NEW! Peanut Butter & Jelly Biscuits (The Co-Op)

It's such a lovely feeling when a new peanut butter product hits the U.K shelves and you guys make an effort to let me know. It makes me appreciate that I'm not the only PB obsessive who gets excited by the new treats. Saturday evening three of you got in touch to let me know about the new peanut butter & jelly biscuits in the Co-Op's American range, so thank you. It did however mean that I made a detour after a super early start at work yesterday to the big Co-Op on the other side of town. Read: I bent Bert's arm to pick me up and take me.

'Biscuits with forest fruits filling and peanut butter, sprinkled with biscuit crumb.'

£1.79? For 6 own-brand biscuits? You've got to be kidding me! I felt the pressure to review them after the triple prod about their existence, and prayed that they would be good whilst popping them in my basket. I also spotted these new pretend chocolate coated Oreos, which I can't imagine would be as tasty as the (authentic) white chocolate covered Oreos. 

Each biscuit was individually wrapped, making them perfect for eating on the go, but that's not how I roll. Instead I opened two of the square shaped biscuits as part of my peanut butter inspired late night snack.

They were much thicker than I imagined to be, and I didn't expect them to be square either. The base was very crisp and crunchy, tasting more like shortcrust pastry than biscuit. As you can see, there wasn't a huge deal of the jam filling, meaning that it made little impression on the overall flavour of the biscuit. As for the peanut butter.. well at first I thought it wasn't real peanut butter* because it lacked the salinity that I expected -when in fact, the biscuits contain 19% peanuts, However, the more I ate, the more I enjoyed the biscuits and although there wasn't as much salt or as much jam (or jelly) as I'd have liked, they were edible and fairly enjoyable. There's just no way on earth they're worth £1.79 per pack.

7/10

*If you've had the British peanut butter Oreos, you'll know exactly what I mean by that. If you haven't (lucky you) then I'll fill you in: for some reason Mondelez decided to use a synthetic peanut flavouring instead of real peanut butter. Both disgusting and mind boggling. 

NEW! Banoffee Brownies (Co-Op)

I'd vowed not to by any more baked goods. My cupboards are brimming with all kinds of biscuits, and I've recently started baking again (which I'm thoroughly enjoying). I thought I was doing well with my oath, even not giving in to my doughnut cravings (largely caused by The Tandem Bakery's Instagram feed).  My self-restraint caved completely though this week when I saw a story by the lovely Emma (@EmmasFood) which featured banoffee brownies. I hope you agree this constituted a cake emergency, although I did manage to abstain from heading to the Co-Op in my pyjamas that evening, and indeed managed to wait until I was on my way home from the gym the next day. 

"Banana and toffee flavour chocolate brownies topped with salted fudge pieces."

The pack cost £1 and included 8 square brownie chunks. Despite them being sat with the fresh cakes they had a reasonably long shelf life of about a month. Upon opening the bag I was greeted with a rich cocoa aroma, followed by a lingering artificial banana scent.  Uh oh. I hope that wasn't a precursor for a chemical taste. 

Unfortunately it was. On the positive side the brownies were soft in the middle, with a decent squidge and deep cocoa flavour.  Sounds great, right? Except for that damn banana. It wasn't even a pleasant foam banana sweet or milkshake kind of flavour; it was nasty and synthetic. I can't even see banana mentioned in the ingredients list. How can some companies get it so wrong? At least McVities got it right. 

What a shame! If only the Co-Op had chosen to use real banana instead of some artificial flavourings to make these brownies. They had so much potential. I guess I'll just have to make my own....

4/10

Irresistible Mississippi Mud Pie Cookies (Co-Op)

I've gone cookie crazy! In the last week I've eaten at least ten and I'm not talking biscuit sized ones with either. Let's just call it research, eh? Anyway, I spotted these Mississippi Mud Pie Cookies on a rare trip to a large Co-Op last week. To be honest it was the orange reduced label that really called to me -yep, I still can't ignore a bargain. They were half price despite being long life and having until the 18th on them. I'm hoping the Co-Op just reduce their long life items when they've got less than a month on their best-before date, otherwise I'm telling you about a products that's been discontinued. 

