NEW! Go Ahead Banana Flavour Fruit & Oat Bakes (ASDA)

It's been quite a while since I reviewed any of the Go Ahead products, namely because they don't appear to have released any since the cookie bites last year. In recent weeks though the company have launched some new lines. There's the dippers in chocolate almond (which sound delicious) and salted caramel flavours, which appear to be somewhat like lower calorie versions of the nostalgic KP dipper pots (which I wish I could still find the toffee ones of) or the Nutella/Reese's snack pots.  There's also new Cocoa & Hazelnut and Cacao & Orange 'Goodness Bars' which look like Nakd rip-offs. Its none of these new products that have got me interested though, instead it's a new flavour of an existing product: a banana flavoured fruit and oat bake. You should know by now that if it's labelled as banana I'm there. I found them in ASDA for £1, which I didn't think was bad value at all. Bargain banana bakes? Yes please. 

As with the Go Ahead! Cherry Bakewell Pud Bars, these come in three almost segments. They're also only 124kcal each, and are fairly low fat -although they do contain a whopping 9.4g of sugar per 35g bake. 

'Golden baked bars with a delicious banana flavoured filling'.

The pastry round the outside was just as I remember, not firm enough to be tart-like but not soft like a Kellogg's nutrigrain either. It's not the casing that we're interested in here though really, is it? 

For me, banana flavour falls into three camps:

1. Natural
2. Foam banana artificial (sweet but pleasant)
3. Chemical artificial (not pleasant). 

Unfortunately the jam, although moist and sticky, landed slap bang in the middle of number three. It came as a surprise that the flavour reminded me of the banana in both the Party banana Jaffa cakes and the Co-Op's banoffee brownies seeing as it does actually contain banana puree.

Ok the new bakes might not have been quite as bad as the jaffas, as they are at least edible, but they don't hit the spot for me and I won't bother with them again. 

4/10 

NEW! Extra Special Belgian Chocolate & Almond Dessert (ASDA)

I'm not happy with ASDA. They've pulled their amazing peanut butter millionaire's desserts from shelves. What's a girl to do? Fortunately they've replaced it with something that sounded almost as good: a Chocolate and Almond Dessert. The pots are £1.50 each or two for £2 (mix and match with the Strawberry Senga Trifle and Triple Chocolate Dessert.

"Layers of almond flavoured sauce, brownie slices, dulce de leche and dark chocolate ganache."

Chocolate and almond is vastly under appreciated in the U.K., in fact the only time I usually have the combination is when I make chocolate truffles at Christmas time (and even then they tend to be heavy on the rum). It's a gorgeous pairing though and so I hoped ASDA had done it justice.

It was hard to tell which layers were which from the container, but I rightly guessed that the topping was the ganache. As to be expected it was rich and silken; perhaps a touch too sweet for those with a preference for bitter dark chocolate -i.e it was perfect for me. 

Next up was a golden sauce which I presumed was the dulce de leche, however it had a very strong almond flavouring. I ended up confused, was this the almond sauce? I couldn't see anything else that remotely looked like caramel, so I guess the almond flavours had leeched out and overpowered the leche. This wasn't necessarily a problem, it just wouldn't have passed Ronseal's mark of approval. 

Underneath the golden layer was a couple of mixture of brownie pieces and darker sauce. Now this, ladies and gents, was where the magic happened; a recurrence of the peanut butter millionaire's dessert pleasure groans. The combination of soft but squidgy chocolate cake pieces strongly flavoured with what I can only describe almost amaretto made my tastebuds dance with glee. It was sheer heaven. Fortunately there was an ample supply of this final tier. I eeked out every last mouthful, not wanting it to end, and thereby making the small 105g pot last a full ten minutes. 

Well done ASDA, another full mark dessert!

10/10

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

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

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

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

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

5/10 

Salted Caramel 

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

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

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

7/10

Red Velvet Secret Centre 

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

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

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

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

4/10  

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

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

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

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

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

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

6/10

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

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

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

NEW! Weetabix Additions: Apple & Raisin Review (ASDA)

Whilst I can't live without my daily dose of porridge in the mornings, my other half struggles to start his day without a bowl of trusty Weetabix. Or at least that was the case until the Golden Syrup flavour disappeared from supermarket shelves towards the latter end of last year. He was so gutted that we couldn't find his favourite cereal anymore that I contacted the company back in November to ask if they were coming back. They said:

"Recent high demand has meant that we have had an increase in orders and we hope are hoping to be back to full capacity in the next few months. Please accept our sincere apologies, we do hope that you will continue to enjoy our products and are assured of our best intentions to get this back on the shelves."

