NEW! Soft Centre Chocolate Macaroons (M&S)

M&S updated their 'Dessert Menu' collection this week. Well there's got to be an upside to the darker mornings and chillier days hasn't there? You might've noticed that most of the supermarkets have also launched Christmas sections too - but don't worry, I've not been struck by mince pie mania like last year. Yet. Giant chocolate macaroons though? Count me in!

"French almond chocolate macaroons - just warm for a soft chocolate ganache centre."

The new desserts in the range are all part of a 20% introductory offer. This double pack was still a pricey £3.20 though. Macaroons are always expensive but can they be spectacular enough to warrant the £3.80 (non-offer) price tag? Let's find out...

Each macaroon was about 10cm ish in diameter, and could be eaten warm or cold. To be honest, it was the idea of the molten middle that persuaded me to prise apart my usually tight purse strings. Call me simple but I really don't understand the fascination with macaroons. 25 seconds in the microwave and it was ready to go.

Microwaves have a habit of making crispy food soggy but the shell remained crispy on the outside and soft on the insider. There was a fair amount of cocoa flavour to it too, with the almond aftertaste following through. As for the ganache, it was, of course, undeniably decadent due to the dark chocolate (11%) and whipping cream (19%) and once warmed became more like a sauce. In fact, the whole experience was like eating a lighter warm chocolate fudge cake. 

The new giant Macaroons are great for the novelty factor, however  I can't help but feel they pale in comparison to the Gold Bullion bars in terms of creativity and innovation. That said, I'd happily pick them up as part of the Dine In for £10 meal deal (if and when they're ever included) but would never pay the full price for them. 

8/10. 

NEW! Nature Valley Nut Butter Almond Biscuits (Sainsbury's)

If you're a regular reader you might've already read my review of the new peanut butter filled Nature Valley biscuits. They were so good that I detoured the very next day via Sainsbury's to fork out another £2.90 for the other flavour: almond butter. Now, I do like almond butter, but never get around to buying any, always favouring my beloved peanut butter when buying a new jar of nut butter. Actually, my dad used to keep me in almond butter, but it must've been a couple of years since I last had any ...

*hint hint, Christmas hamper idea Daddio?* 😉.

"Crunchy biscuits made with wholegrain oats, barley and cinnamon with an almond butter flavoured filling."

What I hadn't realised when buying the peanut butter biscuits was that the almond version incorporates cinnamon. I bleeding love cinnamon, and so it wasn't long after I got home that I flicked the kettle on and opened a pack whilst sitting down to write that peanut butter review. On a side note, I don't think I mentioned before that both of these new Nut Butter biscuits are individually wrapped, making them handy to pack into lunch boxes or handbags.

Wowzers. The biscuit is even better than the ones used in the peanut butter ones. They'd got the same oats, hobnob vibe going on, but this time there was a beautiful sweet warmth coming from the spice. As a cinnamon fiend, I was so pleased to find that Nature Valley hadn't underplayed it either. There's absolutely no escaping it, but why would you want to. It's got me wondering why McVities haven't brought out cinnamon Hobnobs actually...

Anyway, I digress, again.

That almond butter was scrummy - soft and smooth with an underlying nuttiness. Some might say that the cinnamon overshadowed the delicate flavour a little, but actually I liked the ratios that way round - it made the eating experience very different to that of the peanut butter biscuits.

I'm actually torn between which flavour I like better. At £2.90 they're on the expensive side for UK mass-made granola biscuit bars, but I'll definitely be stocking up when they inevitably come on offer. 

10/10

NEW! Magnum White Almond (Iceland)

I popped into Iceland the other day to pick up my other half’s favourite ready meal for his night shift (sausage, cheese and beans is where it’s at apparently!) when I spotted a deal on Magnum ice creams. Now the deal itself wasn’t amazing, but it did include the new white almond Magnums and therefore piqued my interest.

I’ve kind of fallen out of love with Magnums in the past year or so, much preferring the Oreo sticks, Daim sticks, or better yet: Ben and Jerry’s in a waffle cone. I mean, Magnums are ok, they’re just not particularly inspiring.

