Mrs Freshley's Frosted Strawberry Mini Donuts (A Taste Of The States)

Isn't it odd that I've reviewed more Mrs Freshley's products on the blog than Mr Kipling? I'm not sure it's because they're that much more innovative, but probably just because they're American and I haven't had them before. Actually, I've changed my mind. Frosted strawberry doughnuts are infinitely more exciting than Viennese Whirls. IMO. 



Anyway, I've already tried the crunch and Cinnabon Mrs F's mini ring donuts with relative success so couldn't help ordering this variety from A Taste Of The States too. Strawberry doughnuts of course aren't a new thing, but I'm used to them being plain donuts topped with pink icing (Bert's favourite), strawberry jam filled, or a combination of both. Never have I tried a strawberry flavoured doughnut. 

The pack contained 6 "confectionary coating" covered rings, which were all evenly coated with a chocolate-esque coating. Of course it's not real chocolate, it's made from sugar, palm oil, cocoa, soy, salt and artificial flavouring -just a handful of ingredients on the epic list.  I can't tell you that it tasted all that great either. Fake chocolate just isn't my bag I'm afraid. Unfortunately, the doughnuts were a bit of a let down too. The dough was extremely dry and cloying, but there was -at least- a sweet strawberry flavour to it.  

Meh, sorry Mrs F but you haven't quite scored a mini doughnut hat-trick here. However, if you fancy trying these unusual creations, or perhaps the nicer Cinnabon or crunchy doughnuts, or even some Hostess Donettes then please head over to A Taste Of The States where you can benefit from 20% off with the code AMYSEEKS20.

5/10

Thanks to A Taste of The States for providing me with a gift card to order these with!

NEW! Mr Kipling Trifle Cake Slices (ASDA)

Does anyone have a dislike for Mr Kipling? It seems to be one of those favourable brands that doesn't seem to get a lot of stick. Maybe that's because they make cake, and everyone in their right mind loves a bit of cake. Thankfully Mr Kipling are helping to mix things up a little with some terribly British summer editions to grace your afternoon tea. I was pleased to see that they haven't just rehashed the old editions this year (although the cocktail fancies are back) but have brought out a new cake slice and tart. The Eton Mess tarts do appeal -and I'm sure I'll get round to buying them soon- but it was the trifle slices that initially caught my eye. 

There's something about trifle that makes me cringe a little, perhaps it's the sad Bird's mix one that's always hanging around on Boxing Day and beyond, gradually looking more and more worse for wear. Maybe it's the thought of my nan's one which was always left at birthday parties in favour of the chocolate cake. What am I getting at here? The trifle is classed as a British classic, yet it's often the poor, retro sibling of the more decadent desserts. It's nice to see Mr Kipling giving it some love, I guess. They've been making the trifle bake wells for a while, but how on earth do you transform fruit, jelly, sponge, custard and cream into a cake slice? 

"Strawberry flavour sponge with a raspberry flavour filling (12%), topped with decorated custard flavour icing (26%)."

They're funky little slices, and although the more ecologically friendly among us might disagree, the individual packs make them easier to eat on the go because, lets be honest, who has the time to sit down the aforementioned afternoon tea? 

To me, the strawberry sponge tasted like watermelon flavoured sweets. Very odd. I expected a milkshake flavour (like their milkshake cake slices) but it didn't really taste wither of the standard strawberry artificial flavour or of fresh fruit. To be honest, I couldn't really taste the sauce in the middle against the cake, but the resulting texture was fairly moist so I can't complain about it either. As for the custard icing, it was neither here nor there -It was just a standard sweet icing. 

Now I felt a little let down by the slices -despite not knowing what to expect- but Bert really enjoyed them. At £1 for 6 from ASDA, the Trifle cake slices aren't likely to break the bank so are worth buying if you're intrigued by them. 

