NEW! Mr Kipling Trifle Cake Slices (ASDA)

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

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

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

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

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

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

6/10

Rhubarb & Custard Iced Buns (M&S)

M&S' rhubarb and custard buns have been around for a couple of summers now, but I hadn't brought myself to buy any thanks to the unimpressive reviews I'd read on them. To be honest, it's only in the past six months that I've learned how great M&S filled buns can be. If you'll recall, the Christmas boobie buns kicked things off, followed by the lemon Whitby buns, and I well and truly fell in love with the carrot cake & cream cheese hot cross buns -which I've only just run out of thanks to my excessive hoarding. It was these discoveries that got me wondering about the rhubarb buns, and praying that they'd return once again this year. Alas! When the summer products started to grace M&S' shelves, the rhubarb buns were missing, but thankfully they were just a little late to the table. The rhubarb & custard buns are £1.35 for two, but of course a I waited to find them reduced. 

"Vanilla custard flavoured buns filled with a tangy rhubarb jam."

I also managed to buy them during the heatwave, which means that they were difficult to retrieve from their cardboard wrap without smearing the icing everywhere. To be fair, I was impressed that the topping had stayed as intact as it had. 

Slicing the bun in half revealed the generous pocket of oozy pink sauce. It was much looser than normal jam, and had a hard time staying within the bun -as you can see from the photo below. I felt that Rhubarb and custard was a bit of a marketing ploy on M&S' part, for the 'custard flavoured bun' didn't taste any different to their normal sweet dough. I mean, it was light, fluffy and scrummy, but it wouldn't live up to Ronseal's standards. 

As for that oozy rhubarb sauce, it was very sweet, lacked the promised tang and was just too thin. I'd have really like to have seen a chunky, slightly tangy, soft-set conserve here instead. Well, actually, if it was me designing the buns I would have filled the buns with both rhubarb jam and custard (or Creme patisserie). The consistency and abundance (which I'm certainly not complaining about) of the filling means that it's a bun best reserved to eat at home. Especially if you're even remotely in the clumsy club, and never eat one in a white shirt. 

The final disappointment came from the icing. I'd have liked to have seen a rhubarb flavoured topping as per the Greggs ring doughnuts (which have made a reappearance this year). M&S have been lazy though, and just used a standard unflavoured icing. 

Despite my complaints about them not being really rhubarb and custard-y, these are yummy buns and so If you imagine them to be big, sticky, raspberry filled finger buns you won't be disappointed. I will point out though that the Lemon buns are far more exciting, and well worth a try if you haven't yet. 

7/10. 

Mr Gladstone's Curious Emporium Rhubarb & Custard Wine Review (Tesco)

It feels very odd to be writing about wine at 10am, especially whilst en route to a fitness convention. Actually, scrap that, the man opposite me on the train  just cracked open a Strongbow so I figure it's more than acceptable. Plus, it'll be evening by the time this is published, and you might be needing wine to get you through the Sunday blues. Convinced yet? I am.

Now I'll also start by admitting that I'm certainly no wine connoisseur but my preferences usually lie with either a full-bodied Rioja or zesty Pinot Grigio, depending on what I'm having for dinner. I've left the rosé with my teenage years and early twenties; despite my chocoholic tendencies I find it too sweet now. That was at least until I spied this rhubarb & custard wine on fellow sweet-toothed foodie Siân's instagram and then promptly found it on offer in Tesco. Argh it's pink, it's likely to be sweet but it's new, novel and rhubarb & custard flavour. If you've been following this blog for a while you'll know that I can't resist the call of anything rhubarb. At £3.50 (normally £4) it wasn't about to break the bank and so I treated myself to a bottle in the wake of finishing my second year at uni. 

"Expertly crafted with 100% natural flavours to create a refreshingly delicious treat, bursting with the traditional confectionary flavours of Rhubarb and Custard. Perfect served chilled or over ice."

