NEW! Gelatelli Master of Taste Pretty Peanut Butter Ice Cream (LIDL)

If you'll recall if you read my review of the Neo cones, I also picked up a peanut butter tub during American week at Lidl. It sounds a lot like Ben & Jerry's Peanut Butter Cup, but at £1.99 per 500ml is cheaper. After the disappointment of the Neo cones though I didn't hold out much hope that this would be a decent copycat.

"Peanut butter flavoured ice cream with peanut butter filled milk chocolate pieces (20%)."

The first thing I noticed was how solid the ice cream was. I mean I couldn't scoop it. Now to others that might sound like a problem, but I much prefer hard ice cream -it melts slower and therefore I can enjoy it for longer. Plus there's no need for the gym when you have a ten minute wrestle with a tub of ice cream! The second thought that struck me was the lack of peanut butter pieces. Where were the Reese's cups that I'd imagined? I mean the packaging didn't show cups, but it did say 'peanut butter coated chocolate' and everyone knows that means Reese's (or fake Reese's at least). 

The ice cream was delicious though; the robust nutty flavour shone through the creamy base, which is no doubt due to the high peanut content (13.6%). It was far richer than the Snickers ice cream, and its density meant that it tasted more luxurious than the Co-Op's tub. I was pleased to see that they hadn't included a caramel sauce to dilute the flavour either, I mean who puts peanut butter and caramel on toast? Jam yes. Caramel no. So why do so many companies insist on adding it to their ice creams? Hats off to Lidl, the ice cream itself was a very good Ben & Jerry's rip off, but let's talk about those chocolate cups...

When I posted the photo of my ice cream on instagram I was met with an instruction to buy another tub by someone who'd apparently had much more luck on the cup front than I had. My first portion hadn't heralded a single cup -only shards of chocolate- hence my aforementioned thoughts that maybe I'd come to the wrong conclusion about the chocolate pieces. So before I reviewed this, I had a second portion to see if I could find any of these promised cups. 

Digging down to the bottom of the tub I found one and a half mini cups. They were a similar size to the Reese's cups, and a fairly good imitation, which made me all the more gutted that I'd been so unfortunate regarding the amount my tub had in. It's a huge shame really, because this Gelatelli ice cream would be getting extremely good marks if it had contained more cups. 

Now It may sound a little redundant that I'm reviewing this ice cream when the supermarket won't be getting deliveries of it again anytime soon but when I popped into our local branch yesterday they still had plenty left, and even if your local store doesn't have any, I'm sure there'll be another American week in the future months. 

8/10 

NEW! Tiramisu Con Biscotti Speziatti *Biscoff Tiramisu* (LIDL)

Last week I popped into Lidl for my regular restock of Skyr and picked up their weekly deal brochure on the way out. Ooh Italian week! That sounded good. Normally there's a couple of items that sound rather scrummy, but this time I was positively drooling at the sight of some of the items on offer for the week. That's it, I'd have to go back on Thursday (aka special buy day) to fill up on Italian style treats. The one item that sounded especially good was the speculoos tiramisus. The regular readers amongst you will know that tiramisu is one of my favourite desserts, and that I'm currently obsessed with anything biscoff. At £1.29 for two packs they were slightly dearer than your average supermarket cheesecake, but they still sounded like a reasonably good deal to me. 

"Spiced Biscuit Base Topped with Vanilla Flavour Mousse, Sprinkled with Chocolate Flavoured Powder."

I'm not sure how Lidl have got away with calling them tiramisus really, seeing as they were devoid of Savoiardi or coffee-although they do include a minute amount of alcohol (1.5%) and mascarpone cheese (which comes even lower down the ingredients list). In fact the cocoa dusting and the pots they came in were the only real nods to the classic Italian dessert. Still, they'd reeled me in with the title and I was still looking forward to trying them.

