Mulled Wine Fruit Loaf (M&S)

I was my normal scroogy, scrimpy, student self and bided my time when buying this fruit loaf from M&S. At £2 it seemed a little on the steep side, and if I was going to treat myself to full-priced goods from their bakery section you can bet your bottom dollar that it was going to be their boobie buns (sorry Christmas Pudding Buns). Yesterday afternoon though I popped back into my local branch -second attempt at buying another bottle of Chocolate Opal -this time successful- and detoured via the bakery on the way out where I spotted a single loaf reduced to just 70p. The packaging informed me that it was freezable, so I hastily nabbed the pack and added it to my basket. 

"Spiced fruit loaf with port soaked dried vine fruts, sour cherries, citrus peel and ginger."

The first thing I noticed about the bread was its density. For a fruit loaf it wasn't very risen or fluffy -but then I told myself that perhaps it was meant to be more like a stollen. The pale dusting on top marked a further stollen similarity, and I kept everything crossed that it would be as tasty as Lidl's luxury chocolate version. 

The bread was shockingly tough to slice into, revealing a very compacted interior with a plethora of fruits -the only plus point thus far. The packet suggested toasting the slices, so I popped both of mine in for a minute so that it just begun to tan. I slathered both slices in butter, and got stuck in.

Eurgh. All I could taste was burnt fruit. If you've ever made raisin flapjack or rock buns at home and caught them in a fierce oven then you'll know how awful burnt dried fruit tastes. The thick crust round the edge of the bread made it very chewy too, so much so that I almost gave up eating it. I'm very determined however, and hate wasting food, so I gave the second slice a generous coating of apricot jam -which I hoped would inject some much needed sweetness and counteract the acrid burnt raisin taste.

Nope. The second slice also felt like a punishment, and the rest of the loaf went in the bins -even the poor birds shouldn't suffer this.

I'm really hoping that I got the worst of a bad batch, so I'm extremely eager to know if any of you have tried M&S' Mulled Wine Fruit Loaf this Christmas, and if you're experience was similar or vastly different! Be a dear, and leave me a comment to let me know...

2/10 

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

Chocolate Opal Wine Review (M&S)

Every time I visit my sister in Cardiff and we go shopping there's a couple of musts on the to-do list. Firstly I have to pop into the Lego store and buy a Star Wars keyring for Bert's extensive collection. Secondly we have to visit the Rubis stand for a free sample of their chocolate red wine. 

Chocolate red wine you cry! That's disgusting! Maybe to your more refined palate the combination may sound abominable, but my sister and I think it's utterly delicious. The trouble is, it's not exactly a cheap bottle of plonk, and seeing as we're both students the closest we get to enjoying a bottle is the snifter we receive when detouring via the Rubis stand. 

A few weeks ago I was perusing M&S' wine section when buying our 'Dine In for £10' meal deal when I spotted not one, but two chocolate infused wines on their shelves! They're selling a red Chocolate Ruby (currently £7, reduced from £9) and a pale Chocolate Opal (half price at £4.50). I debated between the bottles, deciding to pick up a bottle for Christmas Day -it wasn't in the Dine In offer- before opting for the cheaper Opal wine of course. 

'Aromatised white wine with chocolate flavouring.' 

My mum-in-law looked extremely dubious when I offered her a glass of Chocolate Opal on Sunday afternoon post Christmas pudding with double cream and Biscoff Cheesecake, but it didn't take very long to persuade her to try "just a little glass." 

A little glass quickly turned into a couple of full glasses each, which should give you an indication of how delicious this wine truly was. It's a drink for sugar addicts only  though I'm afraid, it's so very sweet and tastes borderline liqueur-esque. M&S' Chocolate Opal is much more refreshing than Rubis though thanks to the white wine background that the chocolate flavour sits proudly at the forefront of. Talking of which, there's no doubting it's a chocolate flavour, and it's extremely moreish at that. 

A gentle word of warning, the wine is fortified (15%) and swiftly made me feel rather squiffy -although admittedly that might've been caused by the champers beforehand.

I loved the Opal so much that I returned to the store this afternoon to pick up a bottle (and contemplate the Ruby version) but they've completely sold out. If you're a wine loving, sweet toothed chocoholic with a generously stocked M&S nearby I suggest you pay a trip and stock up post-haste! 