6/10

NEW! Limited Edition Strawberry Swirl Jammie Dodgers (Home Bargains)

Yes, I'm still on the coffee caramel digestive hunt. It's driving me loopy now! Apparently they're on Ocado and in some Spars, but they still don't seem to have made an appearance in rural Hereford yet. Or Cardiff for that matter. My sister and I intended to go trampolining on Saturday, but when we got off the bus outside the trampoline park we decided that it was too hot to spend the afternoon inside - let alone doing any kind of exercise. Instead we made a quick detour into B&M and Home Bargains before getting back on the bus to her house for a sunbathing session. As soon as we walked through the door in Home Bargains I spotted jammy dodgers in different packaging. Ooh the past it had an ice cream cone on it! Was this a new flavour? Strawberry swirled. Hmm. It was hardly the most imaginative limited edition, but it was new, and would have to do in lieu of the digestives. Plus who doesn't love a good Jammie Dodger?

"Strawberry flavoured jam with vanilla flavour filling sandwiched between two shortcake biscuits."

I'm not sure where the swirl comes in but the cream filling was present on one side of the otherwise standard looking JDs. The biscuits were just as I remembered, not as crumbly as most shortcakes but with a decent vanilla flavour. It  don't expect that it'll shock you that the strawberry and cream style filling worked well together. The jam was -of course- very sweet and artificial,  and the vanilla was gooey and somewhat marshmallow-like. 

The biscuits were pleasant, but once again we find ourselves with a very lazy limited edition. With endless possible flavour combinations out there, why have we been palmed off with what's essentially a Happy Face/Classic jam ring biscuit? I miss the old banana and toffee JDs, but would love to see Burtons create something more exciting: rhubarb and custard, lemon meringue or peanut butter perhaps? 

6/10 

NEW! Müller Strawberry Oreo Yogurts (ASDA)

Last summer saw the launch of the Oreo split-pot yogurts. Unfortunately -as seems the case with many of the Oreo branded food products*- they weren't all that great. The trouble was, the yogurts are made by Müller. Müller have gone downhill in recent years, gone are the days of their thick and creamy yogurt; instead we're left with runny, artificially flavoured stuff that's best avoided. Still, I'm a sucker for anything labelled as Oreo, and I rather enjoyed the strawberry Oreo biscuits, so I just had to try them. You know... for the blog.. of course ;). I found them in ASDA at £2 for a pack of 4, but they're also in Tesco too (currently £2.89 for four). 

"Strawberry flavour yogurt with Oreo cookie pieces"

The yogurt side wasn't to the top, but it wasn't ridiculously empty either. As for the cookie side however, well that was pathetic. I was disappointed but unsurprised to find that, despite the artwork on the front of the four-pack depicting strawberry Oreos, the cookie pieces were plain. At only 8% of the yogurt, I suppose you couldn't have told the difference even if Müller had decided to go the whole hog anyway. Ooh, aren't I the cynic?

If you've had any of the strawberry split pot Müller corners recently, you'll know what to expect from the larger side of this yogurt. It was thin in consistency, with an artificial -albeit fairly pleasant- flavour. The strawberry worked well with the Oreo pieces (as it had with the biscuits), I just wished that the yogurt was thicker and creamier. This isn't supposed to be a diet yogurt after all! 

This new edition is a small improvement on the plain Oreo split-pot, and one of the nicer Müller corners available. Try them if the corners are your bag, but if -like me- you prefer thicker style yogurts, then I suggest you make your own using Skyr/Greek Yogurt and crumbled strawberry Oreos. 

6/10

NEW! Finest Eton Mess Cookies (Tesco)

Yesterday was one of those indecisive, dawdly days, and therefore probably not the best day to do the weekly shop. The chores needed doing though, and so I found myself hovered in the bakery section of Tesco mid-afternoon, torn between two new bags of freshly baked cookies. I've heard from many people that Tesco Bakery's Finest cookies are the bees knees (especially the white chocolate and honeycomb flavour), yet the brownie stuffed cookies sounded rather tempting too. Choices choices. In the end I let Bert decide, and that's how we ended up with these Eton Mess cookies.

"Cookies with Belgian white chocolate, freeze dried strawberry pieces and meringue pieces."

