NEW! Red Velvet, S'mores, Salted Caramel & Cookie Dough Cheesecakes (ASDA)

I walked into ASDA the other night to pick up some bread rolls and came away with four cheesecakes. How did that happen?! Please tell me I'm not the only one. Believe it or not, that was me holding back, there were many more new ones (take a look at the bottom of this post for photos of just some of the others I spotted). Anyway, I bought 4 of the 5 new individual ones for £1 each -key lime pie didn't appeal I'm afraid, even enough to take a photo. 

Cookie Dough
I really hoped this would be better than the last ASDA cookie dough cheesecake I reviewed just over a year ago. It certainly looked appealing, with a more substantial base this time around.

"Chocolate biscuit base with chocolate chip and chocolate cheesecake batters, with cookie dough, topped with chocolate sauce, milk chocolate chips and white chocolate buttons."

The cheesecake itself was pretty pants. It had that wobbly jelly like consistency that I find so off-putting in most supermarket cheesecakes. Flavour-wise neither the chocolate or chocolate chip batter cut the mustard either. The paler of the two didn't have many chocolate chips, neither did it taste of vanilla, or soured cream, just plain. Humf. The chocolate cheesecake wasn't much better either. 
As for the cookie dough, that was a bit lost too. In fact I only realised when I finished my slice that I hadn't even tasted it! Oops. Fortunately the chocolate bottom was ok, although a little on the dry and crumbly side.

5/10 

Salted Caramel 

"Digestive biscuit base topped with caramel cheesecake batter and salted caramel sauce, topped with milk chocolate malt balls and chocolate crispies."

At least the cheesecake itself was actually flavoured. Whilst it still wobbled, I enjoyed the treacly flavour (although I'm not sure how salted it truly was). 
The honeycomb balls on top were crisp, although admittedly they weren't up to Malteser standards.

I also enjoyed the base of this one. Sometimes you can't beat the original, and I greedily hoovered up every last crumb of digestive biscuit. 

7/10

Red Velvet Secret Centre 

"Red velvet base with vanilla cheesecake batter and a chocolate sauce centre, with red velvet topping."

Boy this was messy to retrieve from its pot, the cake crumb scattered everywhere! Also, can you call a cheesecake a cheesecake without a biscuit bottom? 

Another sub-standard cheesecake. I think ASDA must've used the same batter in this and the cookie dough flavour, for it had a similar a similar taste and consistency. The cake crumb was ok, but there wasn't much of it, and without the crunchy base there was a distinct lack of textural contrast. Not good. The 'secret centre' constituted a measly teaspoonful of runny chocolate sauce, the sort of stuff you'd use to top ice cream -again it wasn't particularly enjoyable. 

I'd give this one a miss if I were you.

4/10  

S'mores 
I really hoped that this cheesecake would fare better than the other new ASDA cheesecakes and the Tesco freezer burnt S'mores cheesecake I reviewed last year.

"Chocolate biscuit base with chocolate cheesecake batter topped and a chocolate sauce centre topped with a chocolate sauce and marshmallows."

This cheesecake was at least easier to remove from its case, revealing three distinct layers beneath the marshmallow topping.

The top layer was meant to be chocolate sauce, but it was set and tasted a bit like the odd wobbly chocolate puddings you find in all inclusive hotels on the continent -please tell me you know what I mean? I really wish that ASDA had used ganache instead.

The chocolate cheesecake was far from the best I've had; it was gelatinous and mild in flavour. As for the secret centre, I uncovered the same sorry state of affairs as I found in the Red Velvet. Gah, ASDA, you can do so much better than this.

I was grateful that the base was crunchy and actually made from biscuits! The chocolate flavour was rather good too, with a dark bourbon-esque element. C'mon guys, I'm looking for the silver lining here. 

6/10

Summary
What a disappointment ASDA, especially having bought and thoroughly enjoyed your outstanding White Chocolate & Raspberry Cheesecakes the weekend before. 

Just some of the other new cheesecakes spotted at ASDA..

I like the sound of the Banana Bonanza, but I fear it'll be just as bad as their other new cheesecakes. Please let me know what you think if you try any of ASDA's new dessert range!

FlapJacked Mighty Muffins: Maple Pumpkin, S'mores and Apple & Cinnamon (Online)

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about FlapJacked's Buttermilk Protein Pancake & Baking Mix and also promised to review their Mighty Muffin range. Today I'm reviewing 3 of the 6 flavours -so you'll have to come back again to find out how the peanut butter, chocolate, and peanut butter & chocolate flavours fare. But first, let's get to grips about what Mighty Muffins are all about...

"FlapJacked Mighty Muffins are a delicious, certified gluten free, protein packed and high fibre muffin developed with scrumptious flavour, balanced nutrition and convenience in mind. Bursting with pockets of flavour in every bite, Mighty Muffins pack 20 grams of protein and 240 calories in each serving (1 container). The patented probiotic GanedenBC30 has been added to help you support immune health as part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle. Simply add water, microwave for up to 1 minute (time will vary depending on the power of your microwave) and you have a delicious meal or snack on the go."