Chilled it was. Siân suggested that I smelt it before I tried it, and I was pleasantly surprised by the intermingled aromas of both wine and rhubarb and custard. Whilst I was concerned that it would smell odd and artificial, it reminded me of summer days during my a-levels and having BBQs in the fields by the river with my friends. Now I don't imagine that that's what it would bring up for you, but I hope you get the picture.

It wasn't syrupy and slipped down my throat with ease. The rhubarb and custard flavour is surprisingly strong, but not overwhelming and works weirdly well with the rosé. I thought I'd balk at the sweetness, but it's not half bad. I wouldn't serve it alongside dinner but the Curious Emporium Rhubarb and Custard wine makes for a good sunny afternoon drink with friends (it's much lower in alcohol at 9%) or alongside a tub of Ben & Jerry's strawberry swirled.  

8/10 

NEW! Rhubarb & Custard Ice Cream Cones

Last year I found sheer joy with Iceland's Nostalgic Rhubarb & Custard Cone Sensations. Only ASDA's Rhubarb Jumbles yielded similar happiness with my favourite sweet shop classic combination and both the Greggs Rhubarb & Custard donut, & M&S' Rhubarb, Strawberry & Custard Muffins paled in comparison. Seeing as the Iceland Cones were discontinued in the Autumn, I hoped that Tesco had provided us with an ample replacement. 

"Rhubarb and custard flavour ice creams in a wafer cone coated with chocolate flavoured coating, rippled and topped with rhubarb sauce, finished with biscuit pieces."

At £1 for a box of four ice creams, they were the same price as Iceland's versions. There was a subtle difference between the two descriptions though - Iceland's were adorned with sugar crystals whereas Tesco's are coated in biscuit pieces. 

Well I say covered, but I don't mean it. There was a measly smattering of crumbs, which I didn't even acknowledge until I looked back at the photos. Iceland's sweetie-esque topping was much better. 

Luckily the sauce was tasty, bearing a welcome combination of sweet with a slightly tanginess. I can't comment on whether it was an improvement on Iceland's as my memory doesn't serve me that well, but it was scrummy nonetheless. Unfortunately the sauce wasn't very well distributed. The top half of the cone didn't contain much, and neither did the bottom, but there was a huge pocket of pink stickiness in the middle. 

As for the ice cream, it had that soft, almost whipped-ness of most cheap supermarket ice creams. Flavour-wise it was every bit the let down. Both the rhubarb and custard elements were weak. Rhubarb is such a punchy flavour so there's no excuse for it to not come to the fore, but it was very much lacking in these cones. 

If I was looking for the silver lining, I'd tell you that the wafer cone was crunchy with a decently sized chocolate nib at the bottom, but surely that's the least you expect, isn't it? 

5/10

NEW! Syrup Sponge Desserts (ASDA)

A good five or six months ago I was in Worcester's ASDA before my lecture and spotted a new dessert pot that took my fancy. I even took a photo of it at the time, but didn't think it would survive a 3 hour lecture followed by the 2 hour commute home. I tried the local ASDA the next day but couldn't find it, then tried the Worcester store a couple of days later... but guess what? It vanished, not to be seen again. If it hadn't been for my photo evidence I would've been sure I'd imagined it.

Just imagine my surprise during the weekly shop last week when I spied the very same packet that's been playing on my mind all this time! Without my usual reservation towards the £2 price point I swiftly picked up a pack.

"Vanilla flavoured custard and mousse with a sweet syrup sauce and sponge pieces."

The tiers were distinct and the pot was well filled, but the mousse was a disconcerting shade of yellow.

I was worried that the mousse would just be devoid of flavour but in reality it had pleasant vanilla notes to it. The texture was just as light and fluffy as I'd hoped too. A rather good start.

Underneath was the custard layer, which was thinner than I'd usually like and lacked the creaminess of Ambrosia's version. It was still enjoyable, but could be a lot better.