Anyhoo, at 2 4 packs for £4, I decided to pick up a box of the new white almond Magnums as well as the classic white Magnums (which happen to be one of Bert’s favourite ice creams). After all, it seemed only fair to see how they compare to the white almond Haagen-Dazs.

“Vanilla ice cream with white chocolate (28%) and almonds (3%).”

There’s one quality you can depend upon from Magnum, and that’s a thick chocolate coating. These sticks were no different, meaning that the white chocolate cracked satisfyingly as my teeth pressed against it. Perhaps I’ve had better quality white chocolate of late, because the coating didn’t taste quite as silky as I remember. Instead it tasted much more like a composite, and although it was thicker than H-D’s covering, it didn’t taste any better. Yes, the almonds added a little texture to it, but as with the original almond Magnums, they didn’t offer much in the way of flavour.

As for the ice cream centre, it was as creamy as ever, with a real vanilla flavour and visible seeds. But that’s about as far as the enjoyment went and I found myself yearning for the caramelised nuts that studded H-D’s ice cream sticks. 

I thought these would be on par with H-D. I knew the ice cream wouldn’t be as tasty but thought the chocolate would level the playing field. In reality, I’d choose the H-D sticks over the Magnum, but probably won’t go out of my way to buy either anytime soon.

7/10

NEW! Häagen-Dazs White Chocolate & Almond Ice Cream Bars (Tesco)

I'm gradually dipping my toes into the world of Häagen-Dazs. So far the salted caramel tubs have been the clear winner, but I thought I'd take the opportunity to try the new white chocolate sticks whilst they were on offer (currently £1.74 per pack in Tesco). I've often bemoaned the lack of almond-chocolate combinations on the market, and although Magnim have started selling a white chocolate version of their classic milk chocolate almond ice cream sticks, I was interested to see how Häagen-Dazs fared.

"Our vanilla ice cream with crunchy caramelised almonds enrobed in a coating of real white Belgian Chocolate, a soothing white chocolate treat."

Ok so there's already a clear difference between Magnum and Häagen-Dazs: Häagen-Dazs' ice cream incorporates caramelised almonds and is covered in a smooth white chocolate coating, whereas Magnum is a plain ice cream surrounded by a nutty chocolate. 

Once again I found myself disappointed with the quality of the white chocolate. It did seem a little thicker than the coating user on their salted caramel sticks, but was noticeably inferior to Magnum's chocolate. I can't imagine Häagen-Dazs releasing a bar of pure chocolate as Magnum have, put it that way.

Fortunately the ice cream was the saving grace, although there weren't as many of the caramelised almonds as I'd have liked (they only constitute 7% of the bars). The nuts I did find were delicious though, like little crunchy pockets of flavour amongst the otherwise smooth and creamy luxury ice cream. 

I really wish we could amalgamate the Magnum and HD ice cream sticks. 

Magnum are the chocolate champions but Häagen-Dazs' ice cream and caramelised almonds are superior to Magnum. Therefore if you're buying the sticks for the chocolate then stick to Magnum, for the ice cream opt for Häagen-Dazs. If like me, however, you're governed by budget then choose whichever is on offer!

8/10 

NEW! Spirit of Summer: Summer Macaroon Selection (M&S)

I was truly on the bargain hunt yesterday. I started the day at the Malvern Giant Flea Fair (a must for antique lovers nationwide) and found myself in Marks & Sparks just before close. The trouble is, those yellow stickers are just too appealing, and despite not being initially tempted by the summer macaroons, the 65p sticker was irresistible. My last experience with M&S macaroons wasn't that great, and so I felt annoyed with my lack of self-restraint. 65p wasn't too much money to waste I suppose...

"A selection of French almond macaroons in 3 flavours -1 peach and apricot, 1 lemon and 1 cherry."