Gluten free, high in protein and scrummy to boot? Surely not. 

Maple Pumpkin
As usual I opted for the flavour that I thought I'd like least (although they all sounded good to me). I peeled back the lid to find a fair amount of powder, before adding 60ml of water using the provided container as suggested. 

As I stirred the mixture my nostrils were greeted with an array of spices which instantly made me even hungrier; it's a good job I didn't have to wait for this cake to bake in the oven! My microwave took a little longer than the advised 60 seconds to make the muffin peak out the top of the tub (but it is only low watt).

I was still too eager to eat my muffin and soon found that it was still gooey in the middle - but I pretended it was supposed to be a fondant. The flavours were really delicious though, maple and pumpkin are underutilised in the UK, and I loved the combination of spice and sweet. I wasn't expecting the little crunchy maple bits in the muffin either, but enjoyed the contrast in textures.
Maple Pumpkin Mighty Muffin was every bit as scrumptious as FlapJacked promised, and it's certainly a treat I'll happily enjoy over and over again.

9/10

S'mores 
This time I knew the drill: I added my water and mixed, before attempting to give my muffin a sufficient amount of time in the microwave.

The S'mores muffin was packed full of chocolate chips and marshmallow pieces. The cake had a fluffy texture this time (thanks to my patience), but I found that without the spice that the protein flavour was much more prominent. I primarily use whey protein to bake with and haven't ever tried Pea protein before. All of FlapJacked's products are made using a combination of both. It didn't taste bad, but it certainly wasn't your usual sponge cake flavour. 

6/10

Apple & Cinnamon

I was in need of some comfort food after a long day yesterday, so opted for cake and ice cream for pudding. This was much healthier than it sounds though, thanks to the Mighty Muffin's low sugar and fat content and OPPO's low sugar content. Is my healthy halo glowing yet? I think not.

The heavy dose of cinnamon in this cake was scrummy, although now I'd detected the protein taste in the S'mores muffin I couldn't ignore it in the background of this flavour too. The combination of warm cinnamon cake with ample apple pieces and salted caramel ice cream was wonderful though, and I felt like I was eating a hug in a bowl. Serious noms.

8/10

Flapjacked's Mighty Muffins are available to purchase from their website, where you will receive 10% off by using the code AMY10.

If you want to be in with the chance of WINNING 6 Mighty Muffins AND a Protein Pancake Mix amongst many other goodies, please enter my instagram competition.

Thank you to FlapJacked for the samples!

NEW! BPI Best Protein Bars (Cardiff Sports Nutrition)

A few Fridays ago I visited my sister in the Welsh Capital, and was fortunate enough to have the afternoon off. I used the opportunity to head down early so that I could make the pilgrimage to the famous wall of peanut butter -AKA Cardiff Sports Nutrition. As you all know by now, peanut butter pretty much pumps through my veins -I've had it every single day in 2016, and that's absolutely true- so CSN is my idea of absolute heaven, I've never seen so much PB in one place. The last time I visited I was on a mission to buy a jar of PB Crave Coco Bananas, and wasn't working out, so forewent the massive array of sports supplements. This time, I had a good look at what was on offer, and was lucky enough to receive some samples of a new range of bar that CSN has recently started stocking: BPI's 'Best Protein Bars'.

With so many protein bars, flapjacks and shakes on the market, how do BPI compare? They say... 

"Tired of eating protein bars that taste like cardboard? Those days are a thing of the past! BPI Sports’ BEST PROTEIN BAR™ is not only packed with nutrition, but it tastes amazing! With four delicious flavors to choose from, like Cookies and Cream, S'mores, or Cinnamon Crunch, you're sure to find your new favorite protein bar, for the best snacking experience, anytime, anywhere!"

I had been given two sample size bars: one cookies and cream and the other S'mores. I've tried both of the same flavours in the Quest range so I was keen so see how they compared. The guys promised me that they tasted good -and also agreed that the B-Up bars are vile.

Looks wise, they looked very similar to Quest, and nutritionally they're close too with 20g of protein per full size bar, whilst being low carb and gluten free. 

Cookies & Cream
This flavour was good, and even better once warmed in the microwave. In fact it was darn similar to Quest's bar, and contained lots of chunks too (after all, we all want a bit of chunkporn!)
8/10

S'mores
Wow, now this was a bar that was very different to Quest. There was a strong scent of cinnamon, which also came through in the taste too. There was harder, biscuity like chunks dotted about which gave it a lovely textural edge. If you're a fan of the Combat Crunch Cinnamon flavour, I definitely suggest that you give this bar a whirl. One of the best protein bars I've had. 
9/10

If you want to try some of your own, please head over to CSN's website where they'll even give you free shopping on orders over £19.99. Thanks to Matt & Marc at CSN for the samples! 

Snyder's of Hanover S'mores Pretzel Pieces (American Fizz)

Pretzels are totally underrated here in the U.K. Even ASDA have recently discontinued their six-pack of individual pretzel bags. What gives England? Don't you understand just how deliciously satisfying the salty crunch of a pretzel is? I'm hoping that one day we'll catch up with the Stateside fascination with them, but meanwhile I will have to get my fix through American Fizz. I haven't tasted any of Snyder's range before, but they come highly recommended by fellow blogger Nibbles 'N' Scribbles (please do check out her reviews of their salted caramel pretzels pieces and peanut butter pretzel sandwiches).

