Review- Tesco Finest Salted Caramel Cake

Another year, another birthday, another cake - It's the only good part of ageing.. Well aside from the presents obviously.. Who doesn't like presents? No one, that's who! 

I opted for something a tad "fancier" as my celebration sponge this time round, having eyed up the £10 Tesco Finest Cakes for months*. Swaying back and forth over whether the Red Velvet option should be the one.. Or Mocha.. Or Salted Caramel.. I eventually got a grip and settled on the latter and whacked it in my trolley, prior to speeding off so I couldn't change my mind for the 100th time. 

Indulgent toffee sponge filled with chocolate frosting and covered with a salted caramel buttercream, decorated with Belgian milk chocolate chips, fudge pieces and a salted caramel drizzle.

Designed to feed 14 as well as being suitable for vegetarians, the cake certainly looked the part with a swirly frosted top and not so expertly drizzled, drizzle.. But we can live with that.

Cutting with ease into neat slices, the sponge felt plenty soft with a decent/well proportioned layer of both the two fillings.. Not to mention, smelling absolutely divine! 

Ensuring I got a massive wodge, I got stuck in and was immediately greeted by deliciously sweet, buttery tones, just as its scent suggested. Super soft and tender, the 3 sponges were pretty decent texture wise, not dry in the slightest and provided the first whiff of caramel. This was only cranked up a gear by the smooth, thickly slathered buttercream which was sweet, naturally, but no overly sickly or cloying. The middle layer of chocolate, which I found to be more akin to a set custard than frosting, delivered a strong hit of cocoa and went a long way in helping diminish any potential overdose of sugar, but I did feel it took away from the overall caramel flavour.. Well, that was until hitting the drizzled sauce upon top which oozed salted, toffee flavour and even a lingering, pleasant saline aftertaste! A final measly scattering of fudge and chocolate hardly contributed any flare but if one was lucky enough to get some on their piece, there would be no complaints! YUM.

Overall, this Tesco Finest Salted Caramel Cake is a sheer delight. It's been executed superbly, tastes mouthwateringly good and delivers on the promised and oh so important, salted caramel aspect.. Even if only the case in the sauce opposed to the buttercream! If you've got a Birthday coming up (Or just a cake!) I highly recommend you opt for one of these beauties - I am sure Mum would be thrilled with one for Mother's Day come the 26th also! It's a 4.5 out of 5 from me. 

*Not to mention the fact that I've somehow managed to exhaust all that Asda have to offer - Including last years almighty Flake Cake! 

Snackmas Day 21- M&S Merry Molten Truffles ft. Salted Caramel Fudge Log

We're on the home straight now.. Christmas is only a few short days away! Eek! I trust by now you are all completely organised with the food in, presents wrapped and not a single ounce of impending doom lurking in your panicked subconscious.. No? Well, breathe.. Calm yourselves.. Sit and have a chocolate with me. 

Clementine flavoured milk chocolate truffles dusted with icing sugar and white and milk chocolate truffles dusted with icing sugar and freeze dried cranberries. 

Truth be told, these Merry Molten Truffles might actually be not what you want if you are running around in a flap.. But to get out for a get together or a stocker stuffer, yes, yes! The 185g tray of half Cranberry & White and half Clementine & Milk Chocolate Truffles cost £4 and are peachy-keen for the vegetarians to consume. 

Designed to go into the oven to achieve their "molten" namesake, I preheated my fan oven to 140ºC and whacked a few balls on a tray for the recommended 3 minutes. Much to my astonishment, the spheres came out perfectly, albeit with slightly cracked shells. 

L-R Cranberry & White Choc, Clementine & Milk Choc 

Now isn't that a glorious? - Melty, ooey gooey to the max! Starting with the Cranberry & White Choc, the outside had a thin, crisp texture, not all to dissimilar to that of a Cadbury Mini Egg with a very much sweet taste, thanks to both the shell itself and the smooth white chocolate, and the flavour balancing addition of a pop of tartness from the cranberries. An ever so slightly warm, liquid pool of milky yet cocoa rich chocolate hide in the centre, complimenting the previous elements and generally feeling very much indulgent. Moving onto the Truffle that I expect will appeal to the most people.. Clementine & Milk Choc! Once again, a good, satisfying crunch came from the ball with the same whiff of powdered sugary sweetness before hitting a pleasantly orange tang within - Not overpoweringly citrus or identifiable as the taste of actual Clementines but delicious nevertheless. As one can probably imagine, this went superbly with the silky chocolate, producing Chocolate Orange vibes.. But for the far more sophisticated "grown up"! It's a 4 out of 5 from me. 