9/10

Easy Peasy Speculoos No-Bake Cheesecake Recipe

Happy Boxing Day you lovely lot! Fingers crossed you had a somewhat enjoyable Christmas day, and I hope at least some of you woke up with a stinking hangover but a big smile on your face like I did. Admittedly our day was almost a disaster when I forgot to serve up the pigs-in-blankets, but fortunately I remembered them whilst we were all still eating and they hadn't turned to charcoal in the process. 

Of course every family have their own traditions, and in the (almost) 9 years that Bert and I have been together we've formed our own little rituals: there's the Christmas Eve PJs (passed down from my family), the no presents until after lunch rule (his family -that one took some getting used to) and the homemade Christmas cheesecake (my own tradition). For the past 6-7 years I've religiously made said cheesecake on Christmas Eve as an alternative to the Christmas pud, and every year it changes, but it always ticks two boxes: very chocolatey & very boozy. 

Poor Bert isn't the biggest chocoholic (hence why we're such a good team, he never raids my chocolate stash) and is tee-total.  He also hates Xmas pud, but has obligingly munched his way through years of cheesecakes including white chocolate & Baileys, dark chocolate & Cointreau and milk chocolate & Amaretto. This year though I decided to make a cheesecake based on what he loves (especially after the Mince Pie Danish debacle) so opted for a Biscoff inspired cheesecake. I popped a pic of it up on Christmas Day and received so many requests for the extremely simple recipe that I thought I'd make a change from my normal review posts to pop it up... 

N.B I can't take credit for this recipe as it's a very slight amendment from Jane's Pattiserie's, which can be found here.

Makes 8 individual Gu ramekins- but can be easily amended to suit.

Ingredients: 

Biscuit Base

•  110g Digestive Biscuits
•  110g Lotus Caramelised Biscuits
•  110g Butter

Cheesecake Filling

• 360g Philadelphia Cream Cheese
• 2 tsp Caramel flavouring (I used Dr Oetker's)
• 70g Icing sugar
•  200ml Double Cream
• 190g Crunchy Biscoff Spread/ Favorina Spiced Biscuit Spread

To Decorate

• Lotus Caramelised Biscuits

Method

1. Melt the butter in the microwave (10-20 secs should do it)
2. Blitz the biscuits into fine crumbs using a blender/food processor, and mix in the melted butter. Press into 8 ramekins.
3. Whip together the cream cheese, caramel flavouring, icing sugar and Biscoff until smooth using an electric whisk.
4. Add the cream and whisk slowly until thick enough to stay on an upturned spoon. 
5. Spread the mixture over the bases and chill in the fridge until you can't resist their call!
6. When serving, pop 1/2 a Lotus biscuit on top

Et voila! Simples... 

Mince Pie Danish Pastry (The Co-Op)

Hurrah, It's Christmas Eve!!! Before I start with the review, I just wanted to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I hope you have a lovely celebration, manage to avoid killing the pesky uncle, and enjoy lots of yummy food. 

So..

I often wonder why Bert puts up with me. He's a very good egg and all my friends and family love him too. Not only has he stuck by me through thick and thin but he continues to show more faith in me than I have in myself -I have an awful lot to be grateful for. One of the many ways he supports me is through this blog; many-a-time he's persuaded me not to give it up when I've felt like it, and every evening he waits patiently for me to take photos of my treats for instagram or reviews. I think I almost took the biscuit this week though when I called him at work just before he was due to leave, and asked him to make a detour round grid-locked Hereford to find me a Danish Pastry.

That bleeding orange & cranberry Danish had rekindled my affinity towards the buttery bakery treats -damn you Waitrose!- and since then I'd spotted the ultimate festive pastry creation that I couldn't bear waiting until Christmas morning for: The Mince Pie Danish*. Well, that's not exactly accurate, for I'd seen the price sign in the Co-Op, directing me to where they should have been. I'd since popped into my local branch three times to check if they'd received any, until the manager got sick of me pestering and informed me that they wouldn't be having any more until next Christmas. Boo. 

*Lightbulb moment!* There's a bigger Co-Op the other side of town (where I found the pb&j ice cream and apple crumble doughnuts), and they might have some festive pastries left...
Poor Bert agreed to my mission, and off he pootled to the Co-Op on his way home. He was successful (even snapchatting me the below image to ensure he's got the right pastry!) but it took him an hour (instead of 10 minutes) to get back. The Mince Pie Danish had better be worth it. 