At least I could tell which macaroon was which this time around thanks to their bright colourings. I couldn't see much in the way of fillings peeping out, so split them in half for a better look. The centres seemed to be saucy as opposed to cream based like the Festive ganache filled macaroons. 

Wow, I was impressed. I didn't think I was a massive macaroon fan, but I indulged in the delicate texture but bold flavours of these miniature French-style treats. The macaroons were light, with a crunchy exterior and fluffy centre. I loved the prominence of the almond, which came through in all of the three flavours. 

The centres were like a solid jam, and were wonderfully well-flavoured. I'm not sure I could pick a favourite because apricot conserve is usually my favourite, but I also adore cherry Bakewell and am going through a lemon-loving phase at the moment. 

I can't believe that I thought I might be wasting my 65p! M&S have created a sensational summer treat here that simply screams of sunshine.  I'll be certainly sure to buy another pack  if I'm lucky enough to find them reduced again, and may even treat myself to them at their full price.

9/10

NEW! Extra Special Belgian Chocolate & Almond Dessert (ASDA)

I'm not happy with ASDA. They've pulled their amazing peanut butter millionaire's desserts from shelves. What's a girl to do? Fortunately they've replaced it with something that sounded almost as good: a Chocolate and Almond Dessert. The pots are £1.50 each or two for £2 (mix and match with the Strawberry Senga Trifle and Triple Chocolate Dessert.

"Layers of almond flavoured sauce, brownie slices, dulce de leche and dark chocolate ganache."

Chocolate and almond is vastly under appreciated in the U.K., in fact the only time I usually have the combination is when I make chocolate truffles at Christmas time (and even then they tend to be heavy on the rum). It's a gorgeous pairing though and so I hoped ASDA had done it justice.

It was hard to tell which layers were which from the container, but I rightly guessed that the topping was the ganache. As to be expected it was rich and silken; perhaps a touch too sweet for those with a preference for bitter dark chocolate -i.e it was perfect for me. 

Next up was a golden sauce which I presumed was the dulce de leche, however it had a very strong almond flavouring. I ended up confused, was this the almond sauce? I couldn't see anything else that remotely looked like caramel, so I guess the almond flavours had leeched out and overpowered the leche. This wasn't necessarily a problem, it just wouldn't have passed Ronseal's mark of approval. 

Underneath the golden layer was a couple of mixture of brownie pieces and darker sauce. Now this, ladies and gents, was where the magic happened; a recurrence of the peanut butter millionaire's dessert pleasure groans. The combination of soft but squidgy chocolate cake pieces strongly flavoured with what I can only describe almost amaretto made my tastebuds dance with glee. It was sheer heaven. Fortunately there was an ample supply of this final tier. I eeked out every last mouthful, not wanting it to end, and thereby making the small 105g pot last a full ten minutes. 

Well done ASDA, another full mark dessert!

10/10

NEW! Limited Edition Muller Corner Goes Nuts (ASDA)

Why do I do this? Please tell me you do it too. You're in the supermarket, you're hungry, you spot something new and vaguely interesting, and before you know it it's in your trolley. Then every time you open the fridge/freezer/cupboard you think 'why the badger did I buy that?'. Cue this Müller corner and the 10 for £3 deal at ASDA. Oops.

"Pistachio flavour yogurt with caramelised crushed almonds."

I mean hats off to Müller for creating something utterly different, but:
1. I'd never choose pistachio ice cream so why buy the yogurt? And...
2. I swore off buying Müller yogurts.

Yet there I was, begrudgingly retrieving it from the fridge last night 'to eat it up out of the way'. Even as a Müller fan there was NO way I was persuading Bert to try this flavour!

The colour of pistachio isn't exactly enticing is it? It reminds me of the walls in my primary school. As always, the smaller compartment was only half full, things weren't looking up.

Well. I take it back. The yogurt was refreshing. The pistachio was mild, but just about noticeable if you really paid attention. I'm still not keen on the wobbly consistency though- it's definitely runnier than it once was.