"The sweet flavors of marshmallows & chocolate sprinkled onto perfectly salty sourdough Pretzel Pieces."

I think it's the combination of salty-sweet that endeavours me to peanut butter, and probably why I love it even more combined with chocolate, banana and/or jam (seriously if you've never tried a pb & nutella or pb, jam & banana toastie, you need to get on it at your next opportunity!). It was the promise of salty-sweet that really drew me to this Snyder's flavour... well that and the inclusion of chocolate of course! 

I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the bag and poured out its contents. There was a complete assortment of different sized pretzel pieces, including some positively ginormous chunks! All of the bits were evenly coated in a sweet scented chocolate powder, which I was pleased with as it's so frustrating when you eat underseasoned snacks! 

The pretzel pieces were perfectly crispy with a decent crunch. Whilst I found this satisfying, it did start to irk my fiance who was watching a film with me at the time -Snyders are most certainly not cinema friendly snacks. 

The chocolate flavouring was pleasant enough, but it tasted just like hot chocolate powder. Obviously it wasn't the most authentic chocolatey experience, but the sweetness of the flavouring allowed for the perfect juxtaposition against the salty pretzel. I'm not sure where the marshmallow or Graham cracker elements went to, that the traditional 'S'mores' consists of, because I couldn't detect them anywhere.

Complaints aside, the Snyders S'mores Pretzel Pieces make a welcome change to what's currently available in the UK. I haven't tried anything like it before, and whilst I may not be in a mad rush to buy this flavour again, I'll certainly buy more from their range in future.

6/10

S'mores Cheesecake (Tesco)

Back in October last year I reviewed Tesco's new Toffee Apple cheesecake and was so impressed by it that I vowed to their other frozen desserts. Somehow I never got round to it, but ever the bargain hunter, I spotted their S'mores cheesecake on a half price offer

'Baked chocolate flavoured cheesecake batter and marshmallows on a digestive biscuit base.'

I was rather disappointed when I took the cheesecake out of its box; it looked utterly different to the attractive picture on the front, and was covered in icy freezer burn. Oh dear Tesco, not good so far. I acknowledged that looks don't indicate taste, and so I popped it on the side to defrost for a couple of hours with my fingers crossed.

Once it was ready to eat, the dessert was easy to slice, revealing a chunky biscuit base that accounted for roughly a third of its height (none of the barely there ASDA cheesecake fail). The chocolate layer was gelatinous in texture with a flavour that lacked any real depth. I mean, it tasted of cocoa, but it was utterly incomparable to the likes of Gu desserts. The marshmallows were a trivial addition to the cheesecake, perhaps offering extra (unneeded) sweetness, and they'd all but disintegrated away thanks to the excessive freezer burn. The base was the dessert's only saving grace, a crumbly digestive affair that luckily hadn't suffered the same fate of the marshmallows, and I was grateful for its abundance.

I'm not sure if I had bought a maltreated S'mores cheesecake, or if the product is a bit of a dead dog full stop, but if you're in Tesco and after a cheesecake freezer staple I suggest you buy their Toffee Apple version instead (it's only £1 until 7th March).

4/10

Annabelle's Rocky Road S'mores (American Chocolate Bar)

The Black Friday box of goodies that I ordered from American Soda contained a couple more chocolate bars that I've wanted to try for a while. One of which was the Rocky Road S'mores which One Treat reviewed a couple of months ago on behalf of Taffy Mail. She spoke highly of it, and I felt the food envy kick in so I decided to order one for myself. However, given how disgusted I was with the first chocolate I tried from my order (the Sky bar) I wasn't looking forward to it as much as I was when it arrived.  

The Rocky Road S'mores bar is a big gnarly ol' hunk of snack. If you haven't heard of them before (as I hadn't before reading OneTreat's review) they are 'Handmade fluffy marshmallow with a real graham cracker coated with milk chocolate and sprinkled with roasted cashew nuts.'

Unwrapping it, I noted that the chocolate was much darker than UK milk chocolate such as dairy milk. Fortunately however, I couldn't detect the horrid cheap chocolate smell that I experienced with the Sky Bar. 

Biting into it, I welcomed the soft, billowy marshmallow that melted away so pleasingly. It was far better than the marshmallows I'm used to (flumps) and although very sweet, didn't become sickly. Crunch came from the graham cracker on top- which was delicious-  but there just wasn't enough of it; I felt it could have really done with being both on top of and beaneath the mallow. The chocolate coating was studded with cashews (also just on top) which didn't add much in the way of flavour, but certainly offered an additional texture, reminding me of the coating of a 'Feast' ice cream. The chocolate was much better than expected, and although it's not as good quality as British chocolate, certainly outshines most of the US chocolates I've tried. 

I enjoyed this bar, and I'd buy it again! 

8/10