Whereas the Waitrose Danish was a snail/whirl shape, this was cushion style, complete with a generous mincemeat centre and icing drizzle. The oily residue left in the paper back indicated how much greasier this was than the Orange & Cranberry version. 

Texture wise it was softer, but also almost raw. Mary Berry would certainly not be happy with the soggy bottoms here, but I'm a bit partial to under-cooked pastry (and Yorkshire puddings for that matter). The rawness didn't stop there however, for the pastry had large unattractive lumps of suet floating about in it. This was a shame because the flavour of it was good and the combination of super-rich pastry with mincemeat could've been wonderful -after all Eccles cakes are a gift to mankind. I still enjoyed it though, but it wasn't a patch on Waitrose!

So far my experiences with the Co-Op's bakery has been distinctly unsuccessful. Have any of you had better luck? Is there anything you can recommend?

Sorry for the goose chase Bert. 

6/10 

*Yep, still loving the mince pies... 

Luxury Chocolate Stollen with Jamaican Rum (LIDL)

Despite my insistence yesterday that I wasn't upset about the lack of chocolate & hazelnut (or indeed any) stollen in Tesco, I was admittedly miffed that I hadn't managed to enjoy any of my favourite German festive bread this season. I had, of course, tried the disappointing chocolate covered stollen bites from ALDI, but like I said at the time -it didn't really hit the spot. I was on a mission yesterday afternoon to pick up a bottle of Ouzo from Lidl however, when I got sidetracked by the Christmas aisle. Why oh why can't I just walk straight past it like a normal person? I didn't need any more festive food -the big shop had been done, and I've been reviewing all sorts of Christmassy treats since Bonfire Night.

Firstly, LIDL's Favorina milk chocolate lekuchen hearts called to me, which I justified by telling myself that I would buy and keep them for a 25th of June half-Christmas celebration -but we'll see if they last that long. Then I discovered that their 'Snowy Lodge' range was discounted by 20%, and instantly remembered their luxury chocolate Stollen. Now, I wasn't really up for taking another risk with my stollen, especially after my disappointment with their loaf last year, but thought I'd regret not taking the opportunity. At £3.19 for 500g, it was a damn site cheaper than Tesco's £7 similar sized loaf too, and damn it looked chocolatey. 

"Our snowy lodge chocolate stollen is a modern and luxurious take on a classic festive favourite. The dark, rich chocolate and smooth Jamaican rum beautifully complement the traditional stollen flavours. Our chocolate stollen is then finished with a dusting of sugar, for an extraordinary and indulgent treat, perfect for any festive occasion."

Well the loaf looked like the Christmassy offspring of a yule log and stollen. It had an almost magical appearance, and whilst I meant to keep it for Christmas Eve, I just couldn't wait that long to tuck in. 

As my knife sliced into the bread, it started to crumble and I feared that this stollen would be another dry number requiring a large mug of coffee to aid in its consumption. I then spotted the large marzipan rope that was nestled in the centre, and my apprehensions waned slightly. 

Heaven graced my taste buds. The dough's texture was soft, squidgy, and held a little resistance as per every good stollen. The chocolate flavour was rich, but not overpowering, enabling the spicy undertones to come through. An abundance of raisins (26% of the ingredients) broke up the dough, injecting additional moisture into the loaf, but it was the dark chocolate and rum flavoured marzipan that I was really looking forward to... 

Boy, oh boy, it was delectable! On Saturday I reviewed Lidl's Favorina Rum Raisin Marzipan Bread, and thought that it was yummy, but this treasure knocked the Favorina bar out of the park. Fudgy, almondy and very chocolatey with a slight rum-kick (no throat burn here) the marzipan core was easily the best marzipan I've ever had. Lidl have cleverly used a dark chocolate, which counteracts the usual sweetness in the almond paste, providing a harmony of flavours that is inexplicably good. 

Chocoholic stollen fan? Go and buy Lidl's chocolate stollen NOW. Go on, what are you waiting for?

10/10

Black Forest Dome Gateau (Tesco)

Are you a savvy shopper? I certainly think I am. In fact, I'm obsessed with finding a bargain -so much so that I drive poor Bert nuts when doing the weekly shop. If I know a product is cheaper in another supermarket, I won't even consider buying it in the one I'm in. See, told you I'm a pain. I'd like to think that it's because I'm a student, but actually I've always been this way. My mum even managed to buy her (convertible) car entirely through Tesco clubcard points. Yes really. Anyway, the point is, I love to find ways to get things cheaper, and one of the ways I've been doing this for the past few years is through Tesco's Orchard scheme. If you ever shop with Tesco, and fancy trying some of their ranges for free (in exchange for giving them some feedback) then it's definitely worth signing up.