The crushed almonds however, were absofreakinglutely delicious. They were crispy and perfectly sweet. The roasting brought out the flavour and they were punchy little nibs that were jam packed full of flavour. In fact I'd have been more than happy to eat a bag of them on their own, but they made a super topping for the yogurt.

I really enjoyed this new limited edition corner, it's the best flavour that Müller have brought out in a long time. Now they just need to make a peanut and banana flavour one, or a cherry yogurt with the caramelised crushed almonds for a Bakewell themed corner. Meanwhile, I'll attempt to not dread the new Apple & Elderflower Müller Light that's sat in my fridge quite so much!

9/10

NEW! Müller Light Cake Shop Inspired Cherry Bakewell & Treacle Tart Yogurts (Iceland)

I almost swore off Müller yogurts. Every time I buy them I end up disappointed by their gelatinous insipidness. But then they went and released Cherry Bakewell & Treacle Tart inspired ones didn't they? My other half was on a diet when the pack of six first came out, and as a fan of both British desserts, was keen to try them. 

The only trouble was they were a consistent £3 in Iceland, and we just weren't prepared to pay that - especially when there are so many other good yogurts on the market. This week they're finally the subject of Iceland's weekly deal and are half price (the offer lasts until Tuesday 7th of Jan) so finally we got around to trying Müller's new offerings.

Cherry Bakewell
If you've been reading this blog for a while you'll appreciate that I'm an avid cherry Bakewell fan. I really hoped that the yogurt would taste of almond as well as cherry.

The bright pink yogurt was very runny, but then I expected that. What I wasn't prepared for was the accurate flavour representation. I could taste the sweet cherry & almond, and was certain that there was a butteriness that resembled pastry -although that might be my wishful thinking. The chunks of cherry that were swimming in the yogurt were a welcome addition too, and I found myself really enjoying this pot.

8/10

Treacle Tart
It might surprise you to hear that as far as desserts go, I'm not a huge treacle tart fan. I find the overwhelming sweetness and claggy texture too cumbersome and so it would never be my first choice on the dessert menu. It's Bert's favourite though and so he was really looking forward to trying this Müller light.

Well it's just a bit odd. There was a generic toffee flavour that barely concealed the taste of artificial sweetener. I didn't really get the connection to golden syrup though, and neither did Bert. To be honest, I'd rather have a standard Müller light.

5/10

At half price, they're not too bad and make a change to the normal flavours (especially if you regularly consume Müller lights) but I wouldn't pay 50p per yogurt -unless they released the Cherry Bakewell as a single. 

Multipower 40% Protein Bars: Peach Yogurt, Chocolate Almond, & Blueberry Vanilla (Online)

Last week Multipower's PR company got in touch with me to ask if I'd like to try the new 40% Protein Fit Bars. To be honest, Multipower is a company that I hadn't come across before, but I was informed that their new bars are 'low in sugar, a great source of fibre and come in three amazing flavours'. As you know I'm always keen to try new bars and supplements, so I gladly accepted the offer.

By Monday a parcel arrived containing a selection of bars in all three flavours: peach yogurt, blueberry vanilla and chocolate almond. The protein bar market is already exceedingly saturated and so I was pleased to see that not only have Multipower brought out slightly more unusual flavours -no cookie dough in sight- but also that they're a completely different size to most of the bars currently available. At 35g, each bar contains less than 135kcal whilst delivering 14g of protein -not bad! For info they're also aspartame free (they're sweetened with sucralose instead). 

Peach Yogurt

Well it's not the most appealing looking bar I've ever seen, I don't buy protein bars for their aesthetics. I did give it a little squidge though, and instantly appreciated just how soft this bar was -there's nothing worse than a jaw-breaker. 

Just as I hoped: what the bar lacked in looks, it made up for in taste. It's hard to spot the freeze dried peach pieces in the photo but they packed a delicious punch (surprising considering they only constitute 3% of the bar). The nougat-like texture was remarkably soft too, which made it very easy to eat -sheer relief for my clicky jaw. Perhaps the biggest surprise came from the bar's casing though, which was in fact white chocolate and not yogurt. Lord knows why Multipower doesn't shout about this, white chocolate is always a winner in my book, and would certainly make me much more likely to pick a bar up from the shelf!