With Bert's hopes intact, we eagerly awaited the return of the Golden Syrup Weetabix and were therefore somewhat surprised to see the two new Weetabix 'additions' lines that launched last month. I guess the company told porkies. Humf.

I tried to see the bright side in all of this and reminded Bert that although he doesn't like coconut (so the coconut and raisin flavour are out of the question) he does like apple and raisin. Maybe this new variety of Weetabix could serve as a valid replacement?

"Delight your senses...
with a nutritious breakfast that's packed with delicious apple, juicy raisins & warming cinnamon ensuring temptingly tasty goodness in every bite."

Whilst I'm not a huge Weetabix fan, I do love apple and raisin and was therefore intrigued to discover how their new flavour fared so purchased the box of 24 biscuits from ASDA for £2.

Whilst their banana and golden syrup (RIP) flavours are strongly scented, I couldn't particularly smell anything other than wheat when popping my biscuits in the bowl before drowning them in cold milk.

Oh. Was that it? Where was the flavour? Cinnamon is a pretty pungent spice -and my favourite one at that- but I couldn't detect it at all amongst the wheaty mush. The apple flavour too was non-existent and I was grateful that I'd had the foresight to top my cereal with cubed apple so that I could at least pretend I was eating flavoured Weetabix.

The only promise that Weetabix delivered on was the inclusion of raisins, but unfortunately I can't say this was a welcome addition. I really love dried fruit, but not like this. Have you ever eaten shrivelled, bullet-hard raisins before? Well that's what is lurking in amongst these biscuits. Rather than the moist, squidgy, flavoursome fruits, these were little dry rascals that stuck between my teeth in a frustrating fashion. Not good.

It wasn't just me either, Bert wasn't a fan either. If we weren't so reluctant to waste food they'd have ended up in the bin by now, but instead I've promised to buy him a couple of boxes of his new favourite cereal (Golden Syrup Wheats) from Sainsbury's when he's got through the Weetabix. You should never have to "get through" food though, should you?

2/10

White Chocolate & Raspberry Granola (ASDA)

It didn't occur to me to write this review when I finally got round to picking up this bag of White Chocolate & Raspberry Granola from ASDA (hence the open bag shot below) and the only reason why I am doing so is because of the various requests in response to my Instagram feed. This granola isn't new by any means, but I hadn't tried it before, and it seems that many of you are eager to know how it fared. I probably wouldn't have bought it in the first place if it wasn't for my recent venture back into the granola world with the Shreddies Max Protein. Following my review, I had a conversation with fellow blogger Alex (Foodfinds GB) about how he didn't particularly rate the Shreddies granola. I asked him which is his favourite and he was recommended the White Chocolate & Raspberry version from ASDA. The naughty sounding cereal had piqued my interest on a number of occasions, and Alex's high praises gave me the push I needed to stump up the £2 for the 500g bag -not bad value really.

"Raspberry flavour wholegrain oat clusters with sunflower seeds and honey with milk and white chocolate chunks and freeze dried raspberry pieces."

I was stunned by the amount of freeze dried raspberries that poured out of the bag and into my first bowl. Apparently they only make up 2% of the ingredients, but there seemed to be much more. Maybe they'd all risen to the top, but it was fabulous to see such a generous supply of fruit. The second surprise to please me was the also generous nature of both white and milk chocolate chunks -a very different experience from the Kellogg's dark chocolate & coconut cereal.

I tried the first bowl with cold milk, and actually found the granola a little too tart for my taste buds. As you'll appreciate, freeze dried raspberries are very flavourful -but they are also quite sour. I hoped that the generous chocolate chunks would offer balance, but in reality they were all but lost against the overpowering raspberry. Humf. The oat clusters were nice and crunchy, but that was the sole redeeming factor.

A couple of nights later I gave the granola a second shot -this time with warm milk. My, what a difference the temperature made. When warmed up, the chunks melted and bled into the oats, raspberries & milk -resulting in a much more prominent and creamy chocolate flavour. It was absolutely delicious! This was the bowl of yum that I was hoping for in the first place.