They certainly looked much chunkier than the anaemic brownie cookies, and they were on special offer too at 4 for £1.

Once out of the bag I could appreciate the rugged, cracked appearance of the cookies; although the white chocolate chips and Meringue pieces were unevenly dispersed. Needless to say I nabbed the most plentifully adorned of the bunch.

I wasn't sure how the strawberry would come across.Freeze dried strawberries can be quite sharp, which I hoped would work well to counteract the sweetness of the white chocolate and meringue.

My first bite provided me with the answer, establishing that the strawberry pieces were crushed into the cookie, infusing a gentle flavour throughout. The taste reminded me of strawberry Nesquik though, which was surprising considering that the fruit wasn't synthetic. As a lover of strawberry milkshake I enjoyed the result, but anyone with a less sweet tooth might not be so keen.

The white chocolate chunks weren't noticeably luxurious, but were sizeable enough to deliver scrummy mouthfuls of sweet chocolatey pleasure. As for the meringue pieces, they were in mini form and so every few bites I came across little sugar hits. They're an unusual inclusion to a cookie, and whilst they were successful in terms of adding extra texture, I actually found the meringues knocked the flavour harmony into sickly territory. It would have been better for Tesco to stick with strawberry and white chocolate.

8/10

Art of Mallow: So Strawberries & Cream (Online)

I think I've mentioned before about my Dad's talent for finding interesting foodie treats for me to try. He's a horticultural expert and lecturer so spends the majority of his time scouring the country, often popping into different garden centres. It's in one such place that he came across this bag of Art of Mallow 'So Strawberries and Cream' gourmet marshmallows. Marshmallows are another treat I go through phases of being addicted to, but admittedly I hadn't had any since trying Mallow & Marsh's Dark Chocolate Coated Raspberry Marshmallow bar last year. So who are Art of Mallow?

"Art of Mallow marshmallows are an evolutionary step away from the pink and whites that we are all used to.  They are full of delicious natural flavours including real raspberries, strawberries, lemon juice, Belgian chocolate, madagascan vanilla and natural extracts and are as light and puffy as a wonderful pillow."

The 75g bag contained six bouncy large cubes. They emitted no identifiable scent other than the sugary sweetness.

The marshmallows managed to deliver a real strawberry flavour that really tasted of fresh fruit and was a far cry from the milkshake taste I was expecting. Of course Art and Mallow only use real strawberries in their marshmallows so this shouldn't have come as a surprise. Still, strawberries aren't always that flavourful and yet somehow they've harnessed the taste of our classic summer treat.

Texturally Art of Mallow also fulfilled their promise of pillow softness. Each marshmallow was gooey and squidgy, without that dusty reside that coincides with their mass produced counterparts.

My only sticking point is the price. As a student I can't warrant £3.50 for 75g of sweets* - even if they are delicious and handmade. If, however, you're a sweetie fan and fancy a real treat then please pop on over to their website, where you'll find plenty of fancy flavours including their new (and delicious sounding) salted caramel and peanut rocky road.

8/10

Thanks Daddio for the marshmallows.

*chocolate on the other hand... ;)

NEW! Ben & Jerry's Topped: Salted Caramel Brownie, Chocolate Caramel Cookie Dough & Strawberry Swirled (ASDA)

The news hit two days before I went away: Ben & Jerry's were treating us (once again) with three brand spanking new flavours, and in a different style too. The new Topped tubs have a chocolatey layer above the ice cream and all three flavours sounded insanely good. As always, ice cream princess Ms One Treat was straight off the mark and I eagerly awaited her reviews from the other side of the world. Whilst she praised the new flavours she wasn't blown away, but I'm afraid to admit that it didn't hinder my excitement to try them for myself. Frustratingly Ocado has been the only place to purchase them from until this week, and seeing as the online supermarkets refuses to deliver to us country bumpkins, I had to wait it out. Monday was the day! Instagram filled with pictures of the Topped tubs in ASDA, and so I made a beeline on the way home.