Salted Caramel Fudge Log

Oo it's an added extra and one, let's face it, that I was never not going to buy - I just love me some fudge! Priced at £2.50, this 146g Salted Caramel Log is also veggie friendly and rather unfortunately, designed to be sliced and shared.. Opposed to bitten by oneself and scoffed ferociously like the animals, I know you all to be.

Milk chocolate (22%) covered fudge with toffee pieces (3%) and a salted caramel core (5%), decorated with dark chocolate. 

I wasn't quite sure what to do with the thing once out of it's packet. Perhaps you could present it on a fancy plate or board rather than a heathen piece of kitchen towel like I did.. Not that I think that took away from its beauty - Check out the chunkiness!  

Holy moly, what a sight to behold.. This has to be some of M&S's finest work here, surely with the Log cutting beautifully to reveal a trio of golden colours - A thick surrounding coating, the promised core and a dense fudge centre. Soft, squidgy and malleable rather than the rock solid, "gritty" variety, the aforementioned itself was nothing but creamy with oodles of vanilla and naturally, extremely sweet! Adding further to this although not being too much at all, the caramel aspect was equally as divine delivering further buttery, sugary tones.. But not salted in the slightest from what I could tell! A real hit of cocoa came from the chocolate which I have to admit, I feared would let down the lot but surprisingly enough, I was proved wrong and only helped cut through whilst providing a good velvety texture broken up by the toffee nibs, to match. Amazing - A 4.5 out of 5.

Overall, both of these chocolate-y offerings from M&S have floated my boat big time! The Merry Molten Truffles are scrummy, not to mention a great novelty and will make a fabulous addition to any stocking or if you're looking to switch it up, great fun for a party - Maybe only a sit down do however otherwise you'll discover a trail of chocolate all over your carpet, upholstery and comatose-d Grandad*, later on. As for the Salted Caramel Fudge Log.. I don't even care that it isn't salted. Go get one. 

*Also, don't give him one that hasn't been in the oven - Any teeth he does have remaining won't thank you.

Snackmas Day 19- Tesco Finest Bombes: Salted Caramel & Chocolate Brioche

Yes, the Victoria Plum & Damson was loathsome.. And the Kir Royale almost had me in tears.. But the Toffee & Pecan was lovely.. So here are, perhaps foolishly, 2 more puddings that Tesco have to offer! 

Purchased at same time as the beast of Snackmas Day 7, these Salted Caramel and Chocolate Brioche Bombes are half the size at 227g and priced at £2.50 a pop.. Although you might be lucky and get them on a 2 for £4 deal as I did. 

Following the instructions of piercing the plastic film ferociously with a fork and microwaving (Steam it for 30 mins if you're a carefree Comet) for about a minute, I zapped the puddings separately and left them to stand for the advised 1 minute prior to having the annual breakdown over getting the lid off and turning them upside down onto a plate - It just doesn't budge! I don't know how the elderly are meant to get into these things! 

Salted Caramel Bombe

That's not right, is it?

Oh.. Bugger.

All butter sponge pudding with salted caramel pieces and salted caramel sauce. 

Nice to see those instructions were foolproof, Tesco! I squished the sad, stuck to the pot piece back on top and grabbed a spoon. Despite lacking any decent amount of sauce, the super stodgy sponge was generally extremely sweet and cloying but had no flavour itself with zero in terms of buttery tones to break things up. A pinch of salt may have come through at the end but that was by no means enough to save such a pathetic excuse for a dessert. It's a 0 out 5 from me!*

Chocolate Brioche Bombe

Miraculously, this Pudding came out of the tub in its whole domed glory - It looked quite cute really!

All butter chocolate sponge pudding with brioche, Belgian chocolate pieces and Belgian chocolate ganache sauce. 

Once again, the sauce was hardly in abundance but I do think a tad more generous to the above.. Ish. Unfortunately, that was where the positives came to a close. Possessing the flavour of cardboard, the brioche sponge was lighter but had no real taste and was ridiculously claggy to the point of being all to easy to get stuck in ones throat. The chocolate aspect was equally as yucky, leaving a film in the mouth and tasting like the standard, cheap sauce found in most microwave puds rather than the thick, rich indulgence it should have been! Another 0 out of 5. 