The four pack of 'irresistible' cookies came in a resealable bag and I think they cost £2.50 full price (I paid about £1.60 if I remember rightly). 

For me, fresh bakery cookies always win, and that's because of the texture. Fresh versions have that lovely soft chew to them that never seems to be replicated in their hard baked, biscuity, long life counterparts. The Co-Op claimed that these were both soft and chewy however, so I was intrigued to find out if they'd mastered the seemingly impossible. 

"Soft baked cookies with chocolate fudge brownie pieces made with Belgian milk chocolate chunks."

I served up my cookie with a good helping of the Co-Op's PB&J ice cream, but refrained from warming it up like o normally would so that I could test that promised consistency. They smelt incredible though and although I would dispute their 'giant' status,  I immediately spotted a generous and even smattering of large fudge brownie pieces (16%) and Belgian chocolate chunks (16%). 

I bit into the cookie and thought that the Co-Op had fibbed about the soft chew. It was hard, and before I'd even asked Bert if his was the same he moaned that the cookie has hurt his teeth. Boo. As I reached the middle though I found a consistency much more akin to fresh cookies -hurrah! 

Let's be honest, It's not all about the texture though is it? Mississippi Mud Pie conjures up images of the ultimate in chocolate decadence, and these cookies certainly delivered on that front. From the deep cocoa flavour in the cookie base through to the squidgy, slightly sweeter brownie pieces and silken chocolate chunks, the Co-Op have created a chocoholic's dream! Yum.

Whilst the texture might not be perfect, the flavour is delicious. These irresistible cookies are indeed irresistible.

8/10

NEW! American Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches (The Co-Op)

Why can't I ignore the call of new ice cream? It's a serious issue. We should never have bought that chest freezer. In any case, the Co-Op have launched their summer frozen range and I resisted these ice cream sandwiches for one whole day before I gave in. Oops. They're new to Co-Op but it seems that they're a year behind the pack as Ben & Jerry's, Aldi & Morrisons all released variations on the theme last summer. Anyhoo, this pack of four cost £2.

"Vanilla ice cream with chocolate chips sandwiched between two double chocolate chip cookies."

The Co-Op's ice cream sandwiches are a lot smaller than Ben & Jerry's 'wiches (bigger their sons of a 'wich though) although they both claim to be 65g*. The cookies are noticeably thicker too, with a bourbon-esque colour. I also noticed how soft the ice cream was - a fact I couldn't ignore really, for it had stuck itself to the clear wrapper.

The ice cream wasn't very exciting. It tasted like cheap non-flavoured supermarket ice cream. It's almost whipped it's so soft, which means its somewhat nostalgic (if you're looking for the silver lining). Blink and you'll miss the chocolate chips though, they were minuscule little nibs.

Fortunately the chocolate cookies were delicious. The cocoa flavour was every bit as rich as the colour suggested, with just enough sweetness to prevent them from tasting bitter. I could actually distinguish the chocolate chips too. Hurrah! The cookies have a good texture too; not teeth-creakingly crunchy but not soft either. They're much better 'cookies' than the Oreo ice creams, although they don't taste like the softer-style bakery versions like the Ben & Jerry's Cookie Dough 'Wiches. They'd probably make good coffee dunkers actually!

If my tastebud memory serves me correctly,  think these Co-Op ice cream cookie sandwiches are on par with the other supermarket versions I tried last year, arguably they could be the exact ones used in Morrisons' Double Whammy boxes (that seem to since been discontinued). They're nowhere near as delicious as Ben & Jerry's (yes I'm still hooked on the Brownie 'Wiches), but they are cheaper and a yummy alternative to ice cream cones.

7/10


* out of interest I weighed a B&Js 'Wich for comparison, and it was around the 80g mark, so about 30% bigger.

