Efectiv Pro & Oats High Protein Flapjacks (Online)

There’s not a day that goes by when I don’t eat oats in some form or another. In fact, it was the food I missed most when in Malaysia earlier this year. Almost every morning is kick-started with a bowl of protein oats (proats if you will), but I also love granola and flapjacks too. Protein flapjacks however are often disappointing, and tend to be so far removed from real flapjacks that I’d rather have a real flapjack and get my protein elsewhere. I’m not averse to trying new products though and so when Efectiv contacted me a few weeks ago to ask if I’d like to try their new protein flapjacks and Dual bars, I accepted their kind invitation. After all, the protein bar market is rapidly evolving. Gone are the days of chewy bricks, thank goodness! 

Their flapjack range currently consists of three flavours: Chocolate Orange, Toffee Oat & Cherry Bakewell. Each 70g bar is less than 270 cals and contains 14g of protein (check the bottom of the review for the full macros). They’re made with gluten free oats and whey, with no palm oil or gelatine. Efectiv have also used natural flavours and sweeteners, and the flapjacks are GMO free and certified Halal. One massive bonus for me is that they contain no soya protein or polyols, making them much kinder on your stomach. This makes them higher in carbs, but also the perfect post-workout treat. I say treat, but that’s only right if they taste good… 

Cherry Bakewell

I’d normally save the flavour I’d anticipate would taste the best until last, but my preconceptions on what these bars would taste like wasn’t especially high and so I thought I’d give Efectiv the best chance possible. 

The first thought that struck me was how much closer to a real flapjack this bar looked. It was also a decent size too. The second realisation was just how soft the bar was - often protein flapjacks are either super dry or gluey, but this was neither. 

The texture was spot on. Soft and gooey, with a pleasant chew that wasn’t hard work. The cherry flavour however was milder than I’d have liked and I couldn’t help but think that either a layer of jam or chunks of dried cherries would improve the taste. It was still the best protein flapjack I’d tried to date though. 

8/10

Chocolate Orange

Unlike the Bakewell bar, this flapjack was dark in colour. Texturally it was very similar though. 

As for the flavour, this time it was much punchier, although I’d describe it more as cocoa orange as it lacked the milkiness that I’d associate with eating a bar of orange flavoured chocolate. In fact, the flavour kind of reminded me of something that Trek might make, but it was much tastier than Trek’s protein flapjacks. 

8/10

Toffee Oat

I saved this bar until last and found myself really looking forward to it. 

I wasn’t disappointed either. The bar tasted like a proper flapjack! It was gooey, sweet, soft and chewy with a lovely toffee undertone. In fact, I’d go as far as saying that I’d happily eat the Efectiv toffee & oats pro&pats flapjack instead of a normal flapjack and I’ll be hunting down more to try in the future!

9/10

All in all, I was mightily impressed with these protein flapjacks from Efectiv. I do feel like the flavour of the Cherry Bakewell bar could be improved slightly, but that’s just a mini moan! Thank you to Efectiv for sending me the samples. The flapjacks (and the new Dual bars, watch out for the review) are available from their website.

*as promised, here's the Macro breakdown:

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. 

Cherry Bakewell Hipster Fudge (Etsy)

Did you watch GBBO this week amid the traumatic news that our much loved programme is channel hopping next series? Forget all the M.Bezzer stress for a moment, because I want to know if the episode had you hankering after a Bakewell as much as it did me -although maybe not Val's soggy bottom, eh? Hipster Fudge must've predicted my longing for all things cherry-almond because earlier this week they offered to send me a pack of their new limited edition fudge to try. I actually debated it for a second, because my last experience (Matt & Ben's Espresso Fudge) left me believing that I didn't like the sweet treat any more. Then I reconsidered, reasoning that I would share the Hipster Fudge at work, sampling it around the office to get a more balanced view.

If you haven't heard of Hipster Fudge yet, let me fill you in:

Hipster Fudge is relatively new. The company was born after the owner, Jonny Craft, made some fudge one day for his main business 'Sweet Pizzas'  to use as toppings . He sent some to his friends to see if they liked it and a lot of them said it was the best fudge they have ever had. He then started making more wacky flavours and posting them on a Facebook page he set up for the brand and the orders came flooding in. Hipster fudge has been trading on Etsy for a month now, and already has 60 orders. Jonny believes that Fudge is seen as an older persons treat, however Hipster Fudge aims to make it trendier, a bit like the current gin revolution. Flavours change regularly and currently include Oreo & Cashew, Aero, Reese's Pieces, and Ferrero Rocher -to name just a few.