I must be a glutton for punishment or something. These Tesco Finest Bombes are a waste of money, waste of calories and I am pretty sure, will ruin any Christmas Dinner. If you really are intent, for whatever reason, on giving them a go I recommend custard by the bucketful and to seriously toss up which is worse.. A sugar rush and diabetes from the Salted Caramel or playing the Heimlich manoeuvre dummy in the Nativity whilst a rogue chunk of the Chocolate Brioche is lodged in your gullet. I hope A&E isn't too busy.. For your sake. 

*Gluten Free-ers, there's a Butt to assist you. 

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

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

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

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

Salted Caramel Protein-Bombz

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

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

Coconut Flapjack

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

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

Raspberry Nutri-Bitz

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

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

Toffee Apple Nutri-Bitz

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

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

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

Review- Asda NEW Spreads: Dark Chocolate & Mint and Salted Caramel Chocolate

Today's review should have been yesterdays review. I had my Thursday all planned out - Go to Asda for NEW Spreads, buy NEW Spreads, eat NEW Spreads, post review on Friday of NEW Spreads.. But this turned out to all be in folly. Not only was the entire store evacuated and my shopping abandoned but then my car broke down.. In the carpark.. Where I waited for a serial oversharer of an RAC man. Pure joy. 

So considering I left empty handed on the NEW Spread front and £90 poorer thanks to my car giving up the ghost, I made a special trip on this sunny Saturday and finally got my hands on the Dark Chocolate & Mint and Salted Caramel Chocolate varieties, both priced at £1.50 each and weighing in at the standard 400g. 

Dark chocolate and mint flavour spread and Caramel & chocolate flavour spread with sea salt. 

Dark Chocolate & Mint

Starting with the jar I was most excited about and a question.. Why has a Mint Choc Spread never been a thing until now?! I've certainly not seen such a thing before. Unscrewing the lid and the familiar "After Eight-esque" scent was clear from first whiff and I got stuck in, in my traditional manner of spooning straight from the jar. Very soft and silky smooth texture wise, the dark chocolate gave off plenty of coca rich tones and was by no means as sweet as the usual milk variety used. The mint proved to deliver with an almost tongue tingling, refreshing feel but wasn't as anywhere near as potent as an After Eight.. But plenty enough for a Spread! Delicious - A 4.5 out of 5 from me. 

Salted Caramel Chocolate

Moving onto the Salted Caramel and a second question.. Was it actually going to be salted?! Having a scoop, the buttery smelling spread, definitely had a much thicker texture to above but still velvety. Taste wise, the milk chocolate, albeit pleasant enough was fairly sweet and generic with the tones of toffee/caramel coming through nicely with a smidgen of salt to cut through. This prevented things from becoming overly sickly and even MSW who isn't usually a fan of caramel things, found it enjoyable. A nice balance - It's a 4 out of 5 from me. 

Success! These NEW Mint Choc and Salted Caramel Spreads were worth the wait - I can find very little fault with the first, apart from, I would have liked some minty nibs mixed in for that added bit of crunch.. And the latter, well a higher quality of milk chocolate would have bumped up the marks but I do appreciate how it isn't too sweet or too salty - Talk about being fussy, right? I want salted but not overly salted.. At least Asda have managed to deliver here! Get yourself down to your local store and give both a go. Enjoy your weekend! 

Review- Krispy Kreme NEW: Smores, Maple Crunch, Chocolate Firecracker and Salted Caramel Cheesecake ft. Glazed Kreme

Today was abysmal. It was the start of the working week and it was wet - Possibly the two worst things if like me, rainy days and Mondays always get you down. One little perk however was the fact that NEW Krispy Kreme were in town - Huzzah! Naturally, I got one of each flavour from my local Tesco Cabinet and couldn't wait to get stuck in.

KK seem to have upped their game and veered away from the mundane, plain options with 3 fairly out there flavours: Smores, Chocolate Firecracker and Maple Crunch, along with a NEW and improved, Salted Caramel Cheesecake. Priced at £1.90 a pop (Tesco currently have 2, assorted 3 boxes for £8) and knowing for a fact that the Smores is Veggie friendly*, there really is something to tickle everyone with this quartet. 