Alex informs me that the granola is also rather good with yogurt, and I'll take his word on it, but for me it'll be enjoyed warm all the way!

8/10

NEW! Peanut Butter Millionaire's Dessert (ASDA)

Social media. What's your stance? I both love it and hate it. I'm basing my career on it (not through the blog I might add), but it's addictive and my other half regularly finds himself sighing when I inevitably stop in my tracks to reply to a follower on instagram, a tweet, or my work's facebook enquiries. I thrive on the instantaneous and constantly evolving nature of the various platforms, and also grumble about their reluctance to pause for a moment. I was plunged into this mixture of emotions when the lovely Ellie (Ellie Is In The Soup) tweeted the following:

No. No I hadn't had it. And Yes! I needed it NOW. Fortunately Wednesdays are the only day I don't have lectures, and I'd finished my job for the day, so about an hour later I'd got my coat on and was on my merry way to ASDA -desperate to get my greedy mitts on this fabulous sounding new dessert.

Whaaaat! Where were they? ASDA was taunting me. There was the shelf. There was the label. But where, oh where, were the Peanut Butter Millionaire Desserts? I momentarily baulked at the price too, but my heart over-ruled my head and the desperation lingered.

Then I had a thought: what if the staff had bunged them in with the cream cakes (at the other end of the store) instead of the desserts with their label? 

Hurrah! There they were. Isn't it wonderful to see their new products so highly respected? Ha! Not to worry my peanut butter dream, I'd look after you.*

"Peanut butter mousse and peanut butter caramel with a Belgian chocolate ganache, chocolate honeycomb pieces and a digestive biscuit base."

Luckily, ASDA had the foresight to protect its new dessert with a domed lid, so despite its mistreatment in store, the pot looked every bit as perfect as it did when leaving the factory. The layers were impressive, and I was glad to see a chunky biscuit base. 

I delved into the chocolate topping, which was every bit as silky as Gu's ganache. Rich and decadent, it delivered a powerful dark chocolate hit. The chocolate balls were a nice decoration I thought, although there wasn't a great deal of them. I was surprised at how thin the top layer was, but then I remembered that there were so many more layers of potential deliciousness to get through yet. 

Next up was the mousse, which tasted more like super light and fluffy whipped cream. I couldn't taste the peanut butter though, and my face dropped. My other half caught on to my disappointment and asked what was up. I explained my non-nut related sorrow, and offered him a spoonful to taste. He agreed, and then instantly pulled a disgusted face back at me. I was then accused of becoming peanut butter immune -yep, apparently it was that potent. Confused, I waited a minute or so before continuing, and then I realised what he meant. The ganache had overpowered my tastebuds and once I'd let them recover from the chocolate, I could taste and fully appreciate the peanut butter flavour in all its glory. My, it was wonderful! ASDA have wisely used 8% peanut paste within the mousse, which is perhaps why it's so delicious -and doesn't taste in the slightest bit artificial.

Peanut butter cravings now satisfied, I was more than ready for a lacklustre caramel layer ("Double Peanut Butter" Magnums mark two). I was therefore not expecting the sheer scrumminess that lay in wait. It was very sweet -of course- but the peanut butter was even more powerful (the caramel consists of 40% peanut paste). Wow, I'd never tried a caramel like it. If I was to nitpick I would perhaps have preferred it slightly more dense (more similar to Ben & Jerry's cores) but it was incredible all the same. Bravo ASDA!

Last up was the biscuit base. To begin with I was slightly gutted that it was a puddle of crumbs rather than the buttery concoction at the bottom of a cheesecake. But then I discovered the hidden treasure at the bottom of the pot and realised exactly why it was so loose...

Balls! Balls galore! Hidden between the biscuit crumbs were a number of malteser-esque malt balls. I love a good surprise, and this has to be one of the best I've uncovered (literally!) in a dessert. What a wonderful end to a fantastic pudding. 

Initially I thought that £1.49 was steep for an individual dessert, but it's nothing compared to what restaurants charge -and it's worth every penny. Yum yum yum. Peanut butter lovers harass your local ASDA for this new Millionaire's dessert quick smart!

10/10

*Is peanut butter madness a condition? It must be. 

