Review- Lindt Lindor Spring Collection: Milk, Coconut, Stracciatella and Strawberries & Cream

Continuing with the Easter theme and persistent mentioning of Blogging buddies.. Mrs 1T also included these Spring Collection Lindt Lindor Eggs in the very lovely parcel she sent me a few weeks ago. Having read her shining review of the Milk, White & Dark Irresistible Smooth, I was pretty much excited to give this variation a go! 

Milk & white chocolate eggs with assorted filling 

I am not 100% sure where this Spring Collection can be purchased as I haven't seen them in my home away from home, Tesco but I don't expect they should be to hard to find in the supermarkets - A lot of Lindt does seem to be floating about at the minute!

The box contained 14 individually foil wrapped eggs in which 5 were Milk and 3 each of the Coconut, Stracciatella and Strawberries & Cream. 

L-R Milk, Strawberries & Cream, Coconut, Stracciatella 

Do feel free to face plant the screen of your Tech - No one should resist such glorious looking chocolate! Starting with the Milk, it had the standard Lindt scent that we all know and love with a almost cold feel once having cracked through the shell to reveal the very creamy, silky smooth, rich chocolatey taste within - Perfection! Up next was the Strawberries & Cream - I was slightly concerned that I wasn't going to like this one given how I think the Lindor Balls of the very same flavour taste both artificial and medicinal but thankfully, I had nothing to worry about here.. Very sweet due to the white chocolate with an unmissable strawberry kick from the melt in the mouth, baby pink centre, these eggs were delightful and nothing like the aforementioned! Thirdly and perhaps the one I was the most excited about - Coconut! Once again, the shell had a good snap to it and cocoa flavour which paired perfectly with the pure hit of pure tropical goodness of creamy, heavenly coconut. Last but by no means least, was the Stracciatella with its vanilla-y tones from possibly the best white chocolate known to man, velvety inner with a contrasting crunch from the milk chocolate pieces running throughout the shell. Delicious! 

Overall, this Spring Collection of Lindor Eggs is as expected.. Wonderful! Nothing seems to come close to the quality of Lindt Chocolate - Each here is full of flavour, has a fantastic melt and is dangerously moreish. I highly recommend you treat yourself to some or perhaps sweet talk Mrs 1T into buying you a box! It's a 4.5 out of 5 from me.  

Review- M&S NEW Red Velvet Valentine's Cupcakes

It's Valentine's Day on Sunday! Ooh, ahh, ee - Exciting times! I trust you have all gotten or at least will be getting something for your loved one - Nothing conveys ones affection quite like a nice bunch of flowers, a balloon and chocolates after all! Naturally, I always gravitate towards the latter of edible gifts so thought I would get into the lovey dovey spirit of it all by buying myself the NEW Red Velvet Valentine's Cupcakes from M&S.. Since no one else is going to. Clearly. 

The red and pink, love heart decorated box of 2 cost £2 with each cake weighing in at a rather dinky 75g. I ventured all the way to the bakery section to pick these up but I have been in several stores which have a Valentine's display at the front of the shop so they won't be hard to miss!

2 chocolate and vanilla sponge cupcakes filled with milk chocolate sauce, topped with cream cheese frosting. 

The entire time from first spotting these to when I got home, I was a unsure about how little frosting there was but I think there was some sort of optical illusion going on as it transpired that once out of the box, the proportion of the two was pretty much equal! 

Cutting the sponge in half, it wasn't the light texture I had hoped for with more of a madeira feel than a soft and fluffy cake.. Although it was not dry in the slightest. Taking a bite of the creamy smelling treat, I am sad to report that Red Velvet certainly didn't hit me. There was none of the signature taste you find in such a cake with the sponge tasting more like a generic semi sort of chocolate but at the same time, not really of much at all. The centre of sauce was fairly generous given the size overall but once again, the flavour didn't live up to my expectations - It felt very much cheap with 0 in the way of rich cocoa tones. As for the frosting, there was plenty of it with a good thick texture but it was extremely sweet and could easily have passed as a buttercream as the tang just wasn't there. Very disappointing! 

Overall, these NEW Red Velvet Valentine's Cupcakes aren't great - The trio of elements aren't repulsive by any means, they just don't taste of an awful lot and all in all, are a poor excuse for their delicious namesake! I say, skip these, your lover won't appreciate them and stick with the flowers, a decent box of chocolates and the balloon.. The balloon is key, trust me! It's a 2 out of 5 today. 