This Christmas Tesco gave me the opportunity to try some of their party food or cakes and desserts for free. No prizes for guessing which option I chose.

Lo and behold, a couple of weeks ago I received £6 worth of vouchers in the post to use on any of Tesco's fresh or frozen cakes and desserts. I'd got my eye on their chocolate and hazelnut stollen, but when I did the Christmas food shop yesterday the store was completely out. No bites, no slices, no chocolatey stollen, in fact no pannetone or pandoro either. Humf. I couldn't complain though really because the vouchers were freebies, so I head to the frozen dessert section instead. 

Christmas day desserts in my house are already sorted: Christmas pud for my dad in-law, and a homemade cheesecake for the non-traditionalists (i.e. everyone else)! This just meant that I got to £6 worth of free desserts and not have to wait until the 25th -double win! 

I still headed towards the Christmas desserts and spotted the most amazing looking Black Forest Dome Gateau, and although it serves 8 (there's just me, Bert and the dog at home), I just had to have it. I'm partial to a sport of the 80's retro flavour combo and have reviewed quite a few black forest foodstuffs this year (muffins, dessert pots, low fat biscuit snacks, and most recently lebkuchen of course if you want to check them out). At just £3 my vouchers more than covered it, so I also picked up some other desserts to try at a later date.

"Dome shaped chocolate sponge cake filled with Kirsch chocolate cream mousse and cherry sauce on a short crust pastry base. Covered with a chocolate flavoured glaze, decorated with chocolate decorations and Morello cherry."

I didn't expect the dome to contain 8 reasonable sized portions, but it certainly did (take note Iceland). I was also impressed by the careful packaging that surrounded the dessert -not good for eco-warriors but it certainly enabled a very clumsy me to get it home in one piece. The packet suggested a defrost time of 3 & 1/2 hours, but I cut out our portions and left it on the side for an hour and it did the trick. 

The centre of the dome looked just as impressive as the photo on the box, and I mentally gave another point to Tesco. My knife easily slid through the layers too, which helped as I'm the worst at plating up, although I imagine it would be messier when defrosted.

The chocolate cake was light and fluffy, lacking the density of a good fudge cake, but admittedly was a good choice to surround the mousse innards. Said mousse however was a bit disappointing, in fact I thought it was just a vapid chocolate mousse until I wrote this review. Tesco seem to have fallen into the same trap as ASDA did with their muffins; neither the chocolate or cherry was dominant and therefore the mousse just tasted odd.

Fortunately the cherry sauce was wonderful, perfectly balanced between sweet and tart, and working well with the central cake layer it sat upon. The pastry base was also good, and added an extra textural element. I also thought the chocolate glaze was tasty too, although to be honest I was just pleased to find that it wasn't the horrid hotel jelly stuff that often graces the buffet table in continental hotels. 

Overall, it's not the most delicious dessert I've ever had -but it's one of the better frozen puds and it looks damn good. If you haven't done your Chrismas food shop yet and are after an alternative centrepiece without the faff of homebaking (or M&S's prices) then I suggest you have a think about picking up Tesco's Black Forest Dome Gateau. 

7/10

Choceur Salted Caramel & White Chocolate Almonds (ALDI)

Last year dear Daddio included my first experience of ALDI's chocolate as part of my Christmas stocking and I was impressed! Since then I've only tried one more bar, their Madagascan vanilla white chocolate, which was even more delicious. I probably should buy their chocolate more often, but most of their bars come in larger formats, and I have non Reese's chocolate commitment issues. 

These salted caramel and white chocolate almonds probably wouldn't have even entered my radar had it not been for Kev's review back in October. I mean the white chocolate, salted caramel and almonds all sounded good but I imagined that I'd prefer to keep the three separate. Nevertheless I picked some up a few weeks ago to try on Christmas Day with my nut loving in-laws. Last night though I wasn't sure what I fancied after dinner, so raided the cupboards and the almonds called to me. Sorry Mr & Mrs Letby. 

"Almonds covered in white chocolate blended caramel powder and salt."