Smores

Hand pumped with mallow filling, dipped in milk chocolate coating, decorated with mini marshmallow, shortcake crumble and white chocolate drizzle.

Starting with the doughnut that I and I expect a lot of people will be most excited about.. The Smores! Crackling and tumbling on first cut, it both smelt and looked absolutely amazing with a pure white centre. Taste wise, the silky smooth yet sticky aforementioned seriously delivered in terms of pure marshmallow that was uncanny to mini marshmallows rather than jarred "Fluff" - You really couldn't mistake it for anything other! The dough itself was up to the usual KK standard in being plump and fluffy with the signature sweet flavour with a toping of decent enough milk chocolate adding some cocoa tones and a bit of crunch from the sprinkled extras. It's a 4 out of 5 from me. 

Maple Crunch

Our signature ring doughnut hand dipped in maple icing and sprinkled with maple flavour crunch and a sparkle of gold dust. 

Moving onto the Maple which genuinely almost made me heave - The aroma was of celery. Potent celery! Hesitating greatly, I sheepishly took a bite.. And shock horror, I was mowed down by the yucky and artificial taste that I am still presuming to be a salad vegetable rather than the glorious, pancake topping, Canadian tree sap. Sadly, I didn't actually get to the actual doughnut part but it seemed to be like a doughnut - A big fat 0 out of 5.. It would have been a 0.1 if there had been some gold dust! 

Chocolate Firecracker

Filled with chocolate truffle Kreme, dipped in chilli infused chocolate icing and topped with gold stars.

I don't know about you but when I first heard Firecracker, I thought "Ooh.. It's going to be popping candy in a doughnut!". Boy, was I wrong - It's chilli! Who puts chilli in a doughnut?! Crazy KK clearly! Once again, slicing in half wasn't a problem with zero toughness but plenty of softness and slightly more bizarrely, a floral scent. Inside was an abundance of somewhat curdled kreme which despite not looking all that appealing did taste nice and chocolatey. The heat of chilli from the icing was unmissable with a tongue tingling sensation which was not to my liking whatsoever but I did appreciate the ever so slight, raspberry flavour from the red icing to cut through.. Whether this was meant to be the case or not, I am unsure as the description mentions nothing of the sort! It's a 3 out of 5 from me!

Salted Caramel Cheesecake

Hand dipped in cheesecake icing, filled with salted caramel and vanilla cheesecake, topped with crunchy biscuit and salted caramel pieces finished with a salted caramel drizzle. 

Last up.. The Salted Caramel number which I was interested to see how would fair as the Lemon version earlier in the year, had improved. My little bubble was burst upon discovering some KK monkey had failed to put any vanilla cheesecake inside! Thankfully, the blob of caramel wasn't measly but still.. It ain't ever going to be cheesecake with no cheesecake! Tasting extremely like a buttery toffee with a good saline kick, the sauce made the perfect accompaniment for the soft fluffy dough with extra sugary goodness from the set, cracked topping - Not particularly cheesecake in flavour but nice enough. A 2.5 out of 5! 

Blimey. It's a Doughnut.. Disaster? Well, the Smores is a keeper and I can quite easily see myself buying a few of them whilst they are around but the others? Maple Crunch needs to be banned, entire stock and ingredients incarcerated and then banned again. The Chocolate Firecracker may woo the chilli fanatics but I would like popping candy please.. And stars on top! ..AND the Salted Caramel Cheesecake obviously needs cheesecake. Perhaps KK have tried to be too adventurous and taken on to much but it is really not on to be chucking out half-arsed products.. They cost enough and shouldn't be sloppy! 

Just to make their workload even more strenuous for themselves, the jolly chaps at Krispy Kreme have also decided to run a Throwback campaign which we all "voted" on with Powdered Blueberry winning.. But of course, the contest was too close to call and all entrants will be making an appearance for 2 weeks each.

Glazed Kreme

Our glazed doughnut filled with light and fluffy Kreme filling. 

It's the Glazed Kreme to kick things off! Extremely sticky on the outside thanks to a water icing glaze, the doughnut left a visible puddle of semi dissolved sugar which was pretty much a nightmare to get off the table! The dough aspect was hugely superior to the previous 4 (Despite none lacking or being poor) the spring and aerated texture was, I think the best I have ever had from a KK. As for the filling, it was also sheer perfection with a light, whipped feel and super sweet, vanilla flavour. A 4.5 out of 5 from me!