Review- Tesco Finest Hot Cross Buns: Extra Fruity and Bramley Apple & Cinnamon

Easter may be a whole month away but in my house, that doesn't prevent us from buying Hot Cross Buns as soon as they hit the shops - We do like them an awful lot and get through packets and packets! Nowadays you seem to be able to get a smorgasbord of different flavours.. I've seen Cherry ones, St Clement, Ginger, Toffee, Chocolate, Mocha - You name it, you can pretty much get it! 

Some say we are boring but we say we are traditional when it comes to the humble Hot Cross Bun. I picked up these tame Finest offerings from Tesco on a 2 for £2 deal - Extra Fruity and Bramley Apple & Cinnamon.. Oo exotic! 

Extra Fruity

Packed with plump orange juice-soaked raisins, sultanas and Chilean flame raisins. With a touch of honey. 

Extra fruity, plump dried fruit? Hell yes - The bun was packed as you can see! Soft and squidgy, the dough itself was the perfect texture and wasn't remotely dry with pieces of fruit running throughout. The signature taste of the well loved Easter treat was very much apparent with its subtle spice and citrus-y notes from the peel as well as the juice. I personally couldn't taste any honey but naturally, there was a sweetness with a super sticky exterior to match. Sheer perfection - A 4 out of 5 from me. 

Bramley Apple & Cinnamon

Made with Kentish Bramley candied apple, juicy sultanas and spiced with cinnamon.

Moving on to the "exotic" option.. Once again, the Hot Cross Bun was packed to the brim with both plump, squidgy dried fruit as well as apple pieces - Although these claimed to be candied, I found them to be much softer than a citrus peel and would have just assumed they were just chunks of the fruit. The warmth of cinnamon paired with the apple went perfectly together and had a very much Autumnal/Christmassy feel which not so surprisingly was a match made in heaven to all the other elements of the melt in the mouth, springy, moist bun. Another 4 out of 5! 

See, it pays not to break from tradition! These Tesco Finest Hot Cross Buns are very enjoyable indeed and far superior to any supermarket regular line, I've ever had - You don't even need to toast or smother them in butter (Although I understand if you do feel the need) because they are perfect as is! I highly recommend you hop on down to Tesco, buy both now and maybe keep your eyes peeled for the Hot Cross Scones of last year for me, as they were superb.. And I am still in denial over the fact they are no longer doing them. Boo. 

Review- The Buttermilk Confectionary Company Indulgent Irish Cream Fudge

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

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

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

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

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

Review- The Chocolate Smith's Bacon Bizarre

My old mucker Kev AKA Butty knows how to treat people. He very kindly and slightly absurdly sent me this Bacon Bizarre by The Chocolate Smith's, to give a whirl - I do like chocolate and I do like bacon.. But the two together? I'm worried. 

Bacon and chocolate come together - at last! - as the ultimate sweet and savoury combination. It's wrong, but oh so right. 

Since Kev really is the King of Snack Finds, I haven't a clue where he bought this Bar from - Perhaps he hand made it himself in Northumbria.. It wouldn't surprise me, you can't put anything past the man. 

I ended up breaking most of the chocolate in hope of finding a piece with lots of crispy bacon bits showing but as you can see, my efforts were clearly folly. The bar smelt of bacon.. Artificial bacon - I wasn't looking forward to trying it. As I half expected, it tasted pretty damn disgusting. The chocolate itself wasn't all that bad with a decent melt and creamy taste but this was only until the overpowering flavour of fake bacon kicked in. It really was full on and no word of a lie, tasted like The Laughing Cow Bacon Dippers - I could actually taste the cheese part, it was that vile! A horrible sort of smoky, all round revolting aftertaste lingered which just finished things off perfectly, of course - YUCK. 

I always knew Kev was bonkers, but seriously.. WHAT WAS HE THINKING? This Bacon Bizarre is quite possibly the most repulsive chocolate bar I have ever eaten - I'm not sure it's even worthy of being called one! Nothing about it is right and the fact it's suitable for veggies baffles me - Can any non meat-eater ever be so desperate for the stuff, they would be willing to go down this route? Someone explain it to me. Sorry Kev but your gift game seriously needs to be upped - It's a 0 out of 5 from me!

Review- McDonald's UK NEW Bacon Clubhouse Burger

Fast Food doesn't feature much here on R4R.. Despite the KFC Med Bites of last summer being a very popular post and not to mention the fact I, like so many others, am addicted. Legitimately addicted! I've been good recently but broke all that today for the NEW Burger on the block.. The Bacon Clubhouse! 