Macros: Kcal: 129 P: 14/C: 9.4 F: 4.7

9/10

Chocolate Almond

Having enjoyed the peach yogurt bar so much, I decided to try the chocolate almond bar for dessert last night, warmed up in the microwave with a good helping of Salted Caramel Oppo and sugar-free caramel syrup. Once again I appreciated how soft the bar was, and the addition of real almond pieces was evident once I sliced into it.

The first thing I noticed was an odd, synthetic taste, but this soon abated and fortunately only a moment later I was revelling in one of my favourite combinations of chocolate and almond. In fact, the softness and flavour of this bar reminded me of the utterly delicious Côte-d'Or FudgeNut -high praise indeed. Of course, it's low sugar and high protein so therefore not a chocolate bar, but it's a scrummy alternative. 

Macros: 134kcal P:14/C:8.4/F: 5.9

8/10

Blueberry Vanilla

I'm not sure why, but I expected a white chocolate covering to compliment the blueberry. Again, this was super soft, and I decided to enjoy this one just this morning with a cup of coffee.

Just look at those freeze-dried blueberries! Unfortunately the primary flavour of this bar was the chocolate. The artificialness of it couldn't be escaped without the ice cream and caramel sauce, and I simply wasn't keen. Luckily the inner filling was pretty good -although nowhere near as tasty as the peach bar. It's the only bar of the three that I probably wouldn't buy again.

Macros: 126kcal/ P:14/ C: 8.5/F: 5

5/10

Summary

On the whole I'm impressed with these Multipower 40% Protein Fit bars. They're soft enough to serve as the perfect on-the-go protein hit, or as part of a healthy low-sugar dessert. You can find more information on the bars and order your own from Multipower's website, simply click here. 

I'd like to say a huge thank you to Multipower/their PR agency for sending me the samples to review. 

NEW! Extra Special Black Forest & Amaretto Desserts Review (ASDA)

I've recently outed my addiction to buying chocolate and ice cream on instagram in an attempt to remind myself that I really need to stop buying more and instead work through my admittedly impressive collection. The trouble is, whilst I love both chocolate AND ice cream, occasionally I'm just not in the mood for either, or I spot something different that I'd rather have. This is especially true when it comes to ice cream, and since promising myself that I'd not purchase any more, my non-frozen dessert cravings have fully kicked in. BAM! All of a sudden I just needed to have the Black Forest & Amaretto Pots that I've been contemplating for weeks.

Even my price conscious nature gave way to the compulsions to try these little desserts. In ASDA Gü are currently on offer for £1.50, yet I still chose their own brand desserts. I must be mad. In my defence, previous experiences with ASDA's Extra Special desserts* have thus far been remarkably positive.

"Amaretto-infused sponge layered with black cherry compote and Belgian dark chocolate ganache."

C'mon ASDA, you seem to have fallen foul of Cadbury's usual trick here and only half filled the pots! The Peanut Butter Millionaire's Dessert was full to the brim, and had much more distinctive layers too.

Digging in to the top I first tasted the dark chocolate ganache, which was as silky and as delicious as expected -there just wasn't very much of it. The little that there was had kind of sunk into the custard below. Talking of which, the custard was a bit of a let down. The flavour was weak against the ganache and so I wished that ASDA had just done away with it and filled the tub with more of the good stuff.

Fortunately the black cherry compote was delicious, offering a sweet tartness against all the chocolate, but again the pot could have done with more. Boo.

The final layer was the main reason why I wanted to try these desserts so badly - the amaretto soaked sponge. The cake was in keeping with the Black Forest theme and was therefore chocolate flavoured. It was a good sponge with a decent amount of cocoa -but I just couldn't taste the amaretto or even almond. Now this might be partly because I was drinking a glass of red wine alongside it, but nonetheless I was disappointed.