NEW! Mississippi Mud Pie Muffins (ASDA)

I don't know about you, but when I'm left with a bad experience of something, I want to see if I can change my last impression to something better (rather like not going to bed on an argument). Perhaps that is why I just *had* to buy these ASDA Mississippi Mud Pie Muffins as soon as I caught sight of them. My dissatisfaction with the two new M&S muffins I recently reviewed (Rhubarb, Strawberry & Custard and Banana & Chocolate Chip) had stuck around, together with my previous frustrations with the last chocolatey muffin I tried from ASDA (the Black Forest if you remember).

"Chocolate flavoured muffins with a Belgian chocolate filling, topped with a crumble filling."

The new muffins at ASDA looked pretty spectacular; covered with crumble with chocolate sauce oozing provocatively from their summits. I should know by now that appearances can be (and often are) deceptive, however for £1 per 2 pack, they were worth a shot. 

They were physically lighter than expected, and I kept everything crossed that it was't an indication of their dryness. Slicing them in half revealed a generous chocolate core that even Ben & Jerry would be proud of. 

Christ. ASDA have turned around their chocolate cake. Full of richness, and utterly fluffy, these were an an absolute delight! The chocolate flavour was punchy, yet lacked the dryness that often co-incides with a generous amount of cocoa. The chocolate sauce in the middle was sweet, but not sickly, and there was enough of it to inject added moistness into the sponge. I could barely taste the topping against the delicious chocolate cake, but the crumbs that had escaped were scrumptious (yes, I used my finger to dab up every last smidge). As normal I microwaved the second half of the muffin -yes it tasted even better warm as the sauce became lava cake like- but they're still delicious at room temperature if you can't be bother to faff or haven't got a microwave to hand. 

Perhaps the muffins could be slightly improved with the addition of chocolate chunks (specifically of the white variety) but that really is just nit-picking. I didn't think that ASDA could create another muffin as delicious as the toffee fudge -but I was wrong. The best chocolate cake I've had in a good while! 

10/10

NEW! Eton Mess Muffins (ASDA)

A trio of new ASDA muffins: Black Forest, Toffee Fudge and Eton Mess. Oddly enough the Eton Mess was the first flavour to catch my eye back in April, and I'm not sure why I ended up trying them last. If you regularly read this blog you'll know that my experience of the new range has been completely contrasting thus far, so I really didn't want to be left feeling disappointed by ASDA's muffin-y take on the epitome of British summer desserts.

"Two clotted cream flavour muffins with a strawberry jam filling, topped with meringue pieces."

Unfortunately all of the boxes on the shelf had taken a bit of a battering, so I chose the least abused one I could find. Miniature meringue pieces flecked the top of the muffins, and the jammy centre was evident from the oozing pore at the summit of each. So far, so good.

Slicing the muffin in half revealed a generous puddle of strawberry jam. It also became clear that they were going to be moist, as they were gloriously soft and sticky to cut through.

I was sad (but unsurprised) to find that the meringue pieces offered little more than decoration to the muffin as they were completely lost against the cake. Luckily the flavour of said cake was superb. Somehow ASDA have managed to harness the flavours of afternoon tea -think fresh strawberry and cream scones- and transformed it into a muffin. I was expecting the cake to taste identical to the iconic Victoria sponge, but the flavour was far more delicate. The jammy centre was sweet and sticky, working in perfect symphony with the clotted cream flavoured cake -after all strawberries and cream are a match made in heaven.

If I was marketing these cakes for ASDA I would certainly get rid of the useless meringue and name them the Afternoon Tea Muffins. They're a delightful addition to the range, and I hope they're here to stay. The Toffee Fudge are still my favourite, but I will certainly continue to buy more of both flavours.

Who makes your favourite supermarket muffins and what's your favourite flavour? Have I tried the best Britain has to offer yet? Leave me a comment and let me know!

9/10

NEW! Loaded Millionaires' Desserts (ASDA)

Last week I discovered that ASDA have just added a few new lines to their fresh dessert pot line up. The Black Forest Velvets were delicious, and I mentioned at the time that I had seen these new Loaded Millionaires pots and fancied the look of them. It's safe to assume therefore that it wasn't long before I impatiently returned to the store and picked them up!

"Toffee flavour mousse and dark chocolate ganache, with a salted caramel, chocolate flavoured biscuit crumb and white chocolate coated shortcake pieces."

 Don't they look beautiful? What's not to love about a dessert made from so many delicious sounding components....