£4.80 a tub. Ouch. Fortunately for me, Ben & Jerry's kindly invited me to a launch event a few months ago, and when I told them that I couldn't make it they sent me a couple of vouchers for free tubs and I've saved them for new tubs that aren't on promotion.

So which to choose? I'm embarrassed to admit that I dawdled for a good few minutes, pondering between the three before phoning a friend (I.e calling Bert) and asking his opinion. He chose the chocolate and strawberry tubs, but then I remembered that One Treat recommended the cookie dough as the best of the bunch and once again I was baffled. It was like choosing between my children.

Then I was struck by a brainwave! I remembered it was the 13th of February, and I could have bet your bottom dollar that Bert hadn't bought me a valentine present. All three made their way to the till, thanks Bert!

Salted Caramel Brownie

"Vanilla ice cream with a salted caramel swirl (11%), chocolate brownie pieces (3%), chocolatey chunks (3%) and chocolatey topping (9%)

The thick layer on top had a ganache-like density and shine to it, with plenty of dark coloured chocolate ampersands dotted about. Digging into it was fairly easy though, and I found the ice cream beneath to be one of Ben & Jerry's softer styles (much like the Sofa So Good). There was noticeably less chunks in it than I've become accustomed too of late, and the sauce was almost infused within the ice cream.

The taste was good though, and whilst I'd ordinarily never buy Ben & Jerry's for their vanilla flavours, it was yummy and allowed the caramel sauce to shine through. The brownies that I found, although far and few between (there's just 3% brownie in this compared to 7% in Sofa So Good) were up to scratch -moist and chewy as they reliably always are in B&J's tubs. The topping was the star of the show though, for it is in fact a chocolate and hazelnut paste and tastes rather like a nutella inspired ganache. It's thick and silken and complements the ice cream wonderfully. I only wish there were layers of it as opposed to just a topping! 

8/10

Chocolate Caramel Cookie Dough
Despite being a blatant chocoholic, I'm very fussy when it comes to chocolate ice creams. It's a fine line on when they become just too sickly and I didn't particularly enjoy my last pint of Ben & Jerry's Blondie Brownie. That said I'm utterly addicted to their Chocolate Fudge Brownie Wich's and couldn't be more pleased to see that they've made a come back in multi-pack form this year.

"Chocolate ice cream with a caramel swirl (10%), chunks of chocolate chip cookie dough (3%), chocolatey chunks (3%) and chocolatey topping (9%)."

The uppermost layer used in this tub is the same as used in the Salted Caramel Brownie Topped, a thick chocolate hazelnut paste with chocolate ampersands -which all stuck themselves to one side of my tub.

(Yep I was greedy and had both the Chocolate Caramel cookie Dough & Salted Caramel Brownie at the same time. The brownie is on the left and the cookie dough on the right).

The chocolate ice cream didn't disappoint, and I loved the addition of the caramel swirl. I recently tried Baskin Robbins' chocolate peanut butter ice cream (one of the best ice creams I've ever had!) and this reminded me of it. It's almost like a Rolo in ice cream form. Even better was the cookie dough pieces which broke up the texture and added a gritty biscuit flavour, nom nom nom. Again the amount of 'extras' was lower than usual, but I didn't seem to mind so much thanks to my state of chocoholic bliss. 

9/10

Strawberry Swirl

Why we can't get Ben & Jerry's Strawberry Cheesecake in pint size tubs I'll never know. It's the only reason I buy the multi-packs of 100ml tubs (and only when they're on offer for £2.50 in Tesco). Ben & Jerry's seem to forget that a fruity ice cream is delicious when done right, although they seem to be rectifying this having brought back One Sweet World, and now this Strawberry Swirl, hurrah. 

"Cream ice cream with strawberry (13%) and marshmallow (7%) swirls, shortbread chunks (3%), with a white chocolate flavour topping (9%) and white chocolatey chunks (1.5%)."