Of course, Burger Lad was the first to announce that this most sought after, McDonald's item was finally coming to the UK - His little Principle Burger Critic, Admiral Burgerbar (Go follow him - He's brilliantly barmy, enjoys a sing song and usually three sheets to the wind) actually reviewed the Belgium version in 2014 and was so impressed, it ended up being the number 1 pick on BL McDonald's Wish List.

100% British and Irish beef burger with Big Mac sauce, cheddar cheese, Beechwood smoked bacon, Batavia lettuce, tomato and grilled onions in a toasted Brioche-style bun. 

So what is so exciting about the Bacon Clubhouse? Well, it is the only Burger on the menu to contain Big Mac Sauce other than.. You've guessed it, the Big Mac itself! Now, I hate to go and burst the bubble but said Burger has never really done it for me and I think throughout the years, they have gradually tasted worse and worse.. I know that many of you will now be revolting and wishing me harm but personal preference and all that - Lets all stay friends here.  

In classic Mcdonald's fashion and as you can see in the second picture, my Burger did look a bit thrown together but that was ok - The melted cheese looked very appealing and it only took a little budge to put things semi straight before taking a big old bite. Starting from the outside, the Brioche bun had been slightly toasted as promised with a super soft and fluffy interior - A most welcome change to the usual offerings which can sometimes be a bit cardboardy, dare I say. A hell of a lot was crammed in between the halves - The beef patty, which I am sure is the same one used in the Big Tasty, was most enjoyable, tasted of actual meat and as expected, was wonderful with the mild cheese. A slight smokiness was apparent from the rashers of bacon which was all that was needed as anything stronger probably would have ruined the lot! Lettuce was in abundance and thankfully, not limp or looked like leftovers and as for the tomato, it tasted fresh and was very soft in texture - Something I always appreciate! Now, all that was smashing but the real star of the show was of course, the Big Mac Sauce! Although I wish there had been a little more, it packed a punch with its distinct flavour and was a wonderful accompaniment to all the other elements but especially with the smooth, mellow taste of the soft onions - I have to say having them grilled was so much better than the usual hard and sometimes, really quite potent chunks you can find. Bloody delightful! 

Overall, I am pretty much blown away by the Bacon Clubhouse - Why on earth has it taken so long to make it to the UK? It's amazing! I can see it being extremely popular with both Big Mac fans and those who just want something a bit more gourmet! I hope McDonald's actually sit up and listen when it comes to making this Burger a regular on their Menu as it is definitely something special and definitely one I will be cramming in whilst I can - A 4.5 out of 5 from me! 

Review- BeLoved NEW Date Fruit Hearts

So since the latest healthy snack of Good4U Super Bites were a total disaster, I've had to go else where.. Well, not to far as they were directly on the shelf below but behold! BeLoved! I loved their Cereal Bars way back when, in April last year so was very excited to see some more products from the company that wasn't Nectar or Granola - Neither do it for me unfortunately! 

Dates as Dates however very much float my boat. I picked up both the original Date and the Zesty Orange Fruit Hearts in Asda for 75p each. They both are 100% natural with no added sugar, 1 of your 5 a day, are high in fibre and only contain 105 calories per 35g pack!

T-B Date, Zesty Orange (Yes, they do look identical) 

How adorable can you get? I kind of wish all food was heart shaped now. 

L-R- Date, Zesty Orange (I think..) 

Both Hearts essentially smelt the same.. I was expecting a face full of zestiness from the Orange but it was almost non existent in having the same, brown sugar/molasses delicious scent of the plain Date version. Very dense and sticky, they both had a fudge like texture and were super chewy but at the same time, melt in the mouth. Flavour wise, I am thrilled to say they were absolutely amazing! The signature flavour of date was very much apparent with a sweet toffee feel and a nice potent Orange coming through despite the Heart not having smelt very much so! The latter also had striking tasty resemblance to Kellogg's Fruit Winders, back in the day which is not something to ever complain about. Yummy! 

Well, these BeLoved Date Hearts are pretty much the best thing of life - I so wish I had skipped the Good4U and just bought these in bulk! They taste bloomin amazing and with the RAW aspect, it's nice to know you're eating something good for you whilst still feeling like a treat. I swear a kid wouldn't know that these aren't sweets.. I'm not sure I would have known the difference myself! It's top marks today, 5 out of 5!