Rhubarb & Custard Iced Buns (M&S)

M&S' rhubarb and custard buns have been around for a couple of summers now, but I hadn't brought myself to buy any thanks to the unimpressive reviews I'd read on them. To be honest, it's only in the past six months that I've learned how great M&S filled buns can be. If you'll recall, the Christmas boobie buns kicked things off, followed by the lemon Whitby buns, and I well and truly fell in love with the carrot cake & cream cheese hot cross buns -which I've only just run out of thanks to my excessive hoarding. It was these discoveries that got me wondering about the rhubarb buns, and praying that they'd return once again this year. Alas! When the summer products started to grace M&S' shelves, the rhubarb buns were missing, but thankfully they were just a little late to the table. The rhubarb & custard buns are £1.35 for two, but of course a I waited to find them reduced. 

"Vanilla custard flavoured buns filled with a tangy rhubarb jam."

I also managed to buy them during the heatwave, which means that they were difficult to retrieve from their cardboard wrap without smearing the icing everywhere. To be fair, I was impressed that the topping had stayed as intact as it had. 

Slicing the bun in half revealed the generous pocket of oozy pink sauce. It was much looser than normal jam, and had a hard time staying within the bun -as you can see from the photo below. I felt that Rhubarb and custard was a bit of a marketing ploy on M&S' part, for the 'custard flavoured bun' didn't taste any different to their normal sweet dough. I mean, it was light, fluffy and scrummy, but it wouldn't live up to Ronseal's standards. 

As for that oozy rhubarb sauce, it was very sweet, lacked the promised tang and was just too thin. I'd have really like to have seen a chunky, slightly tangy, soft-set conserve here instead. Well, actually, if it was me designing the buns I would have filled the buns with both rhubarb jam and custard (or Creme patisserie). The consistency and abundance (which I'm certainly not complaining about) of the filling means that it's a bun best reserved to eat at home. Especially if you're even remotely in the clumsy club, and never eat one in a white shirt. 

The final disappointment came from the icing. I'd have liked to have seen a rhubarb flavoured topping as per the Greggs ring doughnuts (which have made a reappearance this year). M&S have been lazy though, and just used a standard unflavoured icing. 

Despite my complaints about them not being really rhubarb and custard-y, these are yummy buns and so If you imagine them to be big, sticky, raspberry filled finger buns you won't be disappointed. I will point out though that the Lemon buns are far more exciting, and well worth a try if you haven't yet. 

7/10. 

Mr Gladstone's Curious Emporium Rhubarb & Custard Wine Review (Tesco)

It feels very odd to be writing about wine at 10am, especially whilst en route to a fitness convention. Actually, scrap that, the man opposite me on the train  just cracked open a Strongbow so I figure it's more than acceptable. Plus, it'll be evening by the time this is published, and you might be needing wine to get you through the Sunday blues. Convinced yet? I am.

Now I'll also start by admitting that I'm certainly no wine connoisseur but my preferences usually lie with either a full-bodied Rioja or zesty Pinot Grigio, depending on what I'm having for dinner. I've left the rosé with my teenage years and early twenties; despite my chocoholic tendencies I find it too sweet now. That was at least until I spied this rhubarb & custard wine on fellow sweet-toothed foodie Siân's instagram and then promptly found it on offer in Tesco. Argh it's pink, it's likely to be sweet but it's new, novel and rhubarb & custard flavour. If you've been following this blog for a while you'll know that I can't resist the call of anything rhubarb. At £3.50 (normally £4) it wasn't about to break the bank and so I treated myself to a bottle in the wake of finishing my second year at uni. 

"Expertly crafted with 100% natural flavours to create a refreshingly delicious treat, bursting with the traditional confectionary flavours of Rhubarb and Custard. Perfect served chilled or over ice."

Chilled it was. Siân suggested that I smelt it before I tried it, and I was pleasantly surprised by the intermingled aromas of both wine and rhubarb and custard. Whilst I was concerned that it would smell odd and artificial, it reminded me of summer days during my a-levels and having BBQs in the fields by the river with my friends. Now I don't imagine that that's what it would bring up for you, but I hope you get the picture.

It wasn't syrupy and slipped down my throat with ease. The rhubarb and custard flavour is surprisingly strong, but not overwhelming and works weirdly well with the rosé. I thought I'd balk at the sweetness, but it's not half bad. I wouldn't serve it alongside dinner but the Curious Emporium Rhubarb and Custard wine makes for a good sunny afternoon drink with friends (it's much lower in alcohol at 9%) or alongside a tub of Ben & Jerry's strawberry swirled.  