For anyone interested, this is the order of Throwback Doughnuts to come:
Powdered Blueberry - 19th September
Cruller - 3rd October
Pumpkin Spiced - 17th October 

And for anyone still reading.. I now feel a bit sick. Hop on over to NibsnScribs for a totally different take on todays newbies and have a lovely evening! 

*Apparently all KK are Vegetarian? Who knew. 

Review- Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Sticky Toffee Pudding

Sticky Toffee Pudding is an all year round dessert, right? I see no reason why something so delightful should be limited to the winter months.. The sun appears to have seen August coming and done a disappearing act in exchange for rain anyways so I say, now is as good as time as any to indulge! 

It was Sainsbury's where I bought my 450g, Taste the Difference Sticky Toffee dessert, currently on offer at £3.. I haven't tried any of their "premium" puds before but the selection is vast and they all looked mighty tasty so it's worth a browse if you're a newbie like me! 

All butter and Delget Nour date sponge pudding with a sea salt toffee sauce and decorated with whole Delget Nour dates. 

Designed to feed 4, the Veggie friendly and freezable treat got a slightly bit smoshed in transit - I was pretty lucky not to lose all the sauce considering the thing was practically upside down by the time I got home! I chose not to heat mine up in the oven or microwave out of the fear of it having the horrible "nuked" sponge pudding taste and texture but if hot things float your boat.. Go for it*. 

How good does the golden toffee look? That thick, gooey texture would be lost to a liquid puddle had I heated it! Taking a forkful, the sponge proved to be light and soft despite its chilled state with zero in terms of stodge and beautifully buttery in flavour. I found the date aspect not to be all that overpowering as the main taste was nothing short of full on toffee! - Not to dissimilar to Werther's Originals in taste, the abundance of sauce added oodles of sweetness, felt silky smooth in the mouth and generally, something I could eat by the bucketful given the chance! The date on top was a substantial finishing touch being soft and squidgy, adding further to the toffee tones and almost feeling like a treat itself - Yum!

Well, I for one am very pleased I stumbled across this Sticky Toffee Pudding in Sainsbury's - It's absolutely smashing and without a shadow of a doubt, the best supermarket bought version of the classic dessert, I've ever had! Serve with ice cream or custard and you'll be on to a winner.. It's a 4.5 out of 5 from me. 

*Heat at 160ºC fan oven for 25 minutes or zap in the microwave for 2.. Or appreciate the full flavour by having it cold with hot custard.. I promise you, it's the way forward! 

Review- Lily O'Brien's NEW Irresistibly Milk: Malted Chocolate and Caramel Crunch

I'm always on the look out for NEW chocolate to try.. Although it seems that the same flavours can be seen throughout all brands and it tends to just be a case of picking your favourite. Today's review is no different with the not particular unique, Malted Chocolate and Caramel Crunch Irresistibly Milk. 

My Buddy-Chum, Admiral Burger was the one to bring these Bars (Albeit he had the Salted Caramel) to my attention.. Given that I hadn't tried Lily O'Brien's previously, I figured why not and bought both in Asda for £2 each. Containing no artificial colours or flavours, the chocolate is suitable for Vegetarians whilst containing 30% cocoa and 20% milk solids, respectively. 

Shiny, paper backed gold foil wrapped each bar which gave a bit of a luxurious feel - In my opinion, Chocolate should always be wrapped in the stuff! 

Malted Chocolate Crunch

Slip into the luxurious silk of creamy milk chocolate that slowly melts into the sweetness of mellow malt crisp. 

Starting with the Malted, at first I was a little confused - It smelt of booze but not beer as you might expect.. More of a liqueur! Scanning the ingredients, none seemed to be listed so I gingerly took a bite and immediately concluded that it also tasted a lot like alcohol! I couldn't put my finger on what boozy beverage exactly but definitely something I've had before and I can only assume in a confectionary. Thankfully, this did develop into something chocolatey but with very little in terms of malt which was disappointing given the quantity of crunchy pieces. The booze flavour sort of faded the more I ate but overall was only alright, mostly weird and certainly not creamy or mellow! - A 2 out of 5 from me! 

Caramel Crunch

Melt into intensely creamy milk chocolate and surrender to a savoury-sweet burst of golden caramel scattered with Atlantic salt crystals. 