I'm aware that I've done a lot of complaining in this review, and perhaps it's not entirely necessary considering I scraped the sides of the tub and really enjoyed it. The trouble is, I know that ASDA sell a much better version of this, and it's cheaper too: their Black Forest Velvets.

7/10

*such as their White Chocolate & Raspberry Cheesecake which was one of my first reviews, and remains my favourite supermarket cheesecake!

NEW! Rich & Buttery Cherry & Almond Hot Cross Buns (Waitrose)

Well it didn't take me long to return to Waitrose to buy the cherry and almond full size buns after the mini chocolate orange hot cross buns. The minis hadn't quite scratched the itch and had perhaps aggravated it instead. I found myself just needing to sink my teeth into a fruity bun (it is Humpday after all).

I couldn't even get a bargain in Waitrose this time around, although most of their hot cross buns are currently on offer for £1.26 per pack (normally £1.50) or 2 for £2.50. I avoided saving myself a whole tuppence by buying two, I restrained myself and bought just a single pack of cherry & almond buns. Some of the packs on the shelf didn't look particularly fruity, but of course I dug around to find the most aesthetic of the bunch. 

 "4 fruited hot cross buns made with californian raisins, cherries, cranberries and almonds. Enriched with butter and egg."

I couldn't get over how soft and light these buns were. The texture probably had a lot to do with the enriched dough, technically making them more like a brioche. They were also a beautiful glossy golden brown and smelt wonderfully of almond extract. Oof. I was instantly pretty sure I'd made a good choice this time around, but then I recalled my experience last year with the similarly flavoured humongous Hot Cross Buns under their Heston label which were somewhat lacking in the flavour department. I crossed my fingers and toes.

I sliced my first bun in two, and discovered just how fluffy it was. It was so delicate that I thought I would destroy it with my clumsy knife skills, but just about managed to dissect it respectably. Then came the usual quandary.. toast it? Cover it in butter? Or jam? I couldn't make my mind up (no change there then) and opted for one half toasted, one half ambient and then covered both slices with a haphazard array of jam and butter. Oh dear.

I sampled the toasted half first -before it went cold- and was instantly pleased by the super melt in the mouth texture. It was pretty damn perfect and tasted so fresh that I could pretend that Waitrose's master bakers (oo-er) had made my batch that very morning.

As for the flavour, the almond element is much more prominent this year, and penetrates every morsel of the dough -despite it making up exactly the same proportion of the ingredients (only 1.5%). Even better was the abundance of big juicy cherries that were embedded within the bun, offering additional flavour and moistness. The raisins and cranberries were also welcome, meaning that most mouthfuls had some sort of fruit in. Mmm heavenly. If anything, the butter and jam I used as toppings were extraneous because the taste and texture were so well executed.

Normally I prefer my hot cross buns toasted, but the softness of the bread leant itself to an equally delicious ambient bun. The jam and butter complimented the dough but I shall try another one tonight completely naked (what's with me today?) so that I can completely appreciate one of my all-time favourite flavour combinations: cherry and almond.

9/10

Festive Mini Macaroons (M&S)

We should all probably be sick of the sight of Christmas food, but I just can't help myself from buying more -especially when I spot a bargain or two, or three, or four..! Anyway, I had reached breaking point with my marketing report late yesterday afternoon when I decided to give my brain a breather and pop into town. I couldn't resist heading into M&S before coming home, and there I spotted these festive mini macaroons in the food-to-go section. If M&S offered a meal deal like Boots do, I'd be far more inclined to pick up my lunch there more often. Instead I usually bypass the sandwich aisle unless it's reducing time. I'd seen these glittery little macaroons a few times though, but was disinclined to spend £1.50 on them. Reduced to a mere 55p yesterday afternoon however, I decided to give them a whirl.

Now I have an embarrassing confession to make: I'd never tried a macaroon before. Shocking, right? I'm not sure why either as I like meringues and love almonds. I think I'd just got them down as expensive little dainty morsels, and as such will always opt for something more substantial (and usually more chocolatey) when choosing dessert. These macaroons were special though, because not only where they shimmery, but they were a triple whammy of chocolate flavours.