Oppo Salted Caramel Healthy Ice Cream Review (Co-Op)

Last month I published a review of healthy ice cream producer Oppo’s mint chocolate swirl. Whilst the nutritional values and lower sugar nature of their tub was attractive, I still wasn’t convinced by the high price point (or the trek across town to buy a tub). The brand’s products are still part of a half price promotion on Shopmium however (details on the app and how to get your free Lindt bar here) so Bert took the opportunity to use his voucher to purchase a tub of their salted caramel ice cream.

As far as flavours go Bert will always normally opt for the caramel/toffee/honeycomb varieties, but he’s also a traditionalist and wasn’t sold on the promise of great-tasting healthy ice cream. I can’t say I blame him as it’s usually the fat and sugar elements of food that make treats so irresistible.

"Nature's caramel.
Charlie knew there had to be a healthy salted caramel ice cream. But creating one without caramel (i.e. sugar!) was not easy. Oppo's salted caramel is made using the Peruvian lucuma fruit. This fruit gives our ice cream a smooth maple taste, quickly chased by a rounded caramel flavour which is then enhanced with a pinch of rich mineral sea-salt."

Unlike the mint tub, this pot contained an ice cream much more in-line with the colour I was expecting. It was even harder to scoop though, with unsightly strips the best I could manage before manhandling it into the cone.

However the most important aspects -taste and texture- were on point. Whilst I complained about the grainiess of the mint chocolate Oppo, their caramel flavour was much smoother (albeit not a patch on Jude’s devilishly delicious full fat & sugar tubs). Despite the lack of sugar the caramel was just sweet enough, harbouring a back-note of saltiness that earned its title.

For anyone watching their sugar intake or looking for a low-calorie or low-sugar ice cream fix (and aren’t on a tight budget) then Oppo just might be your answer. Personally I expect that I’ll stick to my ‘naughty’ (God I hate that term when used with food) tubs unless I spot Oppo on offer again. Ice cream guru One Treat loves this tub though and travels miles to pick up tubs, so please read her review here.

8/10

Oppo Mint Chocolate (The Co-Op)

Oppo is one of those brands that I probably wouldn't give a second glance at if it wasn't for instagram. The social media platform is seemingly in love with the healthy ice cream (or maybe just the people I follow are) and so I've found myself wanting to find out what all the fuss is about for a very long time. The trouble is, it's rather expensive stuff, and at roughly £5.00 for 500ml I'd rather play safe with my pennies and buy a tub of Ben & Jerry's. A few months ago my friend (and fellow blogger) Nat offered to send me some money off vouchers for Oppo at Waitrose, after which an amusing conversation ensued with the staff in my local branch -who had never heard of it and were thinking I was confused with Oreo. No joy there then! Fortunately for me, I've recently been introduced to Shopmium* which had an offer enabling me to buy a tub for a far more affordable £2.50, and so I persuaded Bert to drive me across town to the larger Co-Op where the Oppo range is stocked to pick up a tub. 

So who are Oppo and what makes them so special?

Oppo are all about making healthy yet indulgent tasting ice cream, hence the name Oppo, which stands for opposites. Their products are made from fresh milk, virgin coconut oil and stevia leaf, and all three flavours come in at under 60 calories per scoop. 

Faced in the Co-Op with the choice between Mint Choc Swirl, Madagascan Vanilla and Salted Caramel, I thought I'd opt for the latter. Then I remembered Nat swearing by the mint chocolate and changed my mind!

"Oppo combines American mint leaves, a rich cacao swirl and spirulina (sourced from the South China Sea) to create a smooth, creamy and refreshing ice cream with indulgent swirls of rich chocolate. 
One tablespoon of Spirulina contains 4 grams of Protein and an abundance of vitamins and iron.
Green doesn't have to mean boring."

It certainly was very green! It's been a very long time since I've had mint chocolate chip but I remember loving it as a child and as soon as it was open the nostalgia kicked in and I couldn't wait to get stuck in. Would it work well with warm chocolate stollen? Let's hope so!

The ice cream was quite tough to scoop, and tended to come out in shards rather than a perfectly formed quenelle, but I kind of bodged and patched it together to try and make it presentable for you. There were subtle ripples of chocolate sauce throughout and it smelt refreshingly minty.