The 100g bag contained 20 almonds, each looking like large (albeit golden) Milkybar mini eggs -mmm, so good. Cutting one in half pleased me as it revealed just how generous the coating was. To give you a better idea, I checked the packet when writing this and realised that almonds only account for 18% of the ingredients! I'm certainly not complaining. 

N.B Yes, I realised there was a hair in the bowl after I took the photo, and no I didn't eat it ;).

The salted caramel flavoured white chocolate was silky smooth an utterly delicious; indeed it was just as incredible as the highly addictive KarmelLove bars I discovered a couple of months ago. Some nuts had a more saline coating than others, but this made the eating experience all the more interesting. The almonds had retained their crunchiness too -always a bonus as no-one wants soggy nuts. 

The biggest problem with these Choceur salted caramel and white chocolate almonds is the self control required to stop munching. If you're watching your weight you might want to be careful as the 20 almonds amount to 564kcal! For everyone else, tuck in and don't share, they're scumdiddlyumtious. 

9/10

NEW! Orange & Cranberry Danish (Waitrose)

What do you eat on Christmas morning? As a child, I remember having croissants and Bucks Fizz after hurriedly opening the stockings, but since leaving home I haven't bothered to make the effort with breakfast and have stuck to cereal or porridge before starting to cook the turkey. Maybe times are about to change... 

I'll be honest, when perusing the bakery section in the supermarket, my eyes tend to automatically land on one or more of three categories: muffins, doughnuts and cookies. Of course I've already reviewed a number of festive versions of these treats*, but when in Waitrose the other day buying the mega marzipan mince pie, I caught sight of their very appetising looking pastries. I instantly noticed my urgent need to try an orange and cranberry Danish at my next given opportunity.

 I wasn't sure exactly what they comprised of given the categorical style of the signage in front of the whirls, but they certainly looked damn tasty! 

Please can you just appreciate my successful effort to get this home intact for a moment? I think I did rather well for once. I hope you'll agree as to how beautiful this particular pastry was; covered with little cranberry gems and orange zest atop a profuse layer of snowy icing.  

It's been a very long time since I last had a Danish, but I was surprised to discover the dough to be more resilient than I remember. Pulling the whirl apart however exposed the golden laminations in all their glory, nestling the occasional ruby coloured cranberry. 

I think I expected the dough to taste of orange. but instead it was a simple and delicious buttery flavour that shone through. The texture melted in the mouth too, and it wasn't half as tough to eat as I had initially feared when handling it. Why oh why don't I have pastries more often? The citrus flavour wasn't forgotten though, for it came from the icing, reminding me of the zingy pockets of flavour imparted into a delicious lemon drizzle cake. The cranberries were squidgy and sweet, harmonising with the other elements to create a true festive flavour that was simply delectable. 

I'm left feeling very tempted to return to Waitrose and pick up another pastry (and some Bucks Fizz) for Sunday morning! 

9/10

*

• Festive muffin reviews: Greggs Christmas Muffin & Morrisons Gingerbread Muffins
• Festive doughnut reviews: Krispy Kreme Melting Snowman & Santa Belly
• Festive cookie review: Morrisons bakery stollen cookies

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

Christmas Tree Biscuit (Greggs)

You know that you've completely lost the plot when you're finding food to match your plates. Yes, that's my current state of mind, thanks to the desperate assignment avoidance mode that's kicked in. If you follow me on instagram you might've spotted my impressive array of themed serveware that has come out to play recently. One of my best finds thus far is the Christmas tree plate that I found at Home Bargains (I think it cost about a pound), and now most evenings I entertain myself by finding festive foods to match said plate -much to the bemusement of my other half. I tried making branches from apples with a mince pie base before discovering that Christmas tree crumpets matched it rather well. Then yesterday I had a brainwave whilst attempting to write a social media report: what about the Christmas Tree biscuits that I've spotted at Greggs when buying their mince pie and Christmas Muffin? They would fit perfectly I'm sure! So that afternoon I side-stepped my studies once more and cycled into town on important biscuit business. 

 Photo from www.greggs.co.uk

"What's more Christmassy than a Christmas tree and a bit of ginger?! That's why our Christmas tree biscuit is back!
Ginger biscuit covered with chocolate flavour coating and decorated with sugar sprinkles and a sugar paste star to finish it off like all good trees should be."

It's a good job I love both gingerbread and chocolate really, and that said biscuit was a reasonable 80p, otherwise this plate hobby could become a bit of a chore. The biscuit was every bit as pretty as the picture in Greggs' adverts, with a good covering of chocolate and sprinkles. I felt a bit childish ordering it, but if you can't be childish at Christmas then when can you be? 