I wasn't expecting the mousse to be marshmallowy. It was still light and airy, but it also had a gooey-ness to it that I haven't experienced with a mousse before. I could faintly taste the liqueur, but it's so mild that I wouldn't be able to tell you what it was.

At the bottom was the 'spiced biscuit' base, which also heralded further surprise. I was expecting it to taste like crushed Lotus biscuits, but instead it had a soft crumb -which was utterly delicious. The cake style base actually worked very well, especially because it had such a fantastic cinnamon flavour. I ended up googling 'speculoos cake recipes' as soon as I'd finished it. 

Now I took a punt and sent Bert to his Night shift with the other pot the same night I had mine. It was a risk because he claims to hate tiramisu, but seeing as it didn't contain coffee I thought it was worth the risk. He loved it. I'm glad he did too, otherwise I'd have been gutted that I'd wasted the other delicious pot. We'll be heading back to Lidl before Thursday (when The Middle Eastern week starts) to stock up and might even pick up a pack of the strawberry tiramisu -which is even less tiramisu-esque! 

8/10

NEW! Lemon Drizzle Bun (LIDL)

Often when I wrote reviews of a disappointing product I find myself feeling the need to rectify the issue with a delicious version of said treat. At least that's why I'm blaming Pågen for my cinnamon cravings. Where could I find a decent cinnamon bun though outside of London (thanks for the tips guys)? Normally I can rely on Tesco's bakery -ASDA's aren't nearly so good- but my local Express store has been lacking in supplies lately. Well, either that or there's more cinna-fanatics out there. Then I had a brainwave. Lidl. Lidl sell fabulous looking cinnamon buns, and given the jam doughnut's success I thought I could rely on their bakery. Being the wily mate that I am, it didn't take long to persuade Bert that I really needed more Skyr and he kindly drove me across town. 

Oh dear, dilemma time. I instantly spotted the cinnamon buns, but then cushioned up next to them was an impressive array of iced buns adorned with white chocolate curls. They were simply labelled 'sweet buns, 49p'. Intriguing. I went on a mission to find a member of staff (easier said than done in Lidl) and eventually found a young man who advised me that he thought they were "lemon, lemon drizzle perhaps?". We'll go with that. The cinnamon bun could wait, the lemon drizzle could not. 

I had no idea whether the bun would be filled or not, but given it's coiled shape I found myself dreaming of a sweet yet sharp lemon curd interior. Nom. 

Oh. I guess not then! What the badger? The bun was dry all the way through; no raisins, no butter, and certainly no curd. I suppose on the plus side the dough was well risen with large air pockets, but it was also hard and almost crusty at the edges. 

My disappointment deepened with the first bite. The dough was very dry whilst the lemon flavoured was mild at best. I almost threw it away I was that annoyed by it. Before my frustrations got the better of me I heated the other half in the microwave. 

Ahh, that was better. The nuked dough softened, and the lemon became more prominent thanks to the now melted icing. It shouldn't have to come to that though should it? 

If you're after a citrusy bun, please stick to M&S' brilliant lemon Whitbys. They're gloriously soft, studded with sultanas and filled with a delicious curd. In comparison Lidl's are barely edible when ambient. I'll just stick to their jam doughnuts in future. 

Now I'm craving lemon curd and cinnamon buns. Oh boy.

3/10.

Fresh Bakery Jam Filled Doughnut (LIDL)

It's that time of year. You know the one, when you only have to get within 100 metres of a supermarket before the sweet hunger-pang-inducing scent of hot cross buns assails your nostrils and suddenly you're making an unexpected detour into the bakery aisle. It drives me crazy, especially as I cycle down the side of Morrisons (and straight under their vents) on the way to the train station every day. In the same vein whilst I don't directly pass LIDL on the same stretch, I often pop in to replenish my Skyr supplies on the way home and more or less have to shut my eyes and nostrils when unavoidably passing their in-store bakery. It's not so much the scent of it, but the impressive array of both sweet and savoury treats that look undeniably tempting. Yesterday though my yogurt mission was unsuccessful -they sell like hot cakes, excuse the pun- which meant that I had enough room in my backpack for a treat or two. Oops.