Texture-wise there was a slight graininess to the ice cream that I'm not accustomed too -especially having recently discovered Jude's. The flavour was delicious though, delivering a freshness (that remarkably didn't remind me of brushing my teeth) combined with a chocolatey note that permeated throughout. It was then that I realised that the sweetness didn't taste any different to that within the non healthy ice creams I eat on an almost daily basis, surely that's a win for Oppo? 

Oppo's mint chocolate swirl was a welcome change, but I can't afford to buy it regularly and I'm not sure I'm ready to give up my sugar-laced nightly treats anyway! 

7/10

*Shopmium. Ever heard of it? If you haven't downloaded the app and you like to save yourself a penny or two then you really need to! It's free from the android and iPhone app store and offers you the chance to try products for free/a fraction of the price. You simply buy the products, scan the barcode and send a photo of your receipt (all via the app) and then they send you a refund (normally within 48 hours). It's amazing! I had 2 free boxes of Go Ahead bars last week thanks to Shopmium. Oh, and if you use my referral code you'll even get a free bar of Lindt chocolate! Even better. My code is: AEAYEAKT.

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... 

Apple Crumble Doughnuts (The Co-op)

Yesterday was one of those soul crushingly awful days. You know the ones I mean? When nothing seems to go your way? I managed to mess up my referencing on my assignment that was due in (queue panic), develop impetigo on the inside of my nose (TMI I know), explode a can of Pepsi in a newsagent (massive apologies to the staff members left with that mess), burst into tears for no apparent reason in my night lecture (how embarrassing), and then faced extensive train delays at 9pm (no surprise there with the British rail network). The one redeeming factor, the light at the end of my tunnel in all of this drama was, of course, food: an apple crumble doughnut I'd got stashed in my handbag for the journey home.

To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure how long these apple crumble doughnuts are going to be sold for as they were reduced to clear (despite being well in date) at just 37p for the double pack -but I thought I'd review them anyway. 

"Doughnuts filled with apple sauce and topped with a custard flavoured icing and butter crumble pieces."

Sounds good right? Apple crumble is the ultimate British dessert; a classic that can't be beaten-especially if it's made by my mum-in-law-to-be. How well could it be recreated in doughnut form ?  I thought back to the traditional dessert inspired Rhubarb & Custard doughnut that Greggs sold this summer which I enjoyed -but complained that the only flavour came from the icing. This version was filled though, resulting in my high doughy hopes.

The doughnut had an ample covering of icing, and a fair amount of crumble on top too. Slicing it in half however left me utterly baffled. Where was the apple? Seriously, had the Co-Op forgotten to fill this one entirely? I could just about see the tiniest smidgen of sauce, hiding between the dough. Hopefully it was just off centre...

Nope. With no exaggeration, there could only be a teaspoonful of apple in the entire doughnut. What was there was sweet and pleasant, but it's scarcity meant that the sauce was completely overshadowed by the fairly dense dough. Pah, at least Greggs didn't promise to fill their doughnut. 

The custard icing was sweet, but to be honest I was so disgruntled by the lack of fruit that I didn't notice whether it tasted of custard or not. The best part came from the crumble topping, which was crisp and biscuity, but again I only really acknowledged it when I'd finished the doughnut and was greedily hoovering up the crumbs with my fingers.

A pants (almost*) end to a pants day. Thankfully today was much better. Have a good weekend you lovely lot!

4/10

*luckily the peanut butter twix and choco-nut malt wheats somewhat helped at 11pm.

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! Chocolate Dunk Cheesecake Slices (Co-Op)

For those of you who aren't as food and/or marketing obsessed as I am, you may not be aware that Co-Op is currently mid-way through a large change in their strategy. Have you spotted their updated blue logo yet? They've also launched the new Co-Op membership, which now enables you to earn back 5% of your spending for another day, whilst they also pledge to give an addition 1% back to your local community. It all sounds good to me, but please let me know if I'm being naive and they're just putting the prices up to compensate!