 

The top layer consisted of the dark chocolate ganache which was adorned with the white chocolate coated shortcake pieces. There weren't a great deal of the shortbread balls, and to be honest they were too small to really taste. They were firm and crunched well -I just wish that there was more of them. 

I had high hopes for the ganache given how delicious the dark chocolate mousse in the Black Forest Velvets was, so I was disappointed to find that it was poor quality by comparison. The ganache lacked the powerful dark hit that I was expecting, instead it was mild in flavour. I couldn't even describe it as milk chocolate, it was just a bit nondescript. The texture of it was gorgeous however, silky smooth as I hoped it would be.

Next up was the toffee mousse, and at first I thought that it was a bit bland too. It turns out that it was just such a contrast in terms of texture and flavour to the topping that my tastebuds needed a spoonful or two to fullly appreciate the mousse. Once they had adjusted accordingly, butterscotch tones came through with a delicate flavour that was simply delicious. 

Did the salted caramel live up to my high hopes? It certainly did, in fact it surpassed my expectations! Don't get me wrong, it was no Dulce De Leche, and it was runny enough to fall off my spoon. Punchy and rich, it contained the perfect amount of salt to prevent the caramel from becoming sickly. It was absolutely divine. 

Last but not least was the chocolate biscuit base. I found it to be exactly the same stuff that sits at the bottom of the Black Forest Velvets. If you remember the last time I tasted it, I was disappointed by its blandness. This time however the lack of cocoa worked to its advantage; especially as the caramel above had oozed between the crumbs, resulting in a mouthful of flavours that reminded me of McVities caramel digestives. The perfect end to a delicious dessert.

9/10

Peanut Butter & Salted Caramel Ice Creams (ASDA)

I am gutted. Absolutely gutted. One of my lovely readers asked me to review ASDA's new peanut butter ice cream cones. So why would that make me sad I hear you ask? I love peanut butter after all! Well, our local ASDA is not stocking them. Utter heresy. She did however point out that the supermarket also makes peanut butter ice cream sticks (fake Magnums if you will), and I could try them instead. I have seen them in store before, but I'd always given them a wide berth, particularly given that Magnum have now created their own DOUBLE pb ice cream. How could the supermarket version be anywhere near as good? 

"Ice cream with peanut butter, milk chocolate and salted caramel sauce, with roasted peanuts"

Well it turns out that they can! The chocolate wasn't the best I've tasted but it was good quality considering its primary use as the ice cream's vessel. There were peanut pieces aplenty which hadn't gone stale and retained a satisfying crunch.

But was the ice cream peanut buttery? Hallelujah, yes it was! Praise be the peanut butter gods! It was even more nutty than Magnum's effort -and I thought Magnum were meant to be the top dog in the ice cream stick world. They're also a lot larger than Magnums, at 100ml compared to 88ml. Half way down I realised that the nuttiness had lost out to the salted caramel sauce which rippled through the ice cream. It was sufficiently saline though, providing a perfect balance between salty and sweet.

Scrum-diddly-umptious. Fellow peanut butter nuts please give these ASDA ice creams a go and let me know what you think! Do you also prefer them to Magnum?

10/10

NEW! Limited Edition Black Forest Velvet Desserts (ASDA)

Way back in march (it really doesn't feel that long ago!) ASDA launched a line of new dessert pots. I tried and very much enjoyed the Rhubarb Jumbles and Afternoon Delights, whilst I was a little less impressed with the Honey Teasers. Since those reviews I confess I haven't bought any more, but only because they went up to their full price of £2 for two pots, and Gu's desserts have been on offer most of that time for the same price. C'mon who wouldn't choose Gu every time?

Anyway, this week I spied a few new additions to ASDA's dessert line up, and they're on offer to boot at £1.50 per pack. The one that I absolutely had to try straight away was these Black Forest Velvets:

"Dark chocolate mousse with morello cherry compote, chocolate flavoured biscuit crumb, red velvet sponge pieces, dark chocolate sauce and a sweet dusting."

I really didn't enjoy ASDA's new black forest muffins, so I really hoped that the supermarket would redeem themselves using of one of my favourite flavour pairings. The layers certainly looked impressive!

Carefully placed on top were two pieces of dark red cake drizzles with dark chocolate sauce. It's been so long since I've had a decent red velvet (yes I'm glaring at you Boots), but these tasted pretty darn good. Moist and chocolatey with a sour twist characteristic of the American cake, I wanted more! Please make and sell a red velvet cake made from this recipe please ASDA?