Oooh, the white chocolate topping looked extremely inviting, and once dug into revealed a pale creamy coloured ice cream beneath. The topping was firmer than the hazelnut based one, shattering into shards upon impact. A pretty pink swirl pervaded throughout the ice cream, although the marshmallow was less obvious.

Mmmm. Delicious! I'm a huge fan of white chocolate and raspberry and/or strawberry in any form, so using it in Ben & Jerry's luxuriously creamy ice cream was always going to be a winner for me. The white chocolate was just as creamy and sweet as I'd hoped and melted in the mouth easily. Perhaps there could have been more strawberry sauce, or indeed it could have done with being a strawberry ice cream to bring the flavours into a better harmony, but I still absolutely loved this tub. The shortbread chunks were buttery and crumbly, and should make any Scot proud. 

I really really miss the Baked Alaska tubs, but Strawberry Swirled is a very good compromise!

9/10

Gü Strawberry & Raspberry Cheesecake (ASDA)

So I was going to write a 7th healthy review today to conclude the first week of the new year buuuuuut....

1. It's Saturday
2. My sister asked me to review something "that she'd actually eat."

..Which gave me the nudge to not neglect those of you for whom high protein/low sugar just isn't interesting. With that in mind I thought I'd jump to the other end of the foodie spectrum and write about one of my sister and I's favourite indulgent desserts: cheesecake. Not just cheesecake either, but Gü's newest strawberry & raspberry shortbread creation.

This duo pack of desserts came out towards the end of the year, which I thought to be quite an odd choice for the company, or is it just me who naturally thinks of strawberry as a summer treat? Especially when enjoyed with shortbread, or shortcake, or scones, or cream. Mmm. Can you tell I'm hungry at the moment? Anyway, they were on offer in December for £2 in ASDA (currently £3) and although I wouldn't normally veer from their incredible Zillionaire's or Banoffee cheesecakes I was tempted enough to try them at least once (for you guys of course).

"Wander through raspberry and strawberry fields with flowering hibiscus, before journeying into vanilla infused cheesecake and crumbly shortbread base.
Pleasure seekers, grab your spoons..."

Yep, definitely summery then!

The bright red topping of these cheesecake looked eerily similar to the insipid toppings adorning ASDA's smart price cheesecakes -i.e not great, don't bother if you're lucky enough to have never suffered them. On the plus side there was evidence of real fruit though in Gü's little number , so I dug in..

I was worried the Hibiscus flavouring might overpower the berries (though I'm not sure that I can tell you what hibiscus tastes like, but I'm guessing flowery like lavender) but all I got was a pretty bog standard jam like topping. The cheesecake was ok, pretty standard, and without Gü's incredible ganache sitting alongside it was disappointing.

As I've explained in all of my cheesecake reviews to date, the biscuit base is very important. I hoped that the rich buttery shortbread tones would sing through, but actually the final layer tasted barely different to your usual digestive number. In fact there wasn't a huge deal of it, and what was there was über crumbly.

Humf. I wish I'd listened to my instincts and picked up a chocolatey ramekin instead. Talking of which, what on earth do you do with yours once you eaten your dessert? I always think that they're too nice to throw away, but I now have 30 or so in my kitchen drawer! Any bright ideas?

5/10

Reflex Nutrition Strawberries & Cream 100% Native Whey & Chocolate Peanut Butter 100% Whey

Who knew that there was so many differences in whey protein powder? I realised that there's a million and one different flavours out there, but within that there's also a plethora of types of whey. I'm certainly no expert on the ins and outs of the different proteins, but I know that Reflex is a name I can trust thanks to their precision and expertise - I mean they built their own factory to produce their own powders here in UK and rigorously test every batch, even publishing the results online.

I was very lucky to receive a number of their products to review last year (including their flapjacks, white chocolate & Raspberry R-Bars, protein coffee, diet protein and instant whey). During December I was fortunate to receive another big parcel of goodies from the sports nutrition Kings; including two huge tubs of native whey and 100% whey. 

Strawberries & Cream 100% Native Whey
So what is Native Whey exactly? Reflex say...

