Bahlsen Poppy Seed Stollen vs Lidl Marzipan Stollen

I had a bit of a bad experience with Stollen this year. I first tried to buy some from Waitrose -but they'd run out- then I bought a mini one from Lidl -which was awful- and then thankfully my luck changed and Bahlsen sent me one with some of their Zimtsterne biscuits. The Stollen they sent me however was a Poppy Seed version that I've never seen before, and one I'd probably not usually be inclined to buy. I've nothing against seeds, I just love marzipan so would always opt for the version with the thick almond paste running through it.

'This Premium stollen is a fantastic edition to our Christmas range. This stollen is filled with a poppy seed filling which complements the sweet fruit and icing sugar. A must have for a traditional German Christmas.'

When I unwrapped it, I was greeted with a lovely sweet festive scent from the loaf covered with a generously thick layer of icing sugar -reminding me why I love the traditional German Christmas treat so much. Slicing the Stollen revealed the Poppy Seed swirl which accounts for 9% of the total ingredients. 

The loaf was sweet and dense in a comforting manner that felt oh-so nostalgic of Christmas' past. The spice and fruit came through well, offering flavour and texture in every bite. I'm sure I came across some marzipan, and although it doesn't explicitly mention it amongst the ingredients, it does declare almonds on the allergen list (so I may or may not have imagined it). The poppy seeds were an unusual addition, and although I still prefer the marzipan as a filling, they added something different to this festive loaf. 

8/10

A Huge thank you to Bahlsen for sending me this Stollen to try!

Just to give you some contrast, this dear readers is a picture of the atrocious Lidl Marzipan Stollen... 

As you can see, it's lacking the sweet denseness of Bahlsen's loaf, which renders the whole thing crumbly and dry.

2/10

If you've only tried the Lidl vesion, thinking that as a German supermarket they should know their Stollen, I implore you to buy Bahlsen's offering instead next year!

Bahlsen Zimtsterne (Cinnamon Stars)

It's Christmas Eve -the big day is almost here! However, if like me you have been unfortunate enough to face the Supermarkets these past few days, you may have felt your Christmas spirit wane ever so slightly. If that's the case, and you'd like to be reminded that not everyone is like the crazy trolley bargers that take it upon themselves to be even more rude in the run up to Christmas, then I'd like to tell you about a little bit of festive food kindness I experienced this week.

On a quest to educate myself about as many of the continental traditional festive biscuits as I could*, I saw on Waitrose's website a few weeks ago that they stock 'Zimtsterne' which translates to 'Cinnamon Stars'. As a huge fan of anything even remotely cinnamon-y, I hot-footed it down to my local store to pick some up, but alas, they didn't have any. Nevermind, I thought, I'll buy some in Cardiff when I visit my sister (they're bound to have some!) but yet again, my mission was unsuccessful. I returned to the local Waitrose, who told me the closest store to stock Zimtsterne was in mid-Wales, and at that point I gave up. Fortunately, the people at Bahlsen heard of my thwarted quest and offered to send me a pack in the post, "as it's Christmas". True to their word, and only 36 hours later, a parcel arrived at my door...

Not only had they sent me two packs of the Cinnamon Stars, but a Poppy Seed Stollen to boot! This was extremely welcome as I previously mentioned in the Toffee Apple Mulled Cider review that I hadn't managed to get any Stollen from Waitrose either! 

So Bahlsen's Zimtsterne are more accurately 'Star-shaped cinnamon spiced hazelnut biscuits.' They are soft, and more cakey than biscuit in texture with a powerful cinnamon and hazelnut aroma. The hazelnuts account for 38% of the total ingredients, so its not surprising that you can not only smell them but taste them too. They're quite rustic looking -and tasting- which gives the Zimtsterne a lovely homemade feel. The cinnamon is balanced nicely, and the icing adds an extra touch of sweetness- it is Christmas after all! 

I really love these Stars, and I think I'd even consider making the journey to mid-Wales next year to buy them again. A huge thank-you to Bahlsen for kindly sending me a German Christmas care-package. 

Merry Christmas!

9/10

* My other Continental biscuit reviews, If you're interested:
ASDA'S Lebkuchen Stars
Weiss Pfeffernüsse

NEW Choco & Caramel PiCK UP Biscuit Bars

German biscuit manufacturers Bahlsen launched 'PiCK UP!' biscuits in January last year with their milk chocolate flavour, which was then followed by the Oreo-style 'Black 'n White' in August. Now they're back with two new flavours- 'Dark Chocolate' and 'Choco Caramel.'

I haven't seen any press about the release of the new PiCK UP!s, and only discovered these Choco & Caramel bars by chance when looking for another biscuit pack to complete the 2 for £2 deal at ASDA (with the new Cookie Rocky Bars I reviewed the other day.)

"PiCK UP! Choco & Caramel is a delicious treat of two crispy biscuits encasing thick milk chocolate and smooth caramel. Individually wrapped, they are perfect for on the go!"

I've only had their milk chocolate bars before, but the introduction of caramel to any chocolate product is always going to be an improvement in my books. 

The biscuits were simple and had a good snap, with the plainness enabling the chocolate caramel filling to take centre stage. The chocolate layer was as thick as each biscuit, and it tasted almost like firm Nutella. A quick scan of the ingredients surprised me because my palette was infact correct- it does contain ground hazelnuts. Whilst this was a bonus for me (I love Nutella) I imagine it could be a bit of a trap for anyone with a nut allergy because it's not clearly labelled as a hazelnut chocolate. The caramel was a lovely gooey addition, enveloped in the centre of the chocolate layer. I was pleased to discover that it was of good quality with a decadent richness that shone through and enhanced the PiCK UP! tremendously. 

I enjoyed these biscuits and there's no doubt I'll be buying them again.

8/10