The final layer consisted of the cake cubes and golden syrup. The combination should be a winner but ASDA have completely messed up the ratios. Of course in a traditional golden syrup sponge the cake element makes up the majority of the dessert, but in these pots there was twice as much sauce to cake (19% and 9.3% respectively). With so much syrup pooled at the bottom the last mouthfuls were almost unbearably sweet -and I've got a very sweet tooth.

C'mon ASDA, you dominated the supermarkets last year. These Syrup sponge puddings and your new cheesecakes are a right let down in comparison!

6/10

NEW! Extra Special Black Forest & Amaretto Desserts Review (ASDA)

I've recently outed my addiction to buying chocolate and ice cream on instagram in an attempt to remind myself that I really need to stop buying more and instead work through my admittedly impressive collection. The trouble is, whilst I love both chocolate AND ice cream, occasionally I'm just not in the mood for either, or I spot something different that I'd rather have. This is especially true when it comes to ice cream, and since promising myself that I'd not purchase any more, my non-frozen dessert cravings have fully kicked in. BAM! All of a sudden I just needed to have the Black Forest & Amaretto Pots that I've been contemplating for weeks.

Even my price conscious nature gave way to the compulsions to try these little desserts. In ASDA Gü are currently on offer for £1.50, yet I still chose their own brand desserts. I must be mad. In my defence, previous experiences with ASDA's Extra Special desserts* have thus far been remarkably positive.

"Amaretto-infused sponge layered with black cherry compote and Belgian dark chocolate ganache."

C'mon ASDA, you seem to have fallen foul of Cadbury's usual trick here and only half filled the pots! The Peanut Butter Millionaire's Dessert was full to the brim, and had much more distinctive layers too.

Digging in to the top I first tasted the dark chocolate ganache, which was as silky and as delicious as expected -there just wasn't very much of it. The little that there was had kind of sunk into the custard below. Talking of which, the custard was a bit of a let down. The flavour was weak against the ganache and so I wished that ASDA had just done away with it and filled the tub with more of the good stuff.

Fortunately the black cherry compote was delicious, offering a sweet tartness against all the chocolate, but again the pot could have done with more. Boo.

The final layer was the main reason why I wanted to try these desserts so badly - the amaretto soaked sponge. The cake was in keeping with the Black Forest theme and was therefore chocolate flavoured. It was a good sponge with a decent amount of cocoa -but I just couldn't taste the amaretto or even almond. Now this might be partly because I was drinking a glass of red wine alongside it, but nonetheless I was disappointed.

I'm aware that I've done a lot of complaining in this review, and perhaps it's not entirely necessary considering I scraped the sides of the tub and really enjoyed it. The trouble is, I know that ASDA sell a much better version of this, and it's cheaper too: their Black Forest Velvets.

7/10

*such as their White Chocolate & Raspberry Cheesecake which was one of my first reviews, and remains my favourite supermarket cheesecake!

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. 

Christmas Muffin (Greggs)

Hurrah, another festive treat to tick off my 'wish I'd tried in 2015' list -one of the last I might add! The Greggs Christmas muffin just didn't make it to my mouth last year, but I've often wondered if it was as good as it looked. I owe a big thank you to Dan on Twitter for alerting me to their return, and of course I didn't hesitate to buy one as soon as I spotted them peering at me so longingly from behind heir £1 sign in Greggs.

"Who doesn't love cake and custard?! That's why we've combined the two for you. A mixed spice and sweet mincemeat muffin, filled with a custard style filling and topped with a fondant icing and sugar decoration."

This year the high street bakers have apparently improved the recipe, and they certainly looked the part with their rosy red wrapper and sweet gold star atop snowy white icing. The sweet festive scent also gave the impression that I was in for a treat, and I carefully carried it to uni with me so that I could enjoy it on my late evening return home.

