Snackmas Day 1- Chiostro Di Saronno Tiramisu Panettone

On the first day of Snackmas, John Lewis gave to me.. A severe case of deja vu-ey? Yes, Chiostro Di Saronno is back and back with a bang at that! We've moved on from the wonder and awe of the Al Cioccolato of last year to bigger and better things.. It's 2 of my favourites combined - It's Tiramisu Panettone! 

I was like a child on Christmas morning upon stepping foot in my local John Lewis at home store and  making a beeline for the Italian Cakes display - My little beady eyes can spot Panettone from a mile off at the best of times but put coffee into the mix and I charge! Rather disappointingly however, the ornate tin of last year has been done away with, in exchange for a rather lack lustre, albeit festively illustrated, cardboard box which I can't help but feel is a bit of a disservice and takes away that "luxury" feel.. Not to mention the fact that the change in aesthetics didn't reflect in the price! - The 750g Italian Cake was still a relatively costly £15! 

A twist on the classic Panettone, it is filled with a smooth Tiramisu cream and chocolate chips. 

The Panettone cut perfectly with a knife, slicing through as easy as anything to reveal an interior which was surprisingly nothing like the golden yellow dough seen previously. Thankfully, this didn't affect the texture and it delivered the same bouncy, fluffy and all round delightful quality that just can't be beaten. Nothing was hindered taste wise either with a pure, rich buttery flavour combined with sweet hits from the abundance of cocoa morsels. This was complimented by the pockets of silky yet sticky, smooth cream running throughout which provided an almost boozy, European feel that I would say to be more similar to ice cream than actual coffee.. Not that it mattered in the slightest - Amazing. 

Chiostro Di Saronno have done it again. This Tiramisu Panettone is almost faultless.. And that's when it doesn't even really taste that much of it's namesake! Perhaps I am bias given my sheer, undevoted love of the stuff but if you were to have it with a cup of coffee anyways.. Who cares? I certainly don't. It's a cracking start to Snackmas and a 4.5 out of 5 from me!

Review- Kettle Chips NEW Chef's Signature Burrata Mozzarella & Sweet Chilli Jam

So it seems that Kettle Chips Chef's Signature range is expanding - No, it still isn't the "boring" Salt & Vinegar flavour that was unduly lacking in September with the Yorkshire Wensleydale & Cox Apple Chutney.. But instead, Burrata Mozzarella & Sweet Chilli Jam! 

Hand cooked potato chips with Burrata Mozzarella and Sweet Chilli Jam seasoning. 

I picked up the 150g resealable although not recyclable, bag in Sainsbury's where they are currently on offer for £1. The real question is.. What's a Burrata? I hadn't the foggiest so off to the Interweb I went and learnt that it's a fresh Italian cheese made from Mozzarella and cream with a soft and squidgy centre - Every day's a school day! Also for anyone who may not know, Stokes, the company in partnership and providing the Chilli Jam in this case, are from my home away from home - Suffolk! They make a whole host of yummy sauces, chutneys, jams and much, much more and are definitely worth looking into if you fancy something a bit different. 

I had to heavily crank up the brightness of todays picture.. No word of a lie, it was like looking through a Smurf. Thankfully, the off-red seasoning was still plain to see with each crisp being generously coated. The Crisps smelt amazing - Slightly greasy, very potato-ey with a smokey sort of scent. Crunching my way through, the texture was also spot in being thin and fresh with a flavour to match. I wasn't sure just how spicy they were going to be but boy, did they pack a punch! - Even MSW who loves a bit of heat ended up spluttering over one! A sweetness lingered after the initial Chilli and although no Mozzarella (Or cheese in general) taste was distinguishable, perhaps it did assist in mellowing the aforementioned. Tasty and more-ish! 

Overall, these Burrata Mozzarella & Sweet Chilli Jam Crisps from Kettle Chips are a cracking addition to Chef's Signature! - The quality is undoubtably reflected in the decent flavour and more importantly, consistency throughout the bag. It would have been nice to have had more of a cheese flavour to balance out some of the spice for amateurs like me but they went down a treat with my taste testers so no real complaints here! It's a 4 out of 5 from me.. Us? MSW and BSW.  

Review- Chiostro Di Saronno Panettone Al Limoncello

So it turns out that Panettone isn't just for Christmas or Easter.. It's an all year round delight! Well, it is at least in the Land of John Lewis who have beautifully wrapped and bow tied, Italian cakes on their shelves. Of course, I couldn't refuse - There was me thinking I would have to wait until the Autumn to be munching on a Chiostro Di Saronno treat again! 

Behold! Panettone Al Limoncello! - Yes, I did squeal when I saw that 2 of my favourite things had come together and grabbed it quicker than I could even note the price (£15, just FYI) . A whole Stand dedicated to this beautiful purple flower paper along with yellow bow is currently gracing the shop floor.. There are further items from Chiostro Di Saronno, Butlers Chocolates as well as unbranded Prosecco and Truffles - I implore you to go have a looksee if you're in need of a present for some one! 