Just look at that jam doughnut though! Even better, the basket was being refilled just as I picked up the tongs so I knew they were the freshest they could be. At 25p each they're a veritable bargain too, and LIDL even provide individual little plastic boxes to keep your treats safe (it seems that Krispy Kreme and Greggs could learn a thing or two from the German supermarket) .

Are you a powdered sugar or caster sugar jam doughnut fan? For me it's the former all the way, and it's part of the reason that I prefer Morrisons' bakery doughnuts over any of the other supermarkets' versions. This LIDL doughnut looked like it might trump Morrisons though because it was much bigger and so very light!

I couldn't help but feel hugely disappointed when I sliced the doughnut in two. Where was the huge dollop of sticky jam filling hiding? It then occurred to me why the doughnut was so light. It was devoid of jam.

Fortunately the dough was the saving grace. I mean it was everything that I want from a doughnut; unbelievably fluffy with a good sweet flavour and lacking that horrible greasy aftertaste that often lingers after eating one of Tesco or ASDA's. In fact the quality far surpassed both Greggs and Krispy Kreme!

The teaspoonful of jam was pretty good, gooey and sweet with a decent fruity flavour. Goddammit LIDL, if you'd doubled the jam content you'd have nailed the perfect doughnut!

I'm convinced I just bought a dodgy one, so next time I'm in store I'll ensure I leave enough room in my bag for another doughnut, you know, just in case! I'll keep you updated...

8/10

Luxury Chocolate Stollen with Jamaican Rum (LIDL)

Despite my insistence yesterday that I wasn't upset about the lack of chocolate & hazelnut (or indeed any) stollen in Tesco, I was admittedly miffed that I hadn't managed to enjoy any of my favourite German festive bread this season. I had, of course, tried the disappointing chocolate covered stollen bites from ALDI, but like I said at the time -it didn't really hit the spot. I was on a mission yesterday afternoon to pick up a bottle of Ouzo from Lidl however, when I got sidetracked by the Christmas aisle. Why oh why can't I just walk straight past it like a normal person? I didn't need any more festive food -the big shop had been done, and I've been reviewing all sorts of Christmassy treats since Bonfire Night.

Firstly, LIDL's Favorina milk chocolate lekuchen hearts called to me, which I justified by telling myself that I would buy and keep them for a 25th of June half-Christmas celebration -but we'll see if they last that long. Then I discovered that their 'Snowy Lodge' range was discounted by 20%, and instantly remembered their luxury chocolate Stollen. Now, I wasn't really up for taking another risk with my stollen, especially after my disappointment with their loaf last year, but thought I'd regret not taking the opportunity. At £3.19 for 500g, it was a damn site cheaper than Tesco's £7 similar sized loaf too, and damn it looked chocolatey. 

"Our snowy lodge chocolate stollen is a modern and luxurious take on a classic festive favourite. The dark, rich chocolate and smooth Jamaican rum beautifully complement the traditional stollen flavours. Our chocolate stollen is then finished with a dusting of sugar, for an extraordinary and indulgent treat, perfect for any festive occasion."

Well the loaf looked like the Christmassy offspring of a yule log and stollen. It had an almost magical appearance, and whilst I meant to keep it for Christmas Eve, I just couldn't wait that long to tuck in. 

As my knife sliced into the bread, it started to crumble and I feared that this stollen would be another dry number requiring a large mug of coffee to aid in its consumption. I then spotted the large marzipan rope that was nestled in the centre, and my apprehensions waned slightly. 

Heaven graced my taste buds. The dough's texture was soft, squidgy, and held a little resistance as per every good stollen. The chocolate flavour was rich, but not overpowering, enabling the spicy undertones to come through. An abundance of raisins (26% of the ingredients) broke up the dough, injecting additional moisture into the loaf, but it was the dark chocolate and rum flavoured marzipan that I was really looking forward to... 