"100% Native Whey is a protein shake with a proven 80% protein content, utilising the purest and most natural form of whey protein currently produced.
Reflex Nutrition’s native whey is made from fresh milk, sourced in the EU, from grass-fed cattle. This is the most pure and natural form of whey protein, and it is collected in its native form, created by nature.
Native whey protein contains more branched chain amino acids (BCAAs), up to 16% more L-leucine, more essential amino acids, and nearly 40% more cystine than cheese derived whey.
We’ve gone to great lengths to ensure 100% Native Whey delivers an incredible flavour and mixes easily and instantly. By not using cheese-based whey, our products hit the spot with no strange aftertaste, across a range of flavours."

The smell was really good, reminding me of Strawberry Nesquik -always a good thing! As a shake it mixed easily, and was especially tasty with milk. It's on the sweet side, but that's a bonus for me. Reflex's 100% Native Whey delivers 28g of protein per 35g serving and over 6gs of BCAAs, making it the perfect go-to for post-workout. It even gets the thumbs up from Bert, who now regularly drinks it too -having originally turned his nose up, believing that all whey shakes were grainy and nasty. That's certainly not the case with any of Reflex's powders I've tried.

The only trouble for me, is that it does not take kindly to being heated -which means that proats and variations of beltsander blondies are off the menu (unless you enjoy eating rubber). I have found an alternative to the shakes that does work well though, and I'm slightly addicted to it: protein fluff. If you've never made it, it's the perfect high-volume snack, and a great low calorie, low fat, low sugar and high protein alternative to mousse or ice cream. Simply take:

• 30g Strawberries & Cream 100% Native Whey
• 50ml milk
• 100g frozen fruit (I loved it with frozen raspberries or cherries)
• 10ml Jordans skinny white chocolate syrup.

Pop all the ingredients into a jug/blender and pulse until smooth. Whisk (using an electric mixer on high speed) for 4-5 minutes until fluffy. Like something from Chemistry class at school the mixture grows in size to an unbelievable amount! A great filling and delicious snack.  

9/10

Chocolate Peanut Butter 100% Whey
This whey is available in a wide variety of flavours in both 875g and 2kg tubs, but what is it exactly?

"With 100% Whey Protein, the clue is in the name; it’s a protein shake that delivers 100% of its protein from whey. Only the finest undenatured whey is used, with no added sugars, no amino spiking, and no soy protein, giving you the finest protein to supplement your fitness and sporting efforts.
100% Whey Protein contains over 5g of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) per 24g of protein, which are arguably the most crucial amino acids for athletes. The three BCAAs are balanced at a 2:1:1 ratio of L-Leucine, L-Isoleucine and L-Valine, giving you the perfect equilibrium in every shake. Our whey protein is extracted during the cheese-making process, made with quality fresh milk under EU regulations, from cattle that are free from banned antibiotics and growth hormones."

This didn't smell as great as the fab strawberries and cream Native Whey, but it still smelt rather good with a more potent chocolate flavour. Once again, the whey makes a lovely smooth and sweet shake, which tastes exponentially better when made with milk.

This was another powder that didn't make great proats, as I found that the mixture split slightly, resulting in lumpy porridge -not great. This powder survived being turned into a beltsander brownie though (recipe here) and I found that it tasted best when slightly undercooked (60 seconds instead of the normal 90).

7/10

Both of these Whey Protein Powders are available to buy directly from Reflex's website.

*Once again, a huge thank you to Reflex Nutrition for the samples -and my muscles say thank you too!*

Witches Fingers: Peanut Butter & Jelly Filled Milk Chocolate Bars (Co-Op)

Instagram (or instagrammers) beckoned me again yesterday morning, informing me of a peanut buttery product that I just had to try straight away (thanks ladies!). New, chocolate, and peanut butter are the three words that ring through to my core. They don't have to all be present at the same time either -as apparently these witches fingers were around last year too. How did I miss that?