Like Cinderella's shoe, it fit!

Are you a crispy, soft, or no gingerbread kind of person? I like both varieties, but have had my fill of the former kind this month thanks to the Lebkuchen Hearts I've been gorging on. I did hope that the biscuit would be a little kinder on my teeth than the sneaky Gingerbread Reindeer from ASDA were last year though. 

Fortunately the base of the tree was rather soft and almost bendy. I wondered if it had gone slightly stale, but it still tasted good and delivered a fiery warmth. As I worked my way up  towards the star, the biscuit was crisper with a good crunch, yet wasn't hard enough to worry the dentists (although the sugar content might!). The coating tasted typically of cooking chocolate -it was cheap and not the sort of stuff you'd want to eat on it's own- but used in this light its sweet waxiness worked well to counteract the heat from the biscuit.

Greggs' Christmas Tree biscuit is a lovely little festive treat, and I'd be more than happy to have another!

8/10

NEW! Favorina Spiced Biscuit Spread (LIDL)

I don't know about you but I definitely go through phases. Biscoff is often subject to such phases; I become addicted to the stuff and then don't have it for a few days and before I know it it's relegated to the back of the spread cupboard (yes I have three shelves and an entire cupboard solely dedicated to toast toppings). Then when I rediscover it, I fall back in love and the cycle begins once more. Honestly, if you've never bought it and have addictive tendancies stay clear of Biscoff, the stuff is ridiculously hard to put down.

Anyway the subject of today's review is LIDL's Spiced Biscuit Spread, which I presumed to be their knock-off version of Biscoff. They've released it as part of their Christmas range, something I found strange because Biscoff doesn't even enter my mind as being a seasonal product. However Speculoos biscuits do tend to make an appearance at this time of year, so I guess from that point of view it is. 

LIDL are selling two versions just as Biscoff do: Crunchy and Smooth. Whilst I'm almost always a smooth peanut butter kind of gal, crunchy Biscoff always gets my vote -so that's what I went for. The 350g jars are on a 2 for £2 deal though (I think they were £1.29 each) so if you can't make up your mind then you could always pick up both.

"Spiced biscuit spread with biscuit pieces." 

I had a jar of Biscoff Crunchy at home, so I'll directly compare the two for those of you who are also obsessed with the spread.

The colour of both was identical, and even the keenest eye would be hard pressed to tell them apart. There was a noticeable difference in consistency though, with the LIDL version appearing slightly shinier and a lot smoother. 

I first tried the spread on M&S' Gingerbread Teacakes -which I now realise is the perfect topping for said treat. Whilst the spread complimented the bread perfectly, the warming flavours from the teacake prevented me from really being able to tell the difference between LIDL and Biscoff. The following evening I tried both on the same *Christmas Tree* crumpet for optimum comparison, and found that there was very little difference in the flavour between them -both delivered on the extreme cinnamon biscuit yummy scrummy-ness. The singular difference came from the texture: Biscoff's spread was grainier and stayed put whereas LIDL's spread melted wonderfully, oozing into the crumpet's pockets and still provided a little crunch from the biscuit pieces. Delicious. 

Top 1/2 of the tree is LIDL, bottom 1/2 is Biscoff.

There's slight variations between the ingredients, more than I expected given the similarity of the flavours. Nutritionally the LIDL is slightly higher in calories and fat, but is lower in sugars (see below for the breakdown). Really there's not a lot in it though, and I love that the consistency of LIDL's crunchy Spiced Biscuit Spread is more like a mixture of Biscoff's smooth and crunchy. The price is also a bonus -at 36.8p per 100g it's a lot cheaper than the branded version (currently on offer at Tesco and still 46.1g per 100g). I'll certainly be stocking up before Christmas anyway, and I suggest you do too!

9/10

Nutritional Info Per 100g
LIDL: 594Kcal/ P:3.2/ C52.0/ F41.2
Biscoff: 571 Kcal/ P:32.3/C58.8/ F: 35.7

Shapers Turkey, Stuffing & Redcurrant Sandwich (Boots)

Today I thought I'd take the opportunity to share with you the weekly highlight of my lunches. For a long time now I've looked forward to my Monday Boots Meal Deal, courtesy of o2's priority scheme. As a student I rarely buy sandwiches, instead I make and take my own in to uni with me as a far cheaper option. Normally I mix up the mains part of the meal deal between the various sandwiches, wraps, salads and sushi (of which there are a fabulous selection) but for the past 6-7 weeks I have been ruthlessly sticking to their Limited Edition Turkey,Stuffing & Redcurrant sarnie. Nothing beats a festive sammie. Well maybe a fish finger or sausage butty does, but as far as cold sarnies go Christmas is King.

