Solkiki Hazelnut Cream White Chocolate Gianduja Review (Online)

One of my best discoveries of 2016 was not chocolate, or even peanut butter. I was very lucky to from strong friendships last year with a couple of other bloggers whom do happen love my favourite foods, Nat and Laura I'm looking at you. Indeed Nat writes a blog purely about chocolate, and I regularly find myself drooling over her reviews of the premium brands that I haven't even heard of -let alone tried.

One such chocolatier that Nat has written highly about on a number of occasions is Solkiki, a British family business who manufacture vegan bean-to-bar chocolate. I'd never seen their products before reading Nat's reviews, but was over the moon when she kindly sent me a bar of their Hazelnut Cream White Chocolate Gianduja at Christmas. 

I only recently discovered Gianduja in November when I bought a bar of the Grown Up Chocolate Company's Hunky Dory. I loved the texture of the hazelnut paste used in the bar, and so this white chocolate version from Solkiki sounded right up my alley. I'd never had dairy free chocolate before though, so wasn't entirely sure what to expect.

"Soaked hazelnuts and cold-pressed cacao-butter create a soft, crumbly bar of creamyGianduja that is very easy on your body. We slowly stonegrind the nuts with cold-pressed cacao butter to create a delicious surprisingly healthy bar."

White chocolate that's good for you? I was sold. 

As per the images I'd seen on Nat's blog, the bar had the most exquisite design. I almost didn't want to break the bar it was so beautiful. That's it.. I'd have to eat it in one go, nibbling my way through all 56g -what a shame ;). 

As promised the chocolate was undoubtedly smooth, melting easily in the mouth. I was surprised by the flavour of it though, for it was unlike any white chocolate I'd ever experienced. At first I was unsure about the almost floral tones, but I soon became accustomed to it and started to really enjoy the unusual qualities of the bar. The hazelnuts were a subtle addition, truly ground down and offering a slight nuttiness that penetrated the white chocolate.

I'm so grateful for Nat for the opportunity to try Solkiki. The company sell a range of interesting bars including 'strawberry, coconut and pink pepperberry' white chocolate, and even a dark chocolate made from the 'world's rarest bean' which are available from their online shop.

9/10

NEW! Grenade Peanut Nutter Carb Killa Review (CNSport)

It seems that Grenade can do no wrong when it comes to their Carb Killa range. The line goes from strength to strength with a rapidly expanding range of flavours to choose from. Until now there's been a huge gap in the flavours though. Where oh where was the peanut butter bar? Surely everyone* appreciates that peanut butter is a gift from the gods? Nut butters are certainly a favourite amongst the fitness sector, so I'm surprised that Grenade haven't harnessed the flavour until now. 

"High protein bar with a peanut flavoured centre and caramel layer coated in milk chocolate with sweeteners."

All is forgiven because at long last they've filled the void, as they announced a couple of weeks ago that their first bar of 2017 was to be the Peanut Nutter -Hoorah! Even better, my local sports Nutrition retailer CNSport have already got them in, and the lovely Conor gave me a couple to review! Thanks Conor. 

The bar was smoother than expected, lacking the usual 'crispies' that adorn the outside of other Carb Killas. Slicing into it presented a slight surprise - there's peanuts inside the bar! The description made no mention of chopped nuts, but I was super pleased to see them amid the gooey caramel layer. Bravo Grenade. 

As normal I tried the end section at ambient temperature and popped the rest in the microwave for 20-30 seconds until the caramel started to ooze. Even before tasting the bar I could smell the intoxicating combination of peanuts and milk chocolate, reminding me of snickers. So far, so good. 

I wasn't disappointed with the taste either. As usual Grenade have nailed the soft yet chewy nougat-like protein layer, which was infused with a peanut flavour that was pretty damn good. My only criticism is that it was a little on the sweet side and could do with a tad more salinity to pull back it into balance and deliver a true peanut-butter-iness 

As always the caramel layer and chocolate coating were delicious, rivalling the likes of Mars and Snickers (real chocolate bars that is, not their protein counterparts). As for the peanuts, they offered a welcome crunchiness that added an extra textural edge to the bar. 

It's easy to forget that the Carb Killa bars aren't chocolate bars, and in fact deliver a whopping amount of protein whilst keeping the carbs low. The Peanut Nutter hasn't got quite as much protein in as other bars due to the lack of soy crispies, but it's macros are still extremely decent AND it tastes incredible. I'm not sure it beats White Chocolate Mocha to the top spot, but it is definitely just as good. 