The 100g pack contained 8 individually wrapped fingers and was priced at £1. I had my doubts about the quality of a chocolate geared specifically towards children (although I do love Milkybar) and only popular enough to market once a year at Halloween (shh, I know Reese's pumpkins are the biz).

"Milk chocolate fingers with a smooth peanut butter and strawberry jelly filled centre."

Do witches have cuboid fingers? According to the Co-Op they do! In all seriousness though I liked the fact that each bar could be broken into four individual sections. 

Breaking one such section in two revealed both the peanut butter and jelly centres. I could smell a mixture of calendar chocolate and synthetic super-sweetness -which I presumed was emanating from the centre. 

Biting into the chocolate made me pull such a disgusted face that my other half started laughing at me. I was eating some white chocolate Reese's hearts around the same time for comparison (and if you believe that you'll believe anything - I just fancied them), and the contrast in sweetness between the two peanut butter & chocolate products was immense. The peanut element of the Witches Finger's filling was fondant like; and although it had a strong peanut flavour, was completely off kilter thanks to the sheer amount of sugar (6.5g per 12.5g finger FYI). As for the jelly, it tasted artificial, and so far removed from strawberries that it was off-putting. If you've ever tried goober you'll have an understanding of what the centre of the Witches Fingers are like. With that in mind I imagine that if you're a fan of the American pb&j spread, you'll like these too. The chocolate was as expected: thin, waxy and just about edible. 

As I made my way through the last three segments of the bar, I found it slightly more bearable, but not exactly enjoyable. I won't bother with these again, and actually hope that I have some teenage trick or treaters to palm them off onto this year -aren't I horrible? ;)

4/10 

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.

NEW! Milbona Skyr Pots (LIDL)

If you look into our 'drinks fridge' (aka the skanky fridge that we inherited with the house, but worked fine so we couldn't throw it out) you'll find a rather impressive selection of yogurts. My other half and I love the stuff -his shelf contains Muller corners, mine Skyr. I'm a happy girl with a bowl of yogurt so thick I can stand my spoon up in it. The trouble is, my preferred brand -Icelandic Skyr- is so much more expensive than the ARLA big pots, so I end up buying the cheaper version most of the time and then flavour it -at the moment I can swap between: banana, salted caramel, white chocolate, almond and tiramisu. With that in mind you can imagine my animation whens spotting the photo Alex posted onto Instagram of a selection of flavoured small pots he'd found in LIDL this week, and I made a beeline for the discount retailer after work. Everyone else must have seen Alex's pic too, because they had sold out the first day, but thankfully I was in luck the second! Each 150g flavoured tub cost 49p, and the plain 45p. 

Strawberry

So keen was I to try this new Skyr that I even took my first pot to the cinema with me that very afternoon (together with a generous supply of popcorn and sweets). I had assumed that the strawberry flavour would be amalgamated within the yogurt, so I was shocked -and excited- to find that in fact it formed a separate fruity layer at the bottom. The layer was also thick, and even better... it contained whole strawberries. I gleefully informed my fiance of this whilst we were watching the trailers, but I don't think he was as impressed! As for the Skyr, it tasted just like the ARLA stuff to me, and passed the thickness test.

8/10

Raspberry 

Unfortunately the thick layer of compote at the bottom of the raspberry yogurt wasn't quite as successful. It was very runny, and the natural tartness of the fruit didn't do enough to counteract the acidic yogurt on top; resulting in quite a bitter yogurt pot.

4/10

Blueberry

The balance of sweet-sour was better with the blueberry, but again the fruit layer was too watery, meaning that it was more like a sauce. The pot was pleasant though, and certainly much more enjoyable than the raspberry.

6/10

Peach & Passionfruit

The almost tropical flavours worked well with the Skyr in this pot, helped again by the natural sweetness. My only complaint would again be the thickness, but it was better than the blueberry.

7/10

Plain
As expected, I couldn't handle the acidity of the plain Skyr. I can't fault LIDL for that though, seeing as I'm not keen on the taste of any natural yogurt. Not to worry though, my trusty tiramisu syrup came to the rescue!