The bar arrived just a day later, comprised of six squares -each topped with white icing and a single glace cherry. Notices on the back of the packet warned me of the inclusion of nuts, and also a polite memo to let me know it's better enjoyed from the fridge. 

That evening I was so curious to try the pretty looking bar now nestled among the chocolate bars in my fridge, that I broke off a couple of squares to tuck in to (forgetting the office ladies and gents in one fell sweep, sorry all). Despite being cold, the fudge had remained soft and malleable -just how I remember loving it as a child.

The flavour was bolder than expected, with the almond shining through the sugary sweetness. I loved the glace cherry on the top, which imparted the bakewell element into every bite. Perhaps that flavour may have been slightly more impactive if the fudge itself included chopped cherries -although I'm not sure if that would change the consistency, which squidgy and absolutely perfect.

I'm so grateful to Jonny at Hipster Fudge, not only for sending me the sample, but also for reminding me that I do love fudge. When I was a small child, my granddad used to walk up a steep hill to buy me fudge from a specialist shop in the town where we lived every day (even when he was dying from cancer). Hipster Fudge has brought back those lovely decades old memories of us sitting on the sofa together enjoying our delicious, golden, sugar-laden treats after his outing. 

Please do pop over to Hipster Fudge's Etsy Shop, and if you don't see something you fancy today then continue to keep an eye out, the flavours are changing on an almost daily basis! 

9/10

*You must go check out @sweetpizzas on Twitter, but it'll leave you salivating!

R Bar Flapjack Protein Bars: Cherry Almond, Apple & Blackberry Crumble & Maple Syrup (Cardiff Sports Nutrition)

A couple of months ago I received a lovely parcel full of goodies from the team at Reflex Nutrition. Inside the box was the protein coffee (which I loved and am now addicted to, check out my review if you want to find out more) and a box of each flavour of the new R Bar Flapjacks. I have to admit that I was super excited by the flavours, all of which appealed to me. 

I was informed at the time that Reflex's primary drive with the flapjacks was to produce a quality product in terms of being nutritionally sound. It was never intended to be a confectionary type bar, instead Reflex say that their "protein flapjacks offer unrivalled quality, incorporating nutritionally uncompromised ingredients. Each bar contains 18g protein, 7g fibre, 21g low GI carbohydrates, and just 2g sugar to keep you sustained before and after your training." If you want any more information on the thought process behind the flapjack bars, please pop over to their blog.

The first thing I noticed when I unwrapped the bars, was just how little they looked like traditional flapjacks. I had a horrible flashback to the PhD peanut butter bar at the beginning of the year, and hoped I could stomach them better.

Fortunately, all of the bars are soft, although they taste much more like traditional protein bars than traditional flapjacks. I much prefer them once warmed through in the microwave for 20 seconds -the same way I like my Quests & Carb Killas. My biggest issue is that the flavours in the Cherry Almond and Apple & Blackberry bars aren't very strong at all, meaning that they disappear somewhat against the more prominent taste of the milk protein. I appreciated that the fruit flavour comes from real freeze dried fruit, but it accounts for only 1% of the ingredients, so it's unsurprising that it lags behind. The Cherry Almond bar is also slightly oily to the touch, but it didn't taste greasy in the slightest. 

My absolute favourite bar by a country mile is the maple syrup, which was far bolder in taste. I love this bar warm, and it's one that I really look forward to. As far as macros go, the R Bar Protein Flapjacks are a winner, and as a bonus they're 'clean' and very filling after a good work out. You can buy them from any reputable sports retailer, my favourite being Cardiff Sports Nutrition (where you can buy them for just £1.49 per bar). 

Maple Syrup: 8/10
Cherry Almond: 6/10
Apple & Blackberry Crumble: 5/10

*A huge thank you to Reflex for sending me the samples to review. 