Well done Grenade, and thanks again to Conor for the samples to review! 

10/10

Macros per 60g bar: Kcals 223 P21/C15.4/F9.3

NEW! Balanced For You Prawn & Crab Macaroni Cheese Review (M&S)

The other day I popped into M&S to buy some Mud Pie ice cream (currently reduced to clear at just £1.50 per tub) when I spotted this intriguing sounding ready meal at the end of one of the aisles. A healthy prawn and crab macaroni cheese? That sounded both unusual and oddly delicious. I can understand the addition of ham or bacon -perhaps even chicken-  in the comforting pasta dish -but fish? Hmm M&S could've created an epic fail or had a stroke of pure genius!

At £4.25 for a single ready meal (but also currently part of a 3 for £10 'balanced for you' meal deal) I wasn't prepared to risk it. But then I found myself wondering about the macaroni cheese again and again before finally deciding to treat myself to it yesterday -I was home alone and neck deep in assignments after all! 

"Prawn & crab macaroni cheese topped with a Cheddar cheese & paprika crumb."

The meal comes in a foil dish, which M&S suggests popping into a 200c oven (180 fan) for 10 minutes, before removing the film and returning for the last 15. What a faff! Normally I cook my own meals so am used to being in the kitchen, but I bought this for the convenience! I was working on my assignment when I put it in the oven, and it was 15 minutes before I looked at my watch and remembered to pull myself away from the computer to remove the lid. Oops.

There wasn't a huge deal of 'crust' on top to crisp up anyway to be honest, but my dinner was bubbling by the time I retrieved it. It was an odd colour for a macaroni cheese, more salmon than pale yellow. 

What I hadn't realised is that the crab element actually comes from the sauce! I'd naively thought that the pasta would be in a cheese sauce with prawns and crab in, but if I'd have read the description I'd have realised that the dish is in fact 'cooked pasta with prawns in a creamy crab and lemon sauce, topped with Cheddar cheese and a paprika crumb.' Oh.

The resulting flavour was as odd as it sounds, a kind of fishy, very lemony sauce with a cheesiness lingering somewhere in the background. I mean, there was something quite yummy and very comforting about it (after all Mac & Cheese is the ultimate in cold evening's eating) but there was also something about it that just didn't quite sit right. Perhaps it was due to the overwhelming citrus flavour, or perhaps it was down to the rubbery prawns (25 mins in my furnace didn't do them any favours I can assure you). 

I can't say I'd part with another £4.25 to have this meal again, but I would pick it up if I saw it adorned with those tempting yellow stickers on at the end of the day.

6/10

NEW! Fresh Twix Cookies (Tesco)

Who doesn't love a Twix? I know they're one of the first to go in our Celebrations tubs (after the Teasers but strangely before the Galaxy). Anyway, Twix's classic combination of biscuit, chocolate and caramel is well loved - they're Millionaire's shortbread by another name really I guess! You guys know how much I appreciate a Twix variation too, having already reviewed the White Chocolate Twix, Peanut Butter Twix, Cappuccino Twix, Twix Egg, Twix Tops as well as the recent Twix Cheesecake! 

I love the times of year when Tesco's bakery changes stock, although the Red Velvet Muffins that came out of last season's selection were pretty pathetic. I kept checking the Tesco website after Christmas to see what would appear, until one day when I squealed after spotting these new Twix cookies! Last year Tesco brought out Mars Cookies (good but nothing special) and Maltesers ones (which I still haven't got round to trying), but I just couldn't wait to get my grubby paws on these spanking new cookies. 

Every day I tried both Tescos in Hereford (well, poor Bert got sent a fair few times) and then also the one in Worcester when I returned to uni. Alas, everyday I was met with bitter disappointment. That was until yesterday, when having just completed the presentation (that's been the cause of far too much stress) I detoured via the Hereford city centre supermarket on the off chance that my luck was in. After all, the presentation had gone well.

I spotted the fresh Oat & Raisin, Chocolate, White Chocolate, Maltesers, Bounty, Galaxy cookies.. followed by a row of TWIX COOKIES! Hurrah! Come to me oh Bakery delights! 

"Cookie with caramel filling and milk chocolate pieces."

The bag of four cookies cost £1.35 -which is currently more expensive than their finest range- but I didn't mind, they were mine at last!