8/10 

NEW! Rhubarb & Custard Ice Cream Cones

Last year I found sheer joy with Iceland's Nostalgic Rhubarb & Custard Cone Sensations. Only ASDA's Rhubarb Jumbles yielded similar happiness with my favourite sweet shop classic combination and both the Greggs Rhubarb & Custard donut, & M&S' Rhubarb, Strawberry & Custard Muffins paled in comparison. Seeing as the Iceland Cones were discontinued in the Autumn, I hoped that Tesco had provided us with an ample replacement. 

"Rhubarb and custard flavour ice creams in a wafer cone coated with chocolate flavoured coating, rippled and topped with rhubarb sauce, finished with biscuit pieces."

At £1 for a box of four ice creams, they were the same price as Iceland's versions. There was a subtle difference between the two descriptions though - Iceland's were adorned with sugar crystals whereas Tesco's are coated in biscuit pieces. 

Well I say covered, but I don't mean it. There was a measly smattering of crumbs, which I didn't even acknowledge until I looked back at the photos. Iceland's sweetie-esque topping was much better. 

Luckily the sauce was tasty, bearing a welcome combination of sweet with a slightly tanginess. I can't comment on whether it was an improvement on Iceland's as my memory doesn't serve me that well, but it was scrummy nonetheless. Unfortunately the sauce wasn't very well distributed. The top half of the cone didn't contain much, and neither did the bottom, but there was a huge pocket of pink stickiness in the middle. 

As for the ice cream, it had that soft, almost whipped-ness of most cheap supermarket ice creams. Flavour-wise it was every bit the let down. Both the rhubarb and custard elements were weak. Rhubarb is such a punchy flavour so there's no excuse for it to not come to the fore, but it was very much lacking in these cones. 

If I was looking for the silver lining, I'd tell you that the wafer cone was crunchy with a decently sized chocolate nib at the bottom, but surely that's the least you expect, isn't it? 

5/10

Rhubarb Milk Chocolate (Choc Affair)

My father has been on the snack hunt again...

"I've found you some rhubarb chocolate, pickle. It's the peculiar kind of thing I thought you might like" he excitedly told me. I felt my stomach turn, remembering the sickeningly sweet bar from ALDI last summer "Oh, dad, please tell me it's not made by Moser Roth?" I groaned. "No no", he assured me, "it's made by a posh chocolate company called Choc Affair".

Somewhere in the back of my mind I recalled hearing good things about Choc Affair, but I spend so much time looking for and eating chocolate that I could easily be mistaken. Choc Affair, for those of you who who don't know, is a family run business from York whose tag line is "changing lives through chocolate". Their products are all handmade, palm oil free, and made using natural ingredients.

Rhubarb is an unusual pairing for chocolate, and I always assumed that given the natural tartness of the vegetable that white chocolate would be the obvious choice. It seems that Choc Affair don't always opt for the classic combinations though, and I was keen to discover whether their milk chocolate was any good and whether it would work with the rhubarb.

"Rhubarb chocolate, you say!  Well this rhubarb is a light and subtle flavour which will leave you with a feeling of serenity and a sweet surprise."

Can we please take a moment to admire the beautiful packaging too? It was a work of art, and almost too good to open.

I was somewhat surprised when I unwrapped the gold foil covered bar to discover a glossy but smooth block. I thought I'd spot strands of rhubarb, or perhaps some pink hues, but instead the chocolate simply looked like good quality milk chocolate. Just for info, the Rhubarb Chocolate contains a very respectable 33.6% minimum of cocoa solids and 20.8% minimum of milk solids.

Nibbling the edge of my first chunk revealed just how well Choc Affair have done with this bar. The milk chocolate is rich and silken, so smooth that it melts in the mouth without the slightest wax or chalkiness to it. I'd even go as far as suggesting it's one of the best quality milk chocolate bars I've had in many years.

As for the rhubarb flavour, it's bold but balanced, offering a genuine fruitiness that cuts through the sweetness. There's no hiding from its presence either, for it makes itself known in every last morsel. Despite my earlier reservations about whether a white chocolate would work better, the flavours fuse in perfect harmony and I'm glad that Choc Affair have opted for the more unusual choice here.

Choc Affair's range includes a whole host of innovative chocolate bars in milk, white and dark varieties which are reasonably priced between £1.25 (45g unflavoured chocolate bars) and £2.75 (100g flavoured bars) all available from their website. They also produce chocolate lollies, letters, numbers, hampers, and drinking chocolate as well as seasonal editions. I'm especially eyeing up their mango and peach & raspberry white chocolate bars!

10/10

Thanks for the find Daddio! 

NEW! Rhubarb, Strawberry & Custard Muffins (M&S)

Yesterday afternoon on my way home from work I was having conversation with Nat (of a-lot-o-choc blog) about some of the scrummy new desserts and treats that have just popped up in M&S*. Well, actually that's a fib. Nat was actually informing me of the delights because I hadn't spotted them yet. One mention of rhubarb, strawberry & custard crumble muffins however and I knew I'd be taking a pricey detour via Sparks. The dogs could surely cross their tails and wait 10 minutes longer for their wees! 

