millie's Cookies have come home.. To Iceland of all places! I made a special trip to pick up these NEW frozen additions having heard the word on Twitter - Seriously, that place is where it's at when it comes to late, breaking happenings in the food world.. Heaven forbid I could have missed them given that it's the one supermarket I never go to. 

Tucked in with the frozen desserts, these boxes of Milk, White and Triple Choc Ready to Bake Cookie Dough were in abundance and priced at 2 for £5 or £3 individually - Quite steep considering only 6 Cookies are in each weighing approximately 35g a pop. Nothing was going to deter me though - Needs must and all that! 

L-R Milk Choc, White Choc, Triple Choc 

Bad news for raw Dough enthusiasts, on the back of the box there is a warning not to go there so if one choses to rebel against that.. Well, on your own head be it! For those who like their Cookies cooked, I plonked one of each different flavour, oblong shaped pieces onto a baking tray, ready to go into a 160ºC Fan oven for 14-16 minutes or until cooked - Although they are intended to still look soft when done, it is suggested leaving them for 10 minutes to set up before scoffing. 

L-R Milk Choc, White Choc, Triple Choc 

Tadaaaa! Like magic, 3 pieces of Dough turned into 3 Cookies. They smelt amazing when being baked just as anticipated. One thing to surprise me was that even though I kept them in the oven for a slightly less 11 minutes rather than the recommended 14 (Ahem), they were still quite crisp around the edges and the Triple Choc even caught slightly on one side - I even checked the temperate of my oven and for once it wasn't running hot!

Milk Choc

A crisp exterior with chewy inner, the Cookie had a pleasant texture.. Even if it wasn't that of an actual store bought Millie's - May as well get that out of the way before anyone gets to excited, sorry! Butter, vanilla and sugar were the stand out flavours as one would expect with such a treat. The chocolate chunks were few and far between but the ones I could taste did have a a nice milky cocoa flavour and were slightly melted thanks to the Cookie still being warm. Not bad, but not stand out by any means - A 3 out of 5 from me. 

White Choc

Once again, this Cookie had a similar chewy texture as above but perhaps a tad softer crumb. The flavour was also the same with an extra kick of sweetness thanks to the white chocolate chunks. An eggy sort of taste was also apparent which I am certain didn't come from under baking as it wasn't wet or soggy in the slightest. Very vanilla-y and very tasty - Another 3 out of 5 from me. 

Triple Choc

Last by no means least was the Triple Choc. Rich in cocoa with bursts of gooey, sweet chocolate, this Cookie was the best of the bunch. It appeared to be the most packed with chunks which is a bit of an anomaly considering the Cookie itself was also chocolate - I guess they weren't lying when giving it, its name! Texture wise, it was nice and chewy, ignoring the slightly burnt edges with an almost Brownie like middle despite being thin. It's a 3.5 out of 5 from me! 

Overall, these NEW Millie's At Home Cookies are what they are - Yummy but certainly not the same as store bought.. I would even go as far as to say, you wouldn't know they were meant to be Millie's unless you had read the box and paid the daylight robbery of a price! Don't get me wrong, they hit the spot when you need something sweet and the freshly baked "warm" aspect is appealing but you could get something similar from anywhere and for a lot less.. Or dare I say, release your inner Baker and make your own. What is with all the Chocolate also? A soft Oatmeal & Raisin next time Millie's, if you will.