"Cooked Turkey breast, pork, sage and onion stuffing mayonnnaise with cranberry and redcurrant sauce and spinach on malted bread."

Every Monday the bread has been soft with a welcome earthiness thanks to the malted nature of it. There's always a plentiful supply of spinach too which is perhaps an odd choice for a festive sandwich (I sure as hell don't have spinach on Xmas day anyway) but I'm grateful for the nod to some kind of veg -and lettuce just wouldn't work here either. 

Week-on-week the turkey is good too; it's moist and retains about as much flavour as you're going to get from the traditional Christmas bird. The cranberry and redcurrant sauce is tart enough to err on the right side of sweet, and complements the meat well. The reason why I'm addicted to this sammie however is the pork, sage and onion stuffing mayonnaise. I love a good stuffing (oo-er), and Boots have been very smart to incorporate it into the sauce rather than keep it as a separate layer. For me the biggest selling point of this sandwich is so often its downfall too. The amount of mayo is very hit and miss, some days it's smothering the turkey (just how I like it) and others it's like Boots' sarnie makers are running out of fillings (see today's pathetic covering below). Boo. 

The disappointment is just about bearable and I'll keep opting for the Turkey, Stuffing & Redcurrant Sandwich every week -and it'll be sorely missed come New Year. It's not as decadent or as filling as M&S' Pigs & Blankets sarnie, but it is a damn site cheaper (even at full price) and kinder on the waistline -I've got to make room for all the snacks to review after all! 

8/10 

NEW! Shimmering Gold Melt In The Middle Puddings (M&S)

My sister has come to stay this weekend, so I decided to treat both her and my other half to their favourite dinner. I hate steak, in fact cooking it makes me heave, but they love it! It's Christmas after all. The other "must have" item for the weekend was wine, so then dawned on me that this was was one of those rare occasions when shopping at M&S would actually be cheaper -thanks to their Dine In for £10 offer. This weekend's selection is the best I've seen for a long time; I'm even tempted to go back and buy another selection before the deal finishes on Tuesday. The very best part is that M&S have created a few smaller versions of their 2016 Christmas desserts, including the one I opted for. I was actually torn between two puds, but couldn't resist the idea of a glittery pud -and thought my sister would approve too. Yep, I might not have partaken in the main, but I sure as hell wasn't missing out on dessert. I guess it's a good job that my fiancé doesn't like chocolate orange anyway!

"Deliciously soft textured pudding with a hidden golden orange sauce."

Seeing as we were on the path to opulence here I thought a side of ice cream wouldn't go amiss with the warm chocolate puddings. I popped each pot in the microwave for the states 60 seconds before pouring on a plate and covering with the supplied edible glitter. At first I was a little disappointed that the puds didn't come pre-shimmered but then realised that the gold would probably stick to the inside of the wrapping and result in a far less beautiful pudding. And stunning it was, don't you agree?

Slicing the dome in two revealed the sauce innards, although there was certainly less of it than the photo on the packaging suggested (reading the packet informs me the puddings only include 11% sauce). The pool of molten gold was gloriously glittery though, and I hoped it would pack the jaffa punch as promised.

As usual, Marks & Sparks have nailed the chocolate cake (there's a reason why their iconic molten middle chocolate puddings have been so successful). The cocoa was dark and rich, whilst the texture remained moist and soft. The warmth gave it the comfort factor (especially whilst eating it in front of the fire and Christmas tree). As for the molten centre, it was orangey, but not as flavourful as I'd hoped -I imagine the addition of orange zest would have helped. The scarcity of the sauce also meant that it was impossible to scoop some up with every spoonful of cake, and I was grateful for the vanilla ice cream to offer sweetness against the intense chocolate. 

It's a shame really because had the sauce been a tad more zingy -and say there was about a third more of it- this dessert would have been one of my favourite M&S puds to date. Hopefully the larger version offers a better balance of sauce to filling. Even so, the Shimmering Gold Melt In The Middle Pudding would make the most impressive centrepiece for Christmas Day!

9/10