A delicious twist on the classic panettone, this version has zingy limoncello cream running through it and candied lemon peals instead of sultanas for an extra hit of lemon flavour. 

Unwrapping the delight who's paper I have kept to use at a later date, lead me to the 750g, perfectly golden brown monstrosity. With the studded lemon peel pieces already clear to see, I had a feeling good things were about to come.. And perhaps a blue picture.. 

Both delivered! The sweet smelling cake cut perfectly into wedges to reveal oozing pockets of sticky jellied like curd blobs running throughout the fluffy, aerated dough - This was up to the usual standard in being rich, buttery and generally tasting of the highest quality, sweet Panettone. The candied peel was plentiful and not hard in the slightest, bringing a muted lemon tone before even hitting the main star of the show.. The Limoncello Cream! - Quite thick in texture yet super smooth, it certainly brought further citrus tones but once again, was pleasantly subtle rather than a full on tart Lemon flavour. A ever so slight, boozy tone did linger in parts but I do think that was only due to the fact I knew it was there! All the flavours married beautifully to produce something essentially.. Perfect! 

Oh Italy. You are the most glorious country.. I may never have been to you but your produce is what keeps me going in life! This Chiostro Di Saronno Panettone Al Limoncello is just the bees knees - It's buttery, lemon-y, gooey and really, just makes everything right in the world when you eat it! Please everyone, go get one.. You won't be disappointed. It's a 6 out of 5 from me - We've gone off the scale!

Review- Waitrose Easter Panettone

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Snackmas Day 9- Arden & Amici Almond Ricciarelli

I have a bit of a proclivity for Italian Christmas goodies.. Don't get me wrong, I am more than happy to go down the German route and stuff myself silly with Lebkuchan and Stollen but Panettone and Panforte just do it for me like no other! It was during one of my regular saunters up Tescos' Festive aisle when I came across these Arden & Amici Almond Ricciarelli - A new one to me which I am almost certain weren't there last year! 

The bright yellow box of 6 cost a rather pricey £5 but they are currently on offer with £1 off so if you've been umming and ahhing, this could be your prime opportunity! 

Traditional Tuscan Ricciarelli made with ground almonds and decorated with icing sugar - Soft and chewy in the middle, with a melt in your mouth experience.. If you like marzipan, you'll love these!

Boy, did these smell amazing. The description was bang on - It was the comforting scent of almond and marzipan that can't help but remind you of Christmas. I cut through one of the Ricciarelli and it stayed put with next to nothing in the way of crumbs. These had a "solid" yet soft bite to them with a crumbly, chewy sort of texture which felt pleasantly grainy and sugary in the mouth. It is thanks to all these packed almonds that it also delivered in terms of flavour.. It was full on marzipan and nothing but! The Winter Wonderland layer of white icing sugar on top was the perfect finishing sweetness to what was one darn delicious Italian treat!

And this is why I want to move to Italy.. These Almond Ricciarelli from Arden & Amici are flawless! As it states on the box, if you like marzipan you will love these and I vehemently suggest you go buy some now. In fact, I will push you through the automatic doors of Tesco myself! Its a 4.5 out of 5 from me - If only there were more than 6 in a pack!

Snackmas Day 1- Traditional Italian Panettone Al Cioccolato

On the first day of Snackmas, John Lewis gave to me.. A giant Chocolate Panettone! Don't worry - I won't put you through that every single day but it did rhyme so I couldn't not have a sing song to start us off! They didn't give it to me either unfortunately - I purchased it with my own money for a rather pricey £15. 

A few words from the makers, Chiostro Di Saronno.. 

Panettone is the famous Italian Christmas Cake, created in Milano in the fourteenth century. The Panettone Al Cioccolato produced by Our Company is filled with chocolate cream and coated with chocolate and chocolate flakes. A spectacular centrepiece for the festive table. 

When they said Cioccolato, they really meant Cioccolato - The whole cake was covered, top to bottom! Sliding it out of its plastic wrapping was a messy job and a trail of smudged chocolate was left all over the table.. I managed to refrain from licking it off. 

Cutting myself a wedge, the knife went through sweet scented bread, a dream to reveal inside, the beautiful and surprisingly golden, yellow cakey Panettone goodness. The dough was light, airy and ridiculously bouncy to the touch which resulted in a beautiful melt in the mouth texture with a equally delicious rich, sweet buttery flavour - It felt very much freshly baked despite its long shelf life! Dotted throughout were big blobs of smooth chocolate cream which were cocoa rich with a European feel without the cheap boozyness, you can often find. On top was a thick layer of more chocolate and flakes that boosted the Cioccolato element even further - Sheer perfection.

Words cannot describe how amazing this Panettone is - Its the most soft, gooey, chocolatey and all round indulgent Italian Cake I've ever had.. And I've had a fair few so should know! Yes, it may seem expensive at £15 for 750g but it would make the perfect gift for anyone who you are unsure on what to get - We all know that food presents are the best and this is one you can get for both young and old.. I'll definitely be asking Santa for another! 

Panettone Al Cioccolato, All I Want For Christmas Is You - It's top marks for the first day of Snackmas, 5 out of 5!