Oh. They're awfully thin aren't they? Or is that me just being greedy? Some had more chocolate chips than others, but I could see the darker splodge in the centre of each where I imagined the caramel to be. 

The cookies had that delightfully soft and chewy quality that you can only get from the fresh varieties. Flavour wise the plain cookie was sweet but indifferent to a normal plain cookie. Ok, I know I'm chocolate obsessed, but there definitely wasn't enough chocolate in these bad boys to label them Twix. To be honest, I couldn't really taste the chocolate at all! Humf, Surely they should have been covered in chocolate?! The caramel in the middle wasn't as gooey as the packet suggested either, but luckily I had a brainwave.... Microwave to the rescue!

Once warmed for 10-20 seconds, the butteriness of the cookie shone through and the caramel transformed into something gooey and delicious. That's more like it! Even the chocolate became more noticeable having been melted. Much better. 

I'm not sure that these are really Twix cookies, after all there's barely any chocolate and the cookies lack the signature crunch of Twix's shortbread base. It seems to be a very clever marketing ploy to sell chocolate chip cookies with a bit of caramel -but it works! They're perhaps not as game changing as I'd like them to be, but they're still scrummy. In fact I'll be having one warmed up for dessert tonight with salted caramel ice cream -sounds good right?

7/10

NEW! Nestle Curiously Cinnamon Granola (B&M)

I recently rediscovered my love of granola thanks to the Max Protein Shreddies Granola released last year. Nestle's decision to transition it's traditional cereals into granola format must've proved fruitful for the corporation, because they've recently started manufacturing Curiously Cinnamon and Cheerios varieties too. The only trouble is, they're seemingly impossible to get hold of. The only reason I knew they exist was down to @productsinstore' photo of her find in Home Bargains last month.

The trouble is, our local Home Bargains taunts me. I often see evidence of their exciting new products on Instagram (looking at you again @productsinstore) and eagerly trek across the city on a mission to buy said treats, only to be left disappointed by their lack of availability in sleepy ol' Hereford. Nestle's new cereal hybrid caused an embarrassing amount of frustration -again and again I would search the aisles and come home empty handed.

On Sunday I persuaded Bert that we needed a trip to B&M for dog food, knowing full well that it's next to Home Bargains and that he'd let me pop in on my usual mission. Yet again it was unsuccessful and so I trundled into B&M miserably...

..Where I spotted a lone box of Curiously Cinnamon Granola and a load of Cheerios Granola for just £1 per box! Halle-flipping-lujah! Now the Cheerios granola didn't excite me all that much; it was the Curiously cinnamon that really tickled my fancy. Every U.K cinnamon lover can appreciate the deliciousness that is Curiously Cinnamon (although the Santé cinnamon stars are equally delicious). Add oats clusters into the equation and surely Nestle are onto a serious winner.

Yes, yes they are! There was a good even mixture of oats and cinnamon squares in the box and the warming scent was inviting. The granola isn't as heavy as some others either thanks to the rice flakes also gracing the mixture. As for the flavour, it's an intoxicating mixture of oats, wheat and spice that I absolutely loved. Ultimately the texture of this cereal gives it the edge, with the softer squares that go soft in milk whilst the clusters remain crispy.

The following evening I decided to top banoffee skyr (made using skyr, banana flavour drops and toffee sugar-free syrup) with the cinnamon granola and fresh sliced banana. Oof, it was delicious! I wasn't overly keen on ASDA's White Chocolate & Raspberry Granola with yogurt, but strangely much preferred the Curiously Cinnamon served this way.

Cinnamon & oat lovers rejoice: Nestle have nailed this one!

9/10

Macros per 100g: P7.7/C:73/F9.5

NEW! Aunt Bessie's Custard Ice Cream Review (Iceland)

Where does the ice cream industry venture next I wonder?

Gradually we've been seeing more alternatives to our favourite frozen treat. Frozen yogurt has been gracing our shelves for a few years now, but last year saw a boom in vegan variations made by dairy free alternative manufacturers Alpro, as well as frozen custard from the ambient rice pudding and custard kings Ambrosia*. Aunt Bessie's did a fair bit of diversifying last year too, what with their fresh tarts, frozen brownie pie and twin packs of trifle-style frozen desserts -which can't have been very successful as they seem to have been discontinued pretty swiftly. The company also dipped their toes into the ice cream market with two traditional British dessert flavours: Jam Roly Poly & Custard and Rhubarb Crumble*. Aunt Bessie's hadn't released a plain custard ice cream flavour though until this month.