Now if you've been following this blog for a while, you'll know that I have a very soft spot for rhubarb, and that a bowl of strawberry & rhubarb crumble with custard once rendered me a content but sobbing mess (see the story here if you're interested). Anyway, it's something about the sweet-tart combination that thrills my tastebuds, but I've discovered that it's a delicate balance when translated into other treats. Over the year I've tried rhubarb & custard flavoured dessert pots, ice creams, and even a doughnut -but I can't recall ever seeing a muffin before. I really hoped that M&S would do it justice! 

"fruity rhubarb muffin, double filled with strawberry & rhubarb compote and custard, topped with tumbling crumble."

I ended up buying two different packs of M&S muffins in the end as they were in a 2 for £2.50 offer (otherwise £1.60 on their own). They certainly looked light and fluffy, with a dusting of crumble topping as promised. Their innards appeared even more appetising, and I was thrilled to see the clear pockets of both custard and compote, although where was the rhubarb at? Was the paltry smattering at the bottom all there was? 

Well yes, I'm afraid so. The rhubarb was indeed completely lost in the mix, far overshadowed by the other, more sweet fillings. The custard was pleasant (it just reminded me of cold Ambrosia, which I love) but it felt all wrong to have just a smidge of creaminess in such a large piece of cake -or is it just me who drowns their puddings in custard? The compote (AKA jam) was far more strawberry than rhubarb; and although yummy, missed the mark entirely. It really required the traditionally sharp tang of the rhubarb that M&S promised of. The jot of fruit at was simply disappointing, and felt almost like an afterthought. The muffins would have been far better with the rhubarb chunks rippled throughout; I'm sure Mary Berry would have something to say about the sunken soggy chunks lingering right at the bottom.

On the plus side, the texture of the cake itself couldn't be better. It was light and fluffy with a melt-in-the-mouth butteriness that tasted remarkably homemade. The crumble also added a light crunch and was a welcome addition. 

All in all, these are a nice new addition to M&S' bakery aisle. They're just not outstanding, and in fact are inferior to ASDA's toffee fudge muffins. Here's hoping the other new M&S muffins I bought will be better than the rhubarb versions... Stay tuned!

7/10 

*Yes, we're bored of you now Spirit of Summer, it's time to move over.

Rhubarb & Custard Doughnut (Greggs)

I can't tell you how happy I am that rhubarb and custard seems to be going through a bit of a trend phase at the moment. ASDA's Rhubarb Jumble pots and Iceland's Rhubarb & Custard Cone Sensations are wonderful 2016 edition desserts which have both slightly altered my perception of the clasically British combination. How so? Well, I once thought of rhubarb and custard as a wintery pud (especially if the rhubarb comes baked into a crumble-yum!) but I've realised that the sharp-sweetness can offer a refreshing zing on a hot summers day. It's this new thinking that caused me to pop into Greggs on the way home from work and pick up this unusually flavoured doughnut. Well, actually, I tried yesterday too but they were completely sold out -boo. 

On the shelf in the bakery, the doughnuts looked rather pretty with their yellow and pink feathered icing. Unfortunately, by the time I'd walked the 2miles home in the blazing sunshine, the icing had melted and smeared itself all over the paper bag. Waste not, want not. I scraped as much of it out as I could. 

Refusing to wait any longer, I licked the yellow and pink icing straight off the spoon. Wow, it tasted like melted rhubarb and custard sweets -and was utterly delicious! Of course it was far more sweet than tart, but the tang was not lost and lingered lovingly in the background. Would it work against the sugary doughnut too?

Yes, I'm pleased to say it did. Although the doughnut didn't taste as fresh or as fluffy as I'd have liked, the combination worked surprisingly well. What did disappoint me however, was the lack of rhubarb jam and/or custard running through the dough itself. I've come to expect all doughnuts -even the ring kind- to be filled with some kind of naughtiness, and I felt that the additional rhubarb and custard element would have elevated this treat onto a whole new level of genius! 

7/10

NEW! Moser Roth Rhubarb & Strawberry White Chocolate (ALDI)

Rhubarb and strawberry is a combination that is utterly underrated in the UK. In fact I hadn't really come across it until I was in hospital a couple of years ago and was served a steaming bowl of rhubarb and strawberry crumble with custard. I could've cried with delight at how good it tasted. Admittedly that might have been down to the fact that NHS grub is normally pretty damn awful, but I have made said dessert from scratch on many an occasion since -and still love it. 

It was this connection with the flavour combo that made me jump for joy when I spotted this new white chocolate bar in ALDI. The vows I had made to not buy any more food until I'd got through at least some of my recent snack hauls were instantly forgotten, and into my basket it went. The 100g bar cost 99p, and for your information there is also a forest fruits version.