As a side note, anyone who follows me on Twitter and saw my muffin post last night may have read about my grumpiness caused by the train being on time for once (a strange sounding complaint, but I explained why in the comment). I really hoped that appearances wouldn't let me down with this train dessert as they had in the past with the utterly disappointing apple crumble doughnut.

I went to slice my muffin in half but it totally fell apart -this is one cake not made for eating on the go! I then started to wonder what had happened to the custard that was supposed to fill the muffin. Sure there was a little pocket of it at the very bottom, but not anywhere near enough to to enjoy cake and custard together in every bite as hoped.

Not wanting to give up on the Christmas muffin before I'd tasted it, I picked up the largest chunk and dug in. The cake was wonderfully soft and the spices were mellow, reminding me of carrot cake -without the carrot of course! The flavour was delicious and I really enjoyed it, although I'd argue about whether or not it was 'mincemeat' considering that there were only two raisins (or sultanas, I can't tell the difference) in the entire muffin. As for the custard, it was the same delicious innards used in Greggs' Caramel Custard doughnut, which actually made my heart sink a little because it was so good and I JUST WANTED MORE OF IT.

I really hope that I got a bit of a duff muffin, and that others contain both more fruit and custard filling. The flavour and texture of the cake was delicious but it was ruined by the lack of proportions. That said I would like to try it warmed up with a big mug of tea. Please let me know if you've tried Greggs Christmas muffin yet and whether you've had a similar or entirely different experience!

7/10

Fresh Salted Caramel Custard (Morrisons)

Have you tried Ambrosia's attempt at luxury custard? The 'deluxe' range was launched in February but to be honest, I found it so lacklustre that I didn't even bother reviewing either the toffee or the salted caramel pots (however you can read One Treat's thoughts here). The trouble is, ambient desserts are never going to scream of indulgence, and after I initially tried Ambrosia's new range I went back to buying their standard custard -or opting for ice cream instead. Now I've often said that i don't believe that ice cream has a season -I eat it most days all year round- but occasionally I get a custard craving that needs adhering to, and that's exactly what happened here...

During my Morrisons trip the other day (when I found their new Bakery Stollen cookies) I spied their fresh salted caramel custard, thought that looks tasty and promptly carried on my merry way. The little pot must have sparked my fancy though, because a couple of days later (when I was sat in a particularly dull lecture -strategies and objectives in P.R FYI), I dozed off and found myself dreaming of that salted caramel custard slathered over a warm mince pie. That was it. I had to have it. The yearning only got worse too, so yesterday afternoon I cycled into town in the cold, pouring rain on a mission. Fortunately, whilst the store was exceptionally busy, there was a few pots left. £1 for 300g isn't too bad either is it?

The golden coloured liquid was thick and smelt incredibly butterscotch-y. Oof. I love a good spot of Angel Delight, and couldn't help hoping that this custard would taste similar. My only concern was that it could be overwhelmingly sweet -especially considering that I was pairing it with a naturally rich mince pie. 

The custard can either be heated in the microwave for a few minutes or on the hob. For ease I chose the first option, although the liquid had to be first transferred into a microwaveable jug.

Boy, oh boy. Morrisons, you geniuses. It might not look particularly pretty, but the now warm custard was everything I hoped for: utterly flavourful, executing the seemingly difficult promise that so many brands seem to stumble upon of being both caramel and salted. The salinity wasn't overwhelming either and simply cut through the sweetness perfectly. The butterscotch element that I initially smelt also came through, and I guess that if you're a fellow fan of both custard and butterscotch Angel Delight then you'll also love this too. 

Whilst salted caramel custard may not sound like the most obvious partner for a warm mince pie, I absolutely adored it. My other half enjoyed his custard over a warm individual treacle tart -another Morrisons find, see pic below- and Bert said both custard and tart were "absolutely delicious".

I'm dying to try my next pot (yep, I think Morrisons have now got me addicted) with warm banana... Mmm. Bananas and salted caramel custard anyone? Yes please! 