Moving onto the Caramel and my hopes weren't exactly high - The chunks smelt a lot like cheap calendar chocolate.. And to my horror, tasted a bit like it too! Semi chocolatey although not super rich or high quality, it did have a nice smooth, melting texture and wasn't unbearable by any means but it definitely felt as though something was missing flavour wise. Was it the caramel? Perhaps as I can't say any was particularly distinguishable! One thing that couldn't be missed and was essentially like a train to the face.. The salt! - Huge gritty crystals ran throughout which was a nice contrast to the sweet at first.. But sadly short lived as once the chocolate had melted, I was left with a mouthful of overly saline nibs which made me feel nothing but icky! Not great - A 1.5 out of 5. 

From boozy to salty.. These Lily O'Brien's Malted Chocolate and Caramel Crunch Bars are such a let down! I was expecting so much more given the hefty price tag and "premium" appearance but have been left with a bitter taste in my mouth.. Quite literally! I definitely won't be buying again and suggest you steer clear also.. Don't you be lured in by those glossy descriptions.. They're lies, I tell you - LIES. 

Review- Krispy Kreme NEW Lotus Billionaire and Lotus White Choc & Raspberry

Monday was what I like to call, KK Day - That special start to the week, only occurring once in a while* where the almighty Krispy Kreme release their NEW Doughnuts. This time the offerings weren't so "ingenious" but an extension to the already existing and bloomin' marvellous Lotus Caramelised Biscoff.. We've got Lotus Billionaire and Lotus White Choc & Raspberry! 

I didn't actually have any intention to buy into this duo given that the Original Biscoff should never, ever be messed with.. But MSW came home with them and I wasn't about to say no. Priced at the usual £1.90 a pop, the Doughnuts were noticeable smaller than other KK which seems a bit cheeky to me! - I'll definitely be keeping my eye on the Tesco Cabinets to see if this shrinkage discrepancy can be seen throughout the range or whether ours were just duffs. 

Lotus Billionaire

Filled with rich salted caramel, hand dipped in Lotus Biscoff spread & topped with dark chocolate shavings, Lotus Biscoff crumb and a sprinkle of gold dust. 

I appeared to have all shavings and very little dust on my Billionaire - It practically took over the dinky Doughnut.. Never mind that though, look at the golden puddle of a filling! Starting with the dough itself.. I can't fault it - Soft and supple with the signature flavour, there was nothing not to love. The oozing, runny, sticky caramel was also sheer perfection in being buttery, toffee like and the all important SALTED! I expected nothing but the usual, mediocre stuff but I was point blank wrong! - It was just the right amount of saline to compliment the sweet and went superbly with the spread topping along with crumb which naturally, tasted identical to the Original Lotus Doughnut. As for the dark chocolate shavings, they too delivered in terms of rich cocoa tones and were by far the best I've experienced from KK who's chocolate more often than not, leaves quite a bit to be desired. It's a 4.5 out of 5 from me! 

Lotus White Choc & Raspberry

A raspberry jam & kreme filling infused with Lotus Biscoff, dipped in white chocolate and topped with Biscoff crumb, white chocolate and raspberry pieces. 

Onto the fruity option which naturally, I had extremely high hopes for after the shocker of a brilliant, Billionaire. Similarly to above, both the texture was spot on along with the flavour as well as a packed filling. Biting through the fluffy dough, the white chocolate topping cracked and ended up everywhere but tasted lovely and sweet and creamy - Not many raspberry pieces though which was a a shame! The whipped Kreme centre which was combined with a well proportioned blob of thick jam was super creamy, fruity and together, uncanny in taste to Raspberry Ripple Ice Cream! The Biscoff crumbs on top were just enough to give a whiff of Lotus without ruining what was essentially already exemplary. Another 4.5 out of 5 from me! 

Wow. Some serious game uppage from Krispy Kreme has just occured here.. These NEW Lotus Billionaire and Lotus White Choc & Raspberry have to be the best release since the Original Lotus Caramelised Biscoff! - I don't know why I ever doubted them and more importantly, why they weren't the Christmas Doughnuts.. They would have been ideal! My only qualm is the questionable size but other than that, I can find very little fault and can see myself easily consuming dozens before they disappear.. They just need to be part of the permanent range really! Don't you dare let down the team and fall from grace, KK.. We're** watching you. 

*Sometimes weeks, sometimes months, sometimes forever and a day. 