"Chocolate ganache and hazelnut, chocolate ganache and salted caramel, chocolate ganache and orange flavoured French Almond macaroons." 

Mmm, in my head I imagined nutella, chocolatey dulce de leche, and Terry's filled almond flavoured meringues. The trouble began though when I realised that there was no way of working out which was which! I tried smelling them, but I couldn't distinguish any difference. There was only one way to find out....

Biting into the first, bronze coloured, one left me puzzled because I couldn't really tell what flavour it was meant to be .The macaroon wasn't even particularly chocolatey, and all I could taste was the almondy meringue. The texture was enjoyable with its soft chewy interior and crispy outer shell, but I was very underwhelmed by the lack of hazelnut, salted caramel, orange or cocoa. Humf. 

The purple-escent macaroon was next up, and when I munched into the edge I started to think that M&S were pulling my leg. Are macaroons the Emperors new clothes of delicacies? Again, the flavour was completely lacking and I felt rather put out. 

Fortunately, somehow I'd saved the best until last. The golden macaroon contained a hidden gem of chocolate orange ganache that shone from within. The flavour was impeccable, and worked wonders with the sugar almond exteriors.This was a real treat -I just wish the box contained 3 chocolate orange macaroons. After all, chocolate orange is arguably the only festive flavour combination in the combination, and was the tastiest by a couple of clear country miles. 

If you spot these festive macaroons reduced then I suggest you pick them up, but otherwise they're not worth your pennies. 

6/10

Favorina Finest Rum Raisin Marzipan Bread (LIDL)

I've never been a huge Christmas cake fan. In fact I really thought I didn't like it at all until recently when I tried Tesco's Free From Christmas Iced Fruit Cake Slices thanks to a tasting table in my local store. For any vegans, coeliacs or lactose intolerant readers please be assured that Tesco have done a rather good job there. To be honest I always considered Christmas Cake's only saving grace to be the slab of marzipan that traditionally lies amid the layers. I even used to make a yearly Christmas Cake, but would only eat my homemade marzipan (which is surprisingly simple to make if you haven't attempted it before). The sweet almond paste is a personal favourite, and I could quite happily munch through a large bar of the stuff. Cue Lidl.

Amongst the selection of 'Favorina' branded Christmas goodies (along with the Spiced Biscuit Spread) LIDL are currently stocking a range of 100g chocolate coated flavoured marzipan logs priced at just 99p. The minute my eyes caught sight of the rum-raisin flavour I was sold. Rum is my favourite spirit and I love a good Rum N' Raisin ice cream -something that seems to be far and few between, don't even get me started on Carte D'Ors version. As a bonus it was milk chocolate coating the marzipan too. I find that so often companies opt for dark to counteract the sweetness.

Slicing into the log revealed the raisin studded almond paste, which smelt boozy and almondy, i.e. perfection. Whilst the milk chocolate wasn't thick enough to really taste by itself, the creaminess came through which I took as a sign that it was decent quality. As for the centre, it was a sightly grainy kind of marzipan -but delicious none the less. The rum soaked raisins worked well to keep the paste moist, and the hit of sugary festivity pleased my taste buds immensely. The sweetness means that it's better enjoyed with a big mug of coffee, as opposed to an amaretto and coke, but that's more than fine by me.

8/10

NEW! Irish Cream Ice Cream Chocolates (ALDI)

I was in ALDI buying the Christmas Turkey the other day when I took the opportunity to scour the party food freezers as I walked towards the till. Now I really shouldn't be buying more ice cream seeing as we could open a gelateria from our utility room, but I spotted these curious Ice Cream Chocolates for less than a pound and didn't resist. Is there any alcoholic drink more festive than Irish Cream? Yes, OK, Mulled Wine. Still, Christmas Day is the ultimate excuse to crack open the Bailey's, comfort our food babies and indulge in the knowledge that we won't need to move from the sofa all evening. Until then, ALDI's Irish Cream Ice Cream Chocolates would serve to whet my appetite for the slick liqueur due to hit my tastebuds next Sunday.