Blackfriars Bakery Flapjacks (Online)

So as I mentioned in my Lumberjack review, I was fortunate enough to receive a box load of goodies recently from BlackFriars Bakery to review which included an array of rather large flapjack bars. When I say large  -I mean it - at 110g each they're twice the size of the Graze flapjacks. The flavours Blackfriars sent me all sounded rather marvellous: original, chocolate, caramel toffee & fudge as well as a box of 5 smaller (30g) yoghurt flapjacks.

I posted the pictures on Instagram of my lovely stash, and immediately realised that there's a lot of love out there for Blackfriars, although it sounds like they're pretty hard to come across nowadays -especially as ALDI no longer stock them.


Chocolate

"Delicious Oat Flapjack Slice with a Chocolate Flavour Topping". 

I found the texture to be on the dry side, which meant the oats crumbled easily. As I prefer a moister, gooey flapjack I was a little disappointed. As expected, the chocolate topping tasted like cooking chocolate, and I was left feeling underwhelmed. It's not one I would buy again unfortunately.

4/10


Fudge

 "Indulgent Oat Flapjack Slice with Caramel Flavour Fudge Icing and a Chocolate Flavour Topping."

Sorry Blackfriars, but I couldn't really tell the difference between this one and the plain chocolate slice.

4/10

Yoghurt

"Delicious Oaty Flapjack with Yoghurt Flavour Topping"

I had high hopes for this flavour, especially given how delicious Blackfriars' yoghurt Lumberjack protein flapjack is, but Alas! This too was dry and a bit too bland. I did find the size a lot easier to manage though, and appreciated their individual wrapping. 

5/10

Caramel Toffee

"Scrumptious Oaty Flapjack with Caramel Toffee Flavour Topping."

This was more like it! Despite the lack of gooeyness, this slice had a much better taste! The topping reminded me of Caramac/Gold Bars and it was, without doubt, the best of the bunch. This was a flapjack I'd definintely have again!

7/10


Bakewell

"Delicious Almond Flavour Flapjack with a Mixed Fruit Jam Flavour Filling and White Chocolate Flavour Topping."

I was really excited by this flapjack. As anyone who follows me on instagram will know, I absolutely adore cherry bakewell, and often make a porridge version of the classic British dessert for breakfast (which FYI is insanely good). Almond infused flapjack sounded right up my alley, as did the jam and white chocolate... But once again I felt the quality of the ingredients let it down. The flavours were there, but they weren't bold enough. I found that the layers weren't thick enough either -especially the jam which seemed to get lost completely. 

5/10

Conclusion
I'm left feeling a little perplexed as to whom the target market is meant to be for these flapjacks. They're so large that they are almost a meal in themselves ( approx 500 cals per slice) so in my opinion they're too big for lunchboxes. I also felt that with so many delicious, high quality flapjacks around nowadays that these kind of missed the mark -especially when their new Lumberjack bars are so good! If you want to get your hands on some of BlackFriars' flapjacks however, they are available to purchase from their website. All of their flapjacks are vegetarian, and Blackfriars also manufactures a vegan range too. 

Thank you Blackfriars for the opportunity to try your flapjacks, and I apologise for the damning feedback -but I always promise to be honest. There is one last review in the series to come: Blackfriars cakes and cookies. Will they fair any better? Stay tuned to find out... 

NEW! 'Cherry Bakewell' & 'Mini Sticky Toffee' Hot Cross Buns (Waitrose)

I've been eagerly waiting to try Heston's Cherry Bakewell Hot Cross Buns since Nibbles 'N' Scribbles lauded their ingenuity way back in March. True to form* however, it's taken Waitrose almost two months to send these new Easter treats to our local store.

*I still haven't quite forgiven the branch for not stocking their love life! Turkey sarnie at Christmas, of which I heard great things.

All of Waitrose's Hot Cross Buns are on a 2 for £2.50 offer at the moment, (the Heston Buns are £1.89 on their own) so I chose the aforementioned cherry buns and some mini sticky toffee buns -also a new 2016 Easter addition.