As soon as I unwrapped the foil I was greeted with the strong scent of freeze dried strawberries. The bar snapped easily and I noticed that it was starting to melt slightly. 

Oh. What a disappointment! The chocolate was chalky and cheap tasting -worlds apart from the glorious Madagascan Vanilla Moser Roth bar. To make matters worse, the strawberry that I could smell totally overpowered any hints of rhubarb, that may or may not have been there. I expected there to be some balance of sweetness but instead the chocolate was super-sweet and very sickly. Gah. 

The bar was edible, but nowhere near as good as I've experienced previously with Moser Roth chocolate. I certainly won't buy it again.

4/10

NEW! Rhubarb Jumbles (ASDA)

This is certainly rhubarb week! But you'll have to forgive me because I finally found the Rhubarb Jumbles, the last pack on the shelf at the ASDA near my uni. I almost left them there as they would have to suffer an hour long journey back home, but seeing as I'd been checking my local store every day for the past week with no luck, I had to buy them.

 

"Astonishing! Tangy rhubarb compote, velvety mousse and crumbly flapjack... all in a pot? Why ever not!"

What I hadn't appreciated is that as well as mousse, compote, and flapjack, the pots also contain a layer of cheesecake batter. I mean, why on earth would you not shout about cheesecake batter? That's got to be the best bit hasn't it? Well, actually all four layers sounded pretty damn perfect to me...

Adorning the Rhubarb Jumble was a couple of flapjack pieces. I've mentioned before that recently I've fallen in love with the stuff, so I was pleased to find that it was in plentiful supply. The flapjack was lighter than expected -more crumbly than sticky, but yummy all the same.

The creamy coloured top layer was light, fluffy, and had an unexpected tang to it, which I rather enjoyed. The cheesecake batter was a cracking start to the Rhubarb Jumbles. Next up was a flapjack layer, offering an excellent textural contrast against the moussey top and fruit below. Again they came as chunks rather than a disk, and the flavours mingled well together. 

The rhubarb was sweeter than expected, but still kept some degree of sharpness. I was pleased to find that it wasn't jam-like in consistency, and retained some (albeit very soft) structural integrity. 

At the very bottom was another airy layer. It wasn't particularly strong in flavour, tasting more like whipped cream. The mousse was pleasant, but far from exceptional, and I can't help but think that the Rhubarb Jumbles would have been better finishing with the cheesecake batter.

If you're a rhubarb and custard fan, give ASDA's new rhubarb jumbles a go -especially while they're on offer (£1.50 for two). If not, then try their new Afternoon Tea Delights, which are equally as tasty.

9/10

NEW! Rhubarb & Custard Cone Sensations (Iceland)

I may never forgive Iceland for discontinuing their fabulous peanut and banana ice cream cones of 2015. If you didn't try them, shame on you. They were wonderful, especially as banana ice cream is oddly a rarity. I had been eagerly awaiting Iceland's summer stock, hoping that once again I'd get my hands on their peanut and banana cones, but alas! they've not returned. The frozen food specialist has fortunately dampened the blow however with some rather scrummy looking new lines such as their new banoffee flavoured Majestics (fake magnums between you and I).

Iceland have also launched three new ice cream cones: 'Toffee Apple', 'Coconut Dream' and 'Rhubarb & Custard'. I adore rhubarb so they were the first in my basket! At £1 for a pack of four they're a veritable bargain, especially as they're much larger than cornettos (110ml compared to 90ml).

"Crispy wafer cones with a chocolate flavour coating, filled with rhubarb and custard flavour ice creams and a rhubarb flavour sauce, decorated with pink sugar crystal pieces."

It must be said that the packaging design is truly hideous, yet the cones themselves were things of beauty. The sugar crystals added an ethereal quality, whilst the princess pink and white coloured ice creams were rather pretty.


The crystals tasted like crushed up rhubarb & custard sweets, a theme that was set to continue throughout. 

The ice cream was soft and creamy, rather like whipped ice cream, with a true nostalgic flavour. It was hard to distinguish between the rhubarb and the custard flavours but the combination tasted just like the sweets. I imagined that the rhubarb flavour would be slightly tart in order to offset the sweetness, but it wasn't -and I didn't mind one bit. 

A punchy zing came from the rhubarb sauce which ran all the way down the centre of the cone. It was jammy and harmonised well with the ice cream.
Thankfully the waffles had retained their crispness -there's nothing worse than a limp cone after all- and of course they contained that little treasure at the end -the nib of dark chocolate. 

If you'd have told me that my favourite British classic sweet would work as an ice cream, I'm not sure I'd have believed you, however Iceland have somehow worked their wizardry and pulled it off! 

9/10