**"We're" being myself and the NibsnScribs - Go read her review! She's snazzy!

Snackmas Day 24- Tesco Finest Cookies

One More Sleep, folks - One more sleep until Santa Claus Is Coming to Town! Who's excited? I'm excited! I don't know about you but the build up to the 25th has always been my favourite and there is no happier day of the year than Christmas Eve!

Since we are intent on Keeping the Dream Alive here on R4R.. Cookies for Santa will most definitely be being left out tonight and what better way to spoil him than with 6 of the Finest that Tesco have to offer - Salted Caramel & Chocolate, White Chocolate, Cranberry & Pistachio, Quadruple Chocolate, Fruity Flapjack, Maple Syrup & Pecan and Dark Chocolate Ginger. I realise, you can't put a price on Santa but these do cost £1.59 a pop with 8 Cookies per box. 

Salted Caramel & Choc and White Choc, Cranberry & Pistachio

L-R- All butter cookies with milk chocolate chunks and caramel fudge pieces and All butter cookies with Belgian white chocolate, cranberries and pistachio nuts. 

Salted Caramel & Choc

I appeared to pick a bad Cookie to start with as these really weren't good. Texture wise, it was more like a crunchy Maryland Biscuit than anything else with a flavour that was of caramel but really artificial. I couldn't taste any sort of chocolate but a bland creaminess was most apparent which made them quite sickly. The salted part was redundant as usual, just to twist the knife that little bit further. A 1 out of 5 from me. 

White Choc, Cranberry & Pistachio

Up next a Christmas classic combo! Once again. the texture was more of a biscuit but no where near as crisp as above and much more buttery in flavour. Big fruity chunks of cranberry were present in each Cookie which although were pleasant, I do think would have been better if they were a bit smaller and more evenly, distributed. The pistachios weren't exactly identifiable but a nuttiness did linger but sadly, the white chocolate wasn't anywhere in sight. A 2 out of 5 from me.

Quad Choc and Fruity Flapjack

L-R- All butter quadruple Belgian chocolate chip cookies half coated in milk chocolate and All butter cookies with sultanas, coconut, apricot, hazelnut, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds. 

Quad Choc 

At first, I was a little annoyed with this packet.. Quality Control had obviously taken a break when in production as 1 of my cookies looked like it had been half eaten! I made a cup of tea to get over it and got dunking. These were amazing - Very chocolatey and rich in taste with big chunks of milk as well as sweeter white chocolate running throughout. Extremely moreish and almost perfection - 4 out of 5 from me! 

Fruity Flapjack

Anything oaty, I am sold and these certainly didn't disappoint - They tasted homemade, would you believe it? A soft bite with a super chewy texture, the buttery flavour which was slightly salted which paired perfectly with a sweet syrupyness and subtle coconut in the background. The seeds added a nice crunch and almost nutty flavour with the sultanas and dried apricot adding a gummyness. A big 4.5 out of 5 from me! 

Maple Syrup & Pecan

L-R- All butter pieces with pecan nut and maple syrup and Stem ginger cookies fully coated in Belgian dark chocolate. 

Maple Syrup & Pecan

I have no idea how many recipes Tesco has on the go as these Cookies had a completely different texture to both the first "plain" Salted Caramel and White Choc versions - Very Bizarre! I would say these were the hardest of the lot and not just because of the pecans which were few and far between! Taste wise, maple syrup didn't really come to mind but popcorn sure did - It was uncanny to the sort you get at the cinema with a slight nuttiness. Not bad, but not really its namesake - A 3 out of 5.

Dark Chocolate Ginger

Last but by no means least is the spicy Cookies which really weren't all that spicy.. The heat was extremely mild and nothing compared to a Gingernut. These had a nice crisp bite which would dissolve on the tongue with chewy pieces of crystallised ginger throughout. The dark chocolate which coated the entire thing was nice and rich and went well with the not so fiery but still pleasant flavour. Another 3 out of 5 from me!

Well these are a bit of a mixed bag.. We started with rubbish in the form of the Salted Caramel and White Choc, things improved dramatically with the Quad Choc and Fruity Flapjack and then we came back to semi happy medium with the Maple Syrup and Dark Choc Ginger - Tesco is all over the place! I am thinking on that basis, I better leave out the middle duo for Santa to munch on to ensure I get a big present come tomorrow morning.. Tactics and all that. 

Enjoy the rest of your Christmas Eve and I'll be back later, to tuck you in with a Snackmas roundup!