Another change for the organisation is a re-brand of their Co-Op own label. I love this as it means that there will be plenty of yummy new products to grace shelves in the coming weeks and months. One of the first items I spotted and found instantly irresistible was this pack of 'Chocolate Dunk Cheesecake Slices', part of their new American dessert range.

"Chocolate brownie batter topped with a Madagascan vanilla cheesecake batter, drizzled with a Belgian chocolate sauce, topped with chocolate decorations."

I hope you'll agree with me upon the dessert's sheer beauty. I can't remember ever having seen a more spectacular looking supermarket cheesecake! The chocolate drizzled down the side gave the slice a luxurious effect, and I loved the single white chocolate star gracing the front like an effigy on a ship.

The cheesecake was substantial yet fluffy, with a welcome balance between natural tartness and sweetness coming from the vanilla flavour. Nothing beats homemade of course, but this came a close second. Underneath the cheesecake was the brownie layer. Now I'm of the understanding the a cheesecake must include a biscuit base, however I knew I would forgive the Co-Op if the brownie was decent.

It was. There was enough cocoa in it to avoid being sickly, and it was soft and gooey - just as it should be. It was thick enough to be sold as a brownie in it's own right, none of this ASDA base nonsense. I kind of hoped there would be chocolate chips in it, but of course there wasn't -perhaps that would be a step too far anyway. The only issue I had was that the slice lacked the textural juxtaposition between crunchy base and creamy cheesecake. Still, it was delicious, so it's only a tiny weeny moan.

Anyone expecting a gooey sauce or ganache topping might be disappointed with the chocolate on top, for it was set solid. Again, I was pleased by this and enjoyed the fact that the chocolate crunched against the cheesecake below. The malty balls (oo-er) were a nice touch too. All in all, it was a rich, decadent, and sickly affair, EXACTLY what was needed on a Friday night after a long week.

I actually think I preferred these to the Rhokett chocolate cheesecakes, and that's really saying something. For £2.69 per pack, they're a delicious treat for when that chocolate craving really hits - I know I'll certainly be enjoying them again.

9/10

Chocolate Swirl Topped Waffle Cones (Co-Op)

As you should know by now, I'm a sucker for ice cream and a sucker for chocolate. I'm also easily swayed by anything that looks pretty. So when I spotted these Chocolate Swirl Topped Waffle Cones in the larger Co-Op -that I purposely visited to buy the Peanut Butter & Chocolate Monkeys Ice Cream- I just *had* to have them. The box cost £1.50 for four, which I din't think was too bad considering that each cone was substantially bigger than your normal supermarket versions (140ml compared to 110ml).

"Chocolate and vanilla flavour ice creams with a chocolate sauce topped with chocolate coated puff rice balls in a waffle cone."

Congratulations Co-Op for the smart packaging- there was no smooshed tops here thanks to their plastic crowns. For once, the treats actually looked as good as the photo too -mine had loads of little chocolatey balls on top. My other half had less however, but then I always somehow come up trumps with the ice cream toppings!

Unfortunately, the Co-Op have opted for style over substance. The chocolate flavour was insipid; mild to begin with it blended with the vanilla and became somewhat lost. The sauce was fairly standard, and added a little flavour boost -particularly the large pocket of it nestled right at the bottom of the cone. I actually found I preferred the vanilla ice cream, which didn't taste luxurious but did remind me of Mr Whippy. The waffle caused further disappointment as it had lost its crunch and become soft. Cone failure of the almost* worst kind.

I'm sure the kids would be impressed by these ice creams, if only for their generous size! Me? I won't bother with them again, there's far nicer cones out there.

6/10

*the top spot remains with the cones I once had from Tesco, where every single one was snapped in two!

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Monkeys Ice Cream (Co-Op)

Given my bitter (but yet too sweet) disappointment with the new peanut bar from Nakd, I felt the need to try another peanut buttery product that was less likely to disappoint. Having just finished my tub of their peanut butter & jelly ice cream, I returned to the Co-Op on a mission for the other frozen treat that I've been eyeing up for a few weeks...

"Peanut butter ice cream rippled with salted caramel sauce and chocolate monkeys."