Heston's Cherry Bakewell Hot Cross Buns 

As you may recall I'm not a huge fan of Mr Blumenthal, something I mentioned when reviewing his Toffee Apple Cider, but the idea of two British classics combined in seasonal carb-heaven sounded just to good an opportunity to miss. I have an affinity towards anything Cherry Bakewell and so I was intrigued to discover how well Heston had managed to amalgamate the flavours.

'Cross a hot cross bun with flavours of a bakewell tart and you get something deliciously different.' 

Big promises there Mr B. The buns were pretty enormous -I'd guess a third bigger than regular versions- with clearly defined crosses on top. I was going to toast one half and try the other half cold, but before I knew it I'd popped both under the grill and slathered them in butter. Oops.

The buns felt heavy (they're almost 100g each) but were surprisingly light and fluffy. They reminded me of Brioche, as the same butteriness shone through, giving the buns a luxurious, artisinal quality. 

My first bite heralded a strong almond hit, with a delicious marzipan-like taste that was simply divine. The likeness to a Bakewell tart stopped there though unfortunately, it seems I hit the jackpot with my first mouthful and the rest of the bun was comparatively lacklustre. My disappointment was explained when I read the ingredients list: almonds make up only 2% of the bun and cherries 3%. I can't help but think that these buns could have been improved by the addition of a cherry jam swirled throughout; I had added some blueberry jam (I hadn't got any cherry unfortunately!) to the second half and found it much more enjoyable.

7/10

Sticky Toffee Mini Hot Cross Buns

From one size extreme to the other! These mini hot cross buns were quite cute, and were a similar size to M&S' mini mocha version.  There were plenty of plump looking raisins and sultanas to be seen, which pleased me considering M&S chose to omit the fruit altogether.

This time I managed to hold back from toasting both halves, and grilled just one. I covered both sides in butter as per the serving suggestion and got stuck in.

Again, Waitrose didn't disappoint with the texture of these buns. They were also soft and fluffy despite their size. I was met with a lovely fruity taste with the first half, but the melted butter overwhelmed the flavours and I couldn't detect the toffee element. 

Onto the second (non-toasted) half, and I hoped that the toffee pieces would prove easier to find, but -alas!- there was none to be found. I checked the ingredients, which claims that they make up 8% of the buns, but I think I must've chosen a dodgy specimen because I couldn't find any. None. Nada. I successfully found the date pieces however, which make up 6%, and they added a lovely gooey fruitiness to the buns.  

Don't get me wrong, again these buns tasted wonderful, it's just that they weren't very true to their description. 

7/10

Summary

These hot cross buns are yummy seasonal offerings from Waitrose. I loved the idea of them, it's just a shame that the flavours weren't as pronounced as they could have been. Texturally they are perfect, and much better than M&S's horribly dry 'Cherries & Berries' hot cross buns -which I suggest you steer clear of!

Waitrose also make a delicious sounding Cherry Bakewell Granola, but I'm a bit concerned now as to whether that would be lacking in flavour too. Have you tried it? If so, what do you think? Also, have you tried any wonderful Hot Cross Buns this year? Please do leave me a comment with your thoughts and suggestions!

NEW! Go Ahead Cherry Bakewell Pud Bakes

Go Ahead contacted me last week to ask for my address, following my review of their new Cookie Bites. Of course I gave it to them, cheekily hoping that they might send me some of their new Cherry Bakewell Pud Bars -the ones that I hadn't been able to find. Sure enough, a couple of days later a rather large parcel arrived, chock-full of Go Ahead products -including three boxes of the pud bars to review. Thanks Go Ahead! 

The new Cherry Bakewell Pud Bars are similar in size and shape to their existing Fruity Bake Bars, and also consist of a golden casing enveloping a jammy centre. The segments broke easily, revealing the bright red core that makes up 33% of the bars. The pastry was crisp, and it's firmer than I remember -far crunchier than a Kellogg's nutrigrain. 

The 'Bakewell' element came from the jam inside, which was well executed and rather tasty. The cherry flavour was strong and sweet, with a lovely almondy endnote -although that's a bit odd in itself considering almonds aren't mentioned on their ingredients list at all. 

Each Bakewell Pud Bake is only 141 calories, and they're individually wrapped, making them the perfect handbag snack for when hunger strikes. The only trouble is, my other half also took a shine to these bars, so I might have to hide (at least) one of the boxes! 

9/10