 7/10

Summary

These little pots from LIDL make a welcome change to ARLA, and are handy to pack in my lunchbox. They're not even close in deliciousness to the premium Iceleandic Skyr -but then I didn't expect them to be either. For anyone interested, the macros for the fruity are roughly: 6.6C/13.4P/0.3F (83Kcal) and the plain: 6.2C/17.7P/0.3F (98kcal).

NEW! Strawberry Cheesecake Oreos (Sainsburys)

Once again, my local ASDA fails me. For weeks now I have been enviously eyeing up the packs of strawberry cheesecake Oreos that have been popping up all over instagram. So bad has my jealousy become that I am making (almost) daily trips to ASDA, just to check whether they've had them in yet. I could have cried yesterday when I saw a big 'New Oreo' advert in the store's entrance, to still find none on the shelves. Surely the mega supermarket chain couldn't be so cruel? I double checked and asked the staff members if Hereford had received them and not put them out yet.. but alas, no, there was none to be found. Later that very same day I visited Sainsbury's to stock up on Skyr, and popped my head round their biscuit section. Well, I'll be damned, what was staring back at me? The holy cheesecakey grail! At £1.20 per pack it was 2.4x more than what everyone else is paying for them in ASDA... but I'd been searching so hard for them that I couldn't let my inner scrimper win. 

The strawberry flavour was really quite overwhelming, reminding me nostalgically of Nesquik -I'll always choose banana though! From an aesthetics viewpoint I was also fond of the contrast between baby pink centre and characteristically dark cookie. 

Well, I'm not sure I could agree upon their cheesecakeyness, but the strawberry flavour was every bit as milky and sweet as it smelt. Chocolate & strawberry is often a match made in heaven -chocolate dunked fresh strawberries, yes please!- but it can also be downright disgusting if the combination ticks over into the sickly realm (if you want the strawberry creams from my Roses tin at Christmas, please help yourself). Fortunately, despite the aforementioned sweetness of the strawberry centre in these Oreos, the almost bitter darkness of the cookie pulled the balance of flavours back into harmony. 

The new strawberry cheesecake Oreos are undeniably delicious and utterly moreish. I would even go as far as to say that they're my second favourite flavour ever (the top spot remains with the American Reese's filled versions) and they're definitely my new favourite British Oreo. Now ASDA, please stock them pronto!  

9/10

P.S If you're still not convinced.. pop on over to Nibbles'N'Scribbles' review.

NEW Haribo Little Cupcakes

It turns out that the Frenzy Carnival range isn't the only new addition to Haribo's extensive sweetie range -there's room for a super cute product in 2016 too. I saw the Haribo Little Cupcakes on instagram a couple of months back, but they've proven extremely hard to track down. I tried all of the pound stores, discount stores, WHSmith, all of the supermarkets... and eventually discovered them in Superdrug of all places! Who'd a thunked it?

"Create your own delicious cupcake creations with a caramel or lemon biscuit base, finishing it off with either a blueberry, orange, lemon, cherry, vanilla or strawberry topping!" 

I was pleased to find such a mixture of flavours, although there seemed to be a far greater ratio of cakey bottoms to frosting tops in my bag. 

I tried the lemon base first; expecting to not like it as I find that lemony sweets are so hit and miss. I was delighted therefore to discover a sweet citrussy kick, followed by a surprising ginger aftertaste. Lemon and ginger works so well together in cheesecake form, and it seems to harmonise in Haribo's foam candy too. 

The caramel base was less exciting. Sure it had a super sweet toffee flavour, but the ginger from the lemon version had leeched its way into the caramel. There's less to say about the toppings: each was well flavoured, soft, squidgy and awfully moreish. My favourites were the blueberry and cherry, but none will be left lingering in the packet for very long. 

Fellow sweet-o-holic? Make the effort to pop to Superdrug and get yourself a pack of the new Haribo Little Cupcakes -if only for the novelty. At £1, they're not likely to bankrupt you either. 

8/10