The 500ml pot cost £2, and -like the pb&j tub- seems to be only available in larger stores. Boo. 

As soon as the lid was off, I could see the swirls of sauce and chocolate monkeys cheekily peeking out of the top. Fortunately it wasn't just beginners luck but in fact it was a true an indication of how the tub was set to continue. The easily scoopable ice cream was generously adorned with both the glossy caramel and dark chocolate coloured chunks.  

Hurrah! The peanut butter ice cream was every bit as delicious as the pb&j version -utterly creamy with a rich roasted nut flavour. Considering it was twice the price, I perhaps thought that it would be even more luxurious, but I hoped the caramel sauce and chocolate monkeys would cover that...

Unfortunately not. I found the caramel sauce to be too sickly against the sweet ice cream, and ended up longing for the tart raspberry sauce that added a refreshing zing to the pb&j tub. As for the chocolate monkeys? Well they're not actually chocolate... After I finished my cone I read the official product title on the back and found that they're 'chocolate flavoured monkeys' and are instead a composite of sugar, coconut oil, fat-reduced cocoa powder and butter oil. Oh dear. Those imposters wouldn't pass through Ben & Jerry's quality contol. They weren't awful, but they were a let down -especially considering how generous the Co-Op had been with them.

I'll take my moaning minnie pants back off now because in reality the peanut butter & chocolate monkeys ice cream is a novel and tasty product -it just isn't as good as their pb&j ice cream. 

7/10

NEW! Peanut Butter & Jelly Ice Cream (Co-Op)

Now, you must have realised by now if you've ever read this blog before just how much I LOVE peanut butter and jam. I must be secretly American or something. The trouble is, bad peanut butter jelly combinations can be vile...

I'll give you one example in particular. Goober. Have you seen the attractive looking jars containing perfect stripes of peanut butter and strawberry or grape 'jelly'? Have you been tempted to part with your pennies? Well please do not buy it! Save yourself the heartache. Seriously that stuff tastes so plasticky that I woudn't even feed it to my peanut butter loving dog Monty. Yuck.

Anyway, last week Snack-finding-extraordinaire Kev (Kev's Snack Reviews) posted a photo on Instagram of some new ice creams at the Co-Op. I'd spotted the cappuccino sticks that very same day, but then remembered the overflowing state of my freezer and left them there for another time. What I hadn't spotted however was their new peanut butter & jelly ice cream tub. There's been a host of new pb ice creams this year (including Feasts, Magnums and ASDA's own) but I haven't seen a PB&J ice cream since the much missed Ben & Jerry's core tub.

Wowsers. I wanted! Nay, I needed! I would have to make room in the freezer. Back to the Co-Op. No luck. There was one thing for it, I'd have to cycle the 16km round trip to the larger branch on the other side of the city. I didn't bank on the heavens opening about a third of the way through the journey though -this ice cream better be worth it.

"Peanut Butter ice cream rippled with raspberry sauce and fudge pieces, topped with sugar coated chocolate candies."

Doesn't it look pretty? Or rather akin to something you'd find at the ice cream factory station at Pizza Hut -am I showing my age here or does that still exist?

The ice cream was reasonably easy to scoop straight from the freezer -a good job seeing as I was so eager to get stuck in. I immediately noticed the sweet peanut-y scent and admired the vivid ruby red sauce that not only adorned the ice cream, but permeated it as well.

With one lick, I entered peanut butter heaven. Thankfully I could taste the real deal instead of the artifical flavouring that infuses Peanut Butter Oreos and Peanut & Caramel Müllerlights. I realised later (when writing this post) that there was a good reason why it tasted so good: the Co-Op Peanut Butter & Jelly Ice Cream includes 9% real peanut butter. Hurrah! The ice cream is perhaps a little on the sweet side, but not so much that my teeth started to jar.  It was rich too, but admittedly not quite as luxurious as Ben & Jerry's.

The fruity sauce was tasty, offering a slight tartness that worked so well against the nut flavour. Crunch came from the sugar coated chocolate pieces -mini smarties if you will- and there was enough of them to inject tiny kicks of chocolate into every few mouthfuls.The only element which puzzled me was the fudge pieces. Yes they were sweet, squidgy, and really quite yummy, but they seemed like an odd addition to an already sweet and creamy ice cream. Perhaps little pretzel or biscuit pieces would have worked better?

