I was truly on the bargain hunt yesterday. I started the day at the Malvern Giant Flea Fair (a must for antique lovers nationwide) and found myself in Marks & Sparks just before close. The trouble is, those yellow stickers are just too appealing, and despite not being initially tempted by the summer macaroons, the 65p sticker was irresistible. My last experience with M&S macaroons wasn't that great, and so I felt annoyed with my lack of self-restraint. 65p wasn't too much money to waste I suppose...
"A selection of French almond macaroons in 3 flavours -1 peach and apricot, 1 lemon and 1 cherry."
At least I could tell which macaroon was which this time around thanks to their bright colourings. I couldn't see much in the way of fillings peeping out, so split them in half for a better look. The centres seemed to be saucy as opposed to cream based like the Festive ganache filled macaroons.
Wow, I was impressed. I didn't think I was a massive macaroon fan, but I indulged in the delicate texture but bold flavours of these miniature French-style treats. The macaroons were light, with a crunchy exterior and fluffy centre. I loved the prominence of the almond, which came through in all of the three flavours.
The centres were like a solid jam, and were wonderfully well-flavoured. I'm not sure I could pick a favourite because apricot conserve is usually my favourite, but I also adore cherry Bakewell and am going through a lemon-loving phase at the moment.
I can't believe that I thought I might be wasting my 65p! M&S have created a sensational summer treat here that simply screams of sunshine. I'll be certainly sure to buy another pack if I'm lucky enough to find them reduced again, and may even treat myself to them at their full price.
9/10
I'm not shy about my adoration for Germany's Christmas treats; I believe that their use of spice is cleverly balanced, brave and quite frankly unsurpassable. Last year I reviewed ASDA's lebkuchen iced stars, Weisse's Pfeffernüsse, Bahlsen's Zimtsterne, Lidl's marzipan stollen as well as Bahlsen's Poppy Seed Stollen, and this year I'm on a quest to discover the best on the market.
Today's review is of Lambertz's apricot filled Lebkuchen hearts: the hearts were a favourite Christmas treat as a child, my grandmother was always dependable for a healthy supply of them too and I looked forward to gorging on them after school. I say gorge because it felt impossible to stop at one or two (I reckon they're even more moreish than Jaffa cakes) so I really hoped that Lambertz' version would live up to my high expectations. I bought the 150g bag from Waitrose for £1.
Gingerbread hearts with apricot fruit filling (28%), coated with milk chocolate (23%) and dark chocolate decoration (3%).
Now to some, the combination of gingerbread, chocolate and apricot might sound like an utterly absurd idea. Even to me it sounds like it shouldn't work, but it really does (hence why I thought to spread M&S' new gingerbread teacakes with apricot jam).
The hearts weren't exactly perfectly formed, but I preferred the almost homemade look. The milk and dark chocolate coating was ample too, with none of the gingerbread peaking through (as often happens with the iced stars). I could smell a subtle gingery warmth, but only when I brought the hearts to my mouth pre-munch.
For anyone who's not had Lebkuchen before (seriously you're missing out), the texture between varieties and brands can vary quite dramatically. Even in a single bag of ASDA's stars I've found that some have been very firm, whilst others have been soft and cake-like. The Lambertz hearts leaned towards the latter texture, with a lovely fluffiness that provided very little resistance when biting into. The spice was very mild though, too much so for my liking. The ginger was almost completely lost against the delectable chocolate and apricot jam. Yes, you heard correctly, the chocolate was super! The quality was much better than one might expect for a biscuit/cake covering and I'm sure I'd have been quite happy to enjoy a bar of the chocolate that Lambertz have used here. As for the jam, it was gooey, sweet and in abundance -exactly what I hoped for.
9/10
What do you think are the best German (or continental) Christmas treats? I'd love to know, so please do leave me a comment!
Hey stranger! If you regularly read this blog I just want to apologise for my lack of posts recently. My life has changed a lot of late (in a very good way!) and I just don't have enough hours in the day any more. So the posts won't be daily, but I'll still review as often as I can -promise!
Anyway, I bought this Banana Nut Free Flapjack from Holland & Barrett as part of the huge order I placed on a whim when desperately trying to track down the Bombay Firecracker Roasted Chickpeas. It appealed to me because I'm going through somewhat of a flapjack craze at the moment, and I'd already been tempted by them on a number of occasions in Waitrose. Somehow they had never made their way into my basket, so I seized the opportunity and bought one whilst on my H&B shopping spree!
So who are Getbuzzing?
"Here at Getbuzzing, a family run business, we started making 100% Natural flapjacks to offer people snacks that are genuinely healthy and actually taste good. In 2009 we launched our range of 100% Natural Nut Free Getbuzzing flapjacks, which are a fantastic choice for those who want to look and feel good no matter what their busy lifestyles bring."
They also promise to go to extraordinary lengths to ensure that all of their products are completely nut free -good news if you suffer from allergies. Getbuzzing flapjacks are also 100% Natural, completely free of any artificial colourings, flavourings, preservatives or additives and are suitable for Vegetarians. Sounds good to me!
The 62g bar smelt delicious; a fruity, almost tropical aroma emanated as soon as the wrapper was peeled back. I prefer flapjacks to be on the gooey, moist side and fortunately Getbuzzing must agree with me. The oats were fused together with the traditional golden syrup and butter mixture, resulting in an comfortingly sweet, soft and chewy bar. Banana and apricot injected an abundance of extra flavour into the fold. What more can I say? It was utterly scrumptious!
I'm mightily impressed with the Getbuzzing banana flapjack. The trouble is, now my curiosity has been piqued by the discovery that the company also makes protein bars...
9/10