10/10

Caramel Custard Doughnut (Greggs)

If you read yesterday's review, you might remember that a couple of days ago I was on a doughnut quest when I became distracted by the Toffee Apple muffins and had to abort my mission.

Thursday nights are now occupied by a night lecture. Yes, that's right, my uni is cruel and makes poor students (and lecturers) give up their evenings for a three hour lecture that isn't due to finish until 21:15. If you're in student accommodation this might not sound so bad, but I live an hours train journey followed by a 45 minute walk away -and the train doesn't leave until 21:40. Why am I telling you this? Well, if you follow me on Instagram (or glance at the insta widget on the sidebar) you'll know that I have dessert every evening, which tends to be ice cream orientated (although this evening I'm looking forward to a large wedge of cheesecake which I will also review). I can hardly bring an ice cream to uni with me, so I thought I would take the opportunity to pick up the doughnut for dessert.

I've been thinking about these caramel custard doughnuts ever since I bought the toffee apple ring last week. They sounded and looked so yummy, and I imagined that a gooey caramel flavoured custard would compliment the soft dough wonderfully -and deliver an almighty sugar rush. I definitely needed the extra energy to get me through the long lecture and the arduous walk home, so I popped into Greggs and stumped up the 90p on the way to uni -remembering to ask for a box in which to keep my treasure safe.

In fact, I managed to slack off uni early last night which enabled four positive outcomes:
- I could catch the early train
- I could eat my doughnut on the train instead of munching during class.
- I could get a lift home and therefore didn't have to walk
-  I was home at 10pm instead of 11.30pm, hurrah!

Sat in the almost empty carriage, I could finally fully appreciate my sugar bomb in all its glory - especially now that I knew I didn't have to trek soon after. The icing was aplenty, and smell was intoxicating.

Slicing the doughnut in two revealed one half brimming with custard, and the other almost completely empty. Whoever filled it must've had a wonky day! Eating the naked half first allowed me to appreciate the dough and the icing. I mentioned last time that I find Greggs' dough to be more bread like than Krispy Kremes, and this was no different. The icing was of course very sweet, but also delivered a decent enough caramel flavour.

Did you notice the colour of the filling? It was a very pale yellow, which I realised meant that it was a plain custard -and not the caramel flavoured version that I envisaged from it's name. Luckily, the custard's abundance and taste made up for my disappointment. I'm a lover of Ambrosia, and the filling tasted pretty darn similar to their ambient tinned stuff. Yum.

I always end up feeling like Greggs have put 80% effort into their treats. The ring doughnuts lack the extra flavour that could be easily added by incorporating a sauce through the middle, and the caramel custard doughnut could be further improved if the company had thought to actually use caramel IN the custard and not just the icing (as well as a central injection of filling of course). Still, for 90p, they're a damn site cheaper than any Krispy Kreme, so please do give these Greggs' doughnuts a go!

8/10

NEW! Rhubarb, Strawberry & Custard Muffins (M&S)

Yesterday afternoon on my way home from work I was having conversation with Nat (of a-lot-o-choc blog) about some of the scrummy new desserts and treats that have just popped up in M&S*. Well, actually that's a fib. Nat was actually informing me of the delights because I hadn't spotted them yet. One mention of rhubarb, strawberry & custard crumble muffins however and I knew I'd be taking a pricey detour via Sparks. The dogs could surely cross their tails and wait 10 minutes longer for their wees! 

Now if you've been following this blog for a while, you'll know that I have a very soft spot for rhubarb, and that a bowl of strawberry & rhubarb crumble with custard once rendered me a content but sobbing mess (see the story here if you're interested). Anyway, it's something about the sweet-tart combination that thrills my tastebuds, but I've discovered that it's a delicate balance when translated into other treats. Over the year I've tried rhubarb & custard flavoured dessert pots, ice creams, and even a doughnut -but I can't recall ever seeing a muffin before. I really hoped that M&S would do it justice! 