I imagine this peanut butter and jelly ice cream would particularly appeal to children -if only for the colourful little smarties. I'm quite happy to act the kid however, and enjoy every last spoonful of this pretty new Co-Op ice cream. It's not as good as the Ben & Jerry's PB&J core, but it makes a good substitute!

9/10

NEW! Banoffee Muffins (Co-Op)

I was queueing up to pay for my milk in the Co-Op on Sunday morning when a cleverly situated display of bakery goods caught my eye. Optimally placed at head height were their new mocha muffins, Easter doughnuts (which as far as I could tell we're just standard rings covered in yellow icing and sugary balls), and banoffee muffins. I haven't bought any of the Co-Op's cakes before, but the idea of banana and toffee combined in fluffy muffin form was just too tempting to resist!

'Toffee flavoured muffins with banana fruit pieces'

The muffins looked like they'd either been packaged when they were warm or they'd been sat under spotlights as they'd started to sweat slightly. They were perfectly sized - not so massive that they felt like a meal in themselves, nor so small that they would be gone in little more than a mouthful.
The muffins were light to touch with a good bouncy texture to them (a much better start than I had with the dry Galaxy Treat Cakes I reviewed last week).

Onto the tasting, and the toffee flavour was mild, in fact the only nod to its existence was the sweet undertone permeating the cake. The banana element however was much more powerful (despite only accounting for 4% of the total ingredients) with a genuinely natural flavour that made the cake taste home-made. The muffin was soft, but it was quite sticky (presumably because the cakes had sweated), close-textured and almost doughy -which admittedly I quite liked!

For 89p for four, I can't help but think these are an absolute steal. These banoffee muffins are a must-buy for banana cake fans who don't have the time or the resources to bake from scratch. Hats off to you Co-Op!

7/10

Cadbury Layers of Joy: Caramellionaire

It's lovely living in the countryside- being able to get out into the fresh air and enjoy the beautiful autumnal colours sweeping through the woodland- however it does mean that it often takes a while for some of the more interesting new food releases to filter down to us. 

I've just started uni, and I'm commuting every day which means I'm finally finding some of the treats I've been wanting to sample for a while. I popped into the Co-Op on the way to catch my train home and almost jumped up and down in the spot with glee when I saw these little beauties staring at me from the chiller. They cost £1 for two pots.

I really enjoy the Cadbury's chocolate trifles (renamed Layers of Joy) and have been fortunate enough in the past to get my hands on their Black Forest Trifle. These Caramellionaire desserts state that they are new, but I don't think they're brand spankers. 

These desserts are described as 'Shortcake biscuit at heart surrounded by delicious layers of Cadbury milk chocolate mousse, rich caramel dessert and white chocolate mousse.' YUM! How could anyone resist that tempting title? 

I took the lid off my dessert but it didn't look as neat as the packet's photo. I'm not entirely sure I can blame Cadbury however, because they had suffered an hours train journey followed by a 2 mile walk to get home. Anyway, the ugliness didn't offend me as I was far more interested in the taste. 

The topping is the chocolate mousse, which was exactly the same as they're standard chocolate mousse, and it was lovely and fluffy. The next layer was the caramel dessert layer, which was absolutely scrummy. It was like a rich caramel custard and I really wish there was more of it. Following the caramel was the shortcake- which I think is borderline false advertisement due to the lack of crunch that I think is necessary in a biscuit. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy it- it was more cakey and provided a welcome break in texture to the otherwise smooth dessert.

The bottom layer was white chocolate mousse, an odd choice if Cadbury were simply trying to turn a millionaires shortbread into a dessert, but it was an enjoyably light end to a decadent pudding. The White chocolate flavour wasn't as prevalent, nor as good, as the new Milkybar mousse, but I do prefer Milkybar to Cadbury white chocolate anyway.

I'd definitely buy these again. 

9/10