Underneath was the deep layer of mousse. It too didn't disappoint: rich and decadent, it reminded me of my mum's homemade pot au chocolat (save for the good glug of rum she always adds!). It was denser than most mass-manufactured chocolate mousses, but I prefer it that way.

Next up was the compote, and I was pleased to discover that ASDA had cleverly retained the cherries' tartness. So often companies decide to add so much sugar that they lose their sourness and turn them into the overly sweet berry that they're not. The sharp compote worked in perfect harmony with the sweet mousse on top and tantalised my tastebuds with the true flavours of Black Forest. Thank the Lord! 

Last but not least was the biscuity base. It was surprisingly and noticeably sweet given how dark and decadent the above layers were, and I can't help but think that ASDA might've been better using bourbon biscuits instead -but that's just nitpicking. 

It's safe to say that I really enjoyed these new Black Forest Velvets. My only suggestions on improving them would be to add more cake pieces (in the same way that the Rhubarb jumbles had the flapjack repeated half way down) and of course to use a less sweet biscuit for the base. I'm dying to try ASDA's new Loaded Millionaires' desserts next!

9/10 

NEW! Toffee Fudge Muffins (ASDA)

Exactly a month ago I reviewed the black forest muffins from ASDA's new bakery range. Totally disappointed, I vowed to not buy any more unless they were deeply discounted at the end of the day. I stuck by that promise, ignoring the intincing displays at the front of the store, until I started to grow curious about the other flavours. Surely the eton mess and toffee fudge couldn't be so bad? Eventually I caved into the toffee, hoping that I wouldn't be left feeling quite so disgruntled. 

"Two toffee flavoured muffins with a toffee filling topped with fudge pieces."

The first thing I noticed was the immediate sweet scent of toffee that eminated from the muffins the moment I opened the plastic casing, nostalgically reminiscent of Lyle's golden syrup cake. 

A large grin escaped my lips when I sliced my muffin in half. The cake was soft, squidgy and bared a huge pocket of golden sauce running down the centre, exactly what I was hoping for. 

I'm not sure how ASDA have managed to make such different muffins in the same range. The toffee flavoured cake was brimming with flavour whilst being gloriously soft and sticky. It was as moist as any homemade sticky toffee pudding, and an absolute delight to eat. The sauce that ran down the centre was delicious too and worked in perfect harmony with the muffin that surrounded it. I groaned with pleasure as I savoured every last crumb...

Wow ASDA, I'm so glad I gave your new muffins a second go. Whilst the black forest were a disappointing let down, these are exemplary, and a must for all sticky toffee lovers out there! 

10/10

NEW! Linda McCartney Vegetarian Pulled Pork Burgers (ASDA)

Pulled pork. The meat equivalent of salted caramel; ie the other trend that maintains constant momentum. It seems that Linda McCartney have cleverly spotted a gap in the market by creating the first veggie pulled pork burger*. I found these in ASDA, currently on offer at £1 for two 1/4lb patties. 

 "Vegetarian pulled pork-style 1/4lb burgers made with rehydrated textured soya and wheat protein coated with a smoky flavour barbecue sauce."

Admittedly the rehydrated textured soya doesn't sound quite as appetising as slow-roasted pork, but the smoky barbecue sauce does give it the edge over standard veggie burgers. 

The uncooked patty didn't look very pretty, but I hoped that twenty minutes in the oven would transform this beast into a beauty. Ten minutes later the kitchen started to fill with a sweet, smoky scent, making me hungrier with every inhale.

The burger still looked rather, um, rustic when I retrieved it from the oven. It oozed juices in a similar way to its meaty cousins -which I hoped would be an indication of it's moistness. 

The patty convincingly flaked like pulled pork, holding its shape until sliced into. The taste was simply delicious, bearing an unexpected heat that I wasn't expecting. As a spice wimp, I can reassure you that it wasn't tongue burningly hot, but the burger had more flavour than I've ever experienced with a soya-based product before. Succulent, smoky and moreish, I enjoyed every last mouthful of my "pulled pork".  Yum. 

Linda McCartney is undoubtedly the queen of veggie bangers (If you've never tried her rosemary and red onion sausages, get yourself a pack pronto!) and now she has arguably claimed the top spot in veggie burgers too.

9/10

*Please feel free to correct me on this, it's certainly the first I've found in a supermarket.