"fruity rhubarb muffin, double filled with strawberry & rhubarb compote and custard, topped with tumbling crumble."

I ended up buying two different packs of M&S muffins in the end as they were in a 2 for £2.50 offer (otherwise £1.60 on their own). They certainly looked light and fluffy, with a dusting of crumble topping as promised. Their innards appeared even more appetising, and I was thrilled to see the clear pockets of both custard and compote, although where was the rhubarb at? Was the paltry smattering at the bottom all there was? 

Well yes, I'm afraid so. The rhubarb was indeed completely lost in the mix, far overshadowed by the other, more sweet fillings. The custard was pleasant (it just reminded me of cold Ambrosia, which I love) but it felt all wrong to have just a smidge of creaminess in such a large piece of cake -or is it just me who drowns their puddings in custard? The compote (AKA jam) was far more strawberry than rhubarb; and although yummy, missed the mark entirely. It really required the traditionally sharp tang of the rhubarb that M&S promised of. The jot of fruit at was simply disappointing, and felt almost like an afterthought. The muffins would have been far better with the rhubarb chunks rippled throughout; I'm sure Mary Berry would have something to say about the sunken soggy chunks lingering right at the bottom.

On the plus side, the texture of the cake itself couldn't be better. It was light and fluffy with a melt-in-the-mouth butteriness that tasted remarkably homemade. The crumble also added a light crunch and was a welcome addition. 

All in all, these are a nice new addition to M&S' bakery aisle. They're just not outstanding, and in fact are inferior to ASDA's toffee fudge muffins. Here's hoping the other new M&S muffins I bought will be better than the rhubarb versions... Stay tuned!

7/10 

*Yes, we're bored of you now Spirit of Summer, it's time to move over.

Rhubarb & Custard Doughnut (Greggs)

I can't tell you how happy I am that rhubarb and custard seems to be going through a bit of a trend phase at the moment. ASDA's Rhubarb Jumble pots and Iceland's Rhubarb & Custard Cone Sensations are wonderful 2016 edition desserts which have both slightly altered my perception of the clasically British combination. How so? Well, I once thought of rhubarb and custard as a wintery pud (especially if the rhubarb comes baked into a crumble-yum!) but I've realised that the sharp-sweetness can offer a refreshing zing on a hot summers day. It's this new thinking that caused me to pop into Greggs on the way home from work and pick up this unusually flavoured doughnut. Well, actually, I tried yesterday too but they were completely sold out -boo. 

On the shelf in the bakery, the doughnuts looked rather pretty with their yellow and pink feathered icing. Unfortunately, by the time I'd walked the 2miles home in the blazing sunshine, the icing had melted and smeared itself all over the paper bag. Waste not, want not. I scraped as much of it out as I could. 

Refusing to wait any longer, I licked the yellow and pink icing straight off the spoon. Wow, it tasted like melted rhubarb and custard sweets -and was utterly delicious! Of course it was far more sweet than tart, but the tang was not lost and lingered lovingly in the background. Would it work against the sugary doughnut too?

Yes, I'm pleased to say it did. Although the doughnut didn't taste as fresh or as fluffy as I'd have liked, the combination worked surprisingly well. What did disappoint me however, was the lack of rhubarb jam and/or custard running through the dough itself. I've come to expect all doughnuts -even the ring kind- to be filled with some kind of naughtiness, and I felt that the additional rhubarb and custard element would have elevated this treat onto a whole new level of genius! 

7/10

NEW! Rhubarb & Custard Cone Sensations (Iceland)

I may never forgive Iceland for discontinuing their fabulous peanut and banana ice cream cones of 2015. If you didn't try them, shame on you. They were wonderful, especially as banana ice cream is oddly a rarity. I had been eagerly awaiting Iceland's summer stock, hoping that once again I'd get my hands on their peanut and banana cones, but alas! they've not returned. The frozen food specialist has fortunately dampened the blow however with some rather scrummy looking new lines such as their new banoffee flavoured Majestics (fake magnums between you and I).