Priced at £1.50 in Iceland for a 500ml tub the ice cream was affordable, and so I picked up a pot with an brainwave to enjoy it with hot homemade crumble..

"I've whipped up a delicious Custard flavoured ice cream to go perfectly with my tasty fruit pies, crumbles and sponge puddings. Now it's over to you. Simply scoop and serve with your favourite Aunt Bessie's dessert, any day of the week."

Of course being completely chocolate obsessed I couldn't just make any old crumble, and so instead made a chocolate, hazelnut & pear crumble (made with JimJam's low sugar spread). My other half isn't a pear fan so I made him a speculoos & apple crumble instead using Lidl's Spiced Biscuit spread (currently reduced to just 74p per jar FYI). Whilst the crumbles were baking in the oven I took the opportunity to open the tub of Aunt Bessie's frozen ice cream.

Well, I wasn't expecting that! What an, um, unusual shade of yellow. The eery flourescent-ness of it reminded me of the Bird's custard sachets actually, but I have to admit it was a little off putting. Maybe tone down the colourings a tadge eh Bessie?

The ice cream was very soft, too much so, as it became very tacky after only a minute and difficult to cleanly scoop (not that I'm the most elegant scooper at the best of times). 

The first spoonful was delicious. I love custard and can quite happily eat Ambrosia straight from the tin, and my enjoyment didn't wane from it being even colder. A couple more mouthfuls later though, and the custardy-ness of it faded leaving a bog standard cheap supermarket 'vanilla' ice cream. Thank goodness for the delicious crumble I had alongside, eh?

Meh. Next time I want custard I'll have custard, and the rest of the time I'll stick to better flavours of ice cream. 

6/10

*As always, One Treat was hot on the ice cream case, and you can check out her reviews of Ambrosia's Frozen Custard here, Aunt Bessie's rhubarb crumble ice cream here and jam roly poly & custard ice cream here. 

White Chocolate Cote d'Or Bouchées (Kingdom of Sweets)

I've been on the hunt for these little white elephants for an extraordinarily long time. It must be almost a year ago that I was told that Cote d'Or make my favourite chocolates in the entire world in a white version too. White chocolate covered Bouchées? You've got to be kidding me! Could I find them for love nor money though? You bet your bottom dollar I couldn't. Every family member travelling to Europe was sent on a mission to hunt for these Belgian chocolates, and every one came back fruitless (or chocolate-less I should say). I had just about given up hope when I spotted Kingdom Of Sweets on Oxford Street the week before Christmas, and begged my friends to let me go and ogle at the many different varieties of Oreos and Reese's products that I could see through the window. Inside the store was a veritable heaven for sugar addicts and chocoholics. Floor to ceiling was rammed full of every kind of sweet laden treat you could imagine and I started to expect that Willy Wonka himself was going pop out from the staff room. I wanted to move in.

"White chocolate with hazelnut cream filling"

It's not the cheapest store, but my scroogy student ways were almost completely forgotten the moment I spotted the Cote d'Or stand. There they were: individual white chocolate elephants or a pack or 8 for £6, next to the FudgeNuts that I reviewed a while back. I should explain for a second that they had a very short date on the Bouchées, my fridge at home was already full of chocolate, I was bound to receive some more Reese's treats in a week and I'd just been given a huge box of Thorntons from my colleagues -i.e, I didn't really need any more chocolate. But, I had been searching for so long, and I knew that Bert was unlikely to buy me food for Christmas, so I decided that he could treat me as part of my stocking -thanks Bert*! To the till I went with our joint account card and a pack of 8.

Each little truffle -which admittedly don't bear much resemblance to elephants- was individually wrapped. It's a good job really otherwise the temptation might be too much to bear! Peeling off the covering revealed the snow-white chocolate in all it's glory, and the excitement mounted. 

Biting into the bouchée was a celestial moment. The sheer joy of creamy sweetness against the nutty filling was true chocolate perfection. I pity those of you who have never tried Cote d'Or's Bouchées, they're simply wonderful. I didn't think they could improve on the original, but the white chocolate version is my new favourite.

The ratio of chocolate:praline is spot on and the quality is inarguable. I'm surprised they haven't been meddled with considering these are in fact made by Cadbury's wreckers Mondelēz, but it seems that the Bouchées are safe, for now. 

10/10

*I knew he wouldn't mind, and of course he didn't, the good egg.