"Irish cream flavoured ice cream with a chocolate flavoured centre, chocolate flavoured coating and amaretti pieces."

The box contained ten 10ml ice creams on a gold chocolate box-esque platter, which I thought was a lovely touch. They were dinky little barrels that would have looked perfectly at home nestled amongst the Thornton's selection. 

The chocolates were extremely soft straight from the freezer, and the middle was more mousse like than ice cream which made them a little messy to eat. There was a definite Bailey's kick to them though. I shared the 10 with my other half and didn't tell him what flavour they were until he looked disgusted at me when biting into them (he's tee-total). Sorry Bert. I really couldn't distinguish the 'chocolate flavoured centre' against the Irish cream, and only know it existed thanks to the photo evidence. 

As for the chocolate casing, it wasn't particularly thick or of great quality, but then I didn't expect it to scream indulgence given that the ice creams are part of ALDI's 99p party range. The amaretti biscuits studded in the chocolate were tasty however and they added a welcome crunchiness, as well as a little almond to the flavour mix.

I wouldn't rush out to buy these Irish Cream Ice Cream Chocolates again, but I also wouldn't refuse a few if offered at Christmas. 

6/10

NEW! Holly Lane Chocolate Stollen Bites (ALDI)

I hope that stollen is one of your Christmas staples too. The German delicacy of buttery, cake-like bread filled with almondy marzipan and dried fruits is sheer genius. I'm quite glad it's only sold seasonally because otherwise I'm sure I'd eat too much and grow sick of it (or maybe not, I've never reached that point with chocolate, peanut butter or ice cream after all).

There's a huge discrepancy between great and goddamn awful stollen though. Some manufacturers master the lightness of the dough, whilst others create something that's best use would be best utilised as a window smashing implement. Last year I reviewed the epitome of the second type (which came from LIDL) and a beautifully fluffy version from Bahlsen. Both LIDL and Bahlsen are German companies who I imagined would work equal wizardry with stollen!

Following the brick-like experience with LIDL, I thought my German discount supermarket stollen buying days were over. But then I saw these new chocolate covered stollen bites. ALDI soon suckered me in with the exciting idea of one of my favourite Christmas treats covered in one of my favourite everyday treats. I didn't resist. The 350g box cost £1.99 and contained roughly 12 bites.

"Stollen bites with raisins, mixed citrus peel and a marzipan centre, covered with chocolate."

They certainly looked very chocolatey, and were haphazardly drizzled with milk chocolate. They felt a little on the sturdy, heavy side, and I couldn't smell the sweet spices that normally makes an appearance when opening a pack of stollen. I hoped all of this could be pinned on a super thick layer of chocolate.

Slicing my first "bite" in two (anyone able eat them in one bite has a much larger mouth than me) revealed a thick marzipan centre, sandwiched between two stollen layers, surrounded by the chocolate. The stollen appeared dry, but I tried not to judge it completely on appearances.

Biting into it I could really taste the (plain) chocolate, which wasn't the best quality but was perfectly edible and a far cry from Kinnerton's nasty calendar stuff. My tastebuds then acknowledged the marzipan: soft, chewy and almondy -just as it should be.

The trouble came with the stollen, which should always be the star of the show, but was sadly completely lost against the more dominant almond and chocolate components. Perhaps this is could be explained by the delicacy of the yeasted dough, maybe it's because less than 50% of the bites are made up of it, or possibly it's just because ALDI and LIDL can't seem to make stollen to save their life.


As far as fruity, marzipan, chocolatey squares go, they're rather good. I've made plenty of complaints in this post when in actual fact I'm rather enjoying them. They're just not going to tick the stollen box if that's what you're after this Christmas.

6/10.

P.S
If you're a fellow stollen lover you might also be interested in my review of Morrisons' Bakery stollen cookies. Otherwise, if you fancy reading another opinion on these chocolatey stollen bites please pop on over to One Treat's review.