Iceland have also launched three new ice cream cones: 'Toffee Apple', 'Coconut Dream' and 'Rhubarb & Custard'. I adore rhubarb so they were the first in my basket! At £1 for a pack of four they're a veritable bargain, especially as they're much larger than cornettos (110ml compared to 90ml).

"Crispy wafer cones with a chocolate flavour coating, filled with rhubarb and custard flavour ice creams and a rhubarb flavour sauce, decorated with pink sugar crystal pieces."

It must be said that the packaging design is truly hideous, yet the cones themselves were things of beauty. The sugar crystals added an ethereal quality, whilst the princess pink and white coloured ice creams were rather pretty.


The crystals tasted like crushed up rhubarb & custard sweets, a theme that was set to continue throughout. 

The ice cream was soft and creamy, rather like whipped ice cream, with a true nostalgic flavour. It was hard to distinguish between the rhubarb and the custard flavours but the combination tasted just like the sweets. I imagined that the rhubarb flavour would be slightly tart in order to offset the sweetness, but it wasn't -and I didn't mind one bit. 

A punchy zing came from the rhubarb sauce which ran all the way down the centre of the cone. It was jammy and harmonised well with the ice cream.
Thankfully the waffles had retained their crispness -there's nothing worse than a limp cone after all- and of course they contained that little treasure at the end -the nib of dark chocolate. 

If you'd have told me that my favourite British classic sweet would work as an ice cream, I'm not sure I'd have believed you, however Iceland have somehow worked their wizardry and pulled it off! 

9/10

Bonne Maman Crème Brûlée Au Chocolat (Waitrose)

How can you improve any dessert? Add chocolate of course. Or salted caramel. Or both! That's my viewpoint anyway, so when I spotted Bonne Maman's Crème Brûlée Au Chocolat on offer in Waitrose (£1.52 for two) I was suitably tempted.

Both the chocolate and standard crème brûlée come in Gü dessert style glass ramekins. Please tell me you're kitchen is full of the little glass pots too? I'm sure the saying should be "a moment on the lips, a lifetime in your cupboards", but it doesn't have quite the same ring to it does it? Each dessert is topped with a sachet of brown sugar to complete the 'brûlée' experience..

..Except, I was baffled by the rather ambiguous serving suggestion on the back of the packet:

"Sprinkle the contents of the attached sachet evenly over the surface of the Crème Brûlée. Place the pot in the oven until golden and bubbling. Allow to cool slightly before eating. Alternatively, serve cold."

A cold oven? Obviously not. A temperature? Time? Jeez. These are worse than IKEA instructions! Having partaken in some chef training a number of years ago I realised that the sugar needed a quick blast from a blowtorch. I left my kitchen to ask my (Engineer) other half for said implement but he sniggered and apologised for leaving it at work. Thinking on my feet, I whacked my grill onto full blast and popped the sugar-topped crème brûlées under the heat, hoping for the best.

The sugar didn't really caramelise, but I got a few crispy bits. Underneath the sugary top I was met with a tepid, gelatinous, brown substance. It wasn't  pleasant, and made me think of Granny's rejected blancmange.. I was hoping for a punchy cocoa taste, but instead it was horribly mild and insipid. The colder custard at the bottom of the ramekin was marginally better, but far from tasty. I'm showing my age here but did you ever have school lunch luke-warm chocolate custard?  That's the closest flavour I could liken it to.  Gloopy, warm, and jelly like. Not one for me.

Being nosy I had a quick gander at the ratings on Ocado's and Waitrose's website. They're not good. Bonne Maman's chocolate crème brûlée has a 3 stars on Waitrose, and only 1.4 stars on Ocado. Interestingly, the reviews are good for the original version, so maybe this is one dessert that doesn't benefit from the addition of chocolate...

2/10

Have you had either of the Bonne Maman crème brûlées? What do you think of them?