Boy, oh boy, it was delectable! On Saturday I reviewed Lidl's Favorina Rum Raisin Marzipan Bread, and thought that it was yummy, but this treasure knocked the Favorina bar out of the park. Fudgy, almondy and very chocolatey with a slight rum-kick (no throat burn here) the marzipan core was easily the best marzipan I've ever had. Lidl have cleverly used a dark chocolate, which counteracts the usual sweetness in the almond paste, providing a harmony of flavours that is inexplicably good. 

Chocoholic stollen fan? Go and buy Lidl's chocolate stollen NOW. Go on, what are you waiting for?

10/10

Favorina Finest Rum Raisin Marzipan Bread (LIDL)

I've never been a huge Christmas cake fan. In fact I really thought I didn't like it at all until recently when I tried Tesco's Free From Christmas Iced Fruit Cake Slices thanks to a tasting table in my local store. For any vegans, coeliacs or lactose intolerant readers please be assured that Tesco have done a rather good job there. To be honest I always considered Christmas Cake's only saving grace to be the slab of marzipan that traditionally lies amid the layers. I even used to make a yearly Christmas Cake, but would only eat my homemade marzipan (which is surprisingly simple to make if you haven't attempted it before). The sweet almond paste is a personal favourite, and I could quite happily munch through a large bar of the stuff. Cue Lidl.

Amongst the selection of 'Favorina' branded Christmas goodies (along with the Spiced Biscuit Spread) LIDL are currently stocking a range of 100g chocolate coated flavoured marzipan logs priced at just 99p. The minute my eyes caught sight of the rum-raisin flavour I was sold. Rum is my favourite spirit and I love a good Rum N' Raisin ice cream -something that seems to be far and few between, don't even get me started on Carte D'Ors version. As a bonus it was milk chocolate coating the marzipan too. I find that so often companies opt for dark to counteract the sweetness.

Slicing into the log revealed the raisin studded almond paste, which smelt boozy and almondy, i.e. perfection. Whilst the milk chocolate wasn't thick enough to really taste by itself, the creaminess came through which I took as a sign that it was decent quality. As for the centre, it was a sightly grainy kind of marzipan -but delicious none the less. The rum soaked raisins worked well to keep the paste moist, and the hit of sugary festivity pleased my taste buds immensely. The sweetness means that it's better enjoyed with a big mug of coffee, as opposed to an amaretto and coke, but that's more than fine by me.

8/10

NEW! Favorina Spiced Biscuit Spread (LIDL)

I don't know about you but I definitely go through phases. Biscoff is often subject to such phases; I become addicted to the stuff and then don't have it for a few days and before I know it it's relegated to the back of the spread cupboard (yes I have three shelves and an entire cupboard solely dedicated to toast toppings). Then when I rediscover it, I fall back in love and the cycle begins once more. Honestly, if you've never bought it and have addictive tendancies stay clear of Biscoff, the stuff is ridiculously hard to put down.

Anyway the subject of today's review is LIDL's Spiced Biscuit Spread, which I presumed to be their knock-off version of Biscoff. They've released it as part of their Christmas range, something I found strange because Biscoff doesn't even enter my mind as being a seasonal product. However Speculoos biscuits do tend to make an appearance at this time of year, so I guess from that point of view it is. 

LIDL are selling two versions just as Biscoff do: Crunchy and Smooth. Whilst I'm almost always a smooth peanut butter kind of gal, crunchy Biscoff always gets my vote -so that's what I went for. The 350g jars are on a 2 for £2 deal though (I think they were £1.29 each) so if you can't make up your mind then you could always pick up both.

"Spiced biscuit spread with biscuit pieces." 

I had a jar of Biscoff Crunchy at home, so I'll directly compare the two for those of you who are also obsessed with the spread.

The colour of both was identical, and even the keenest eye would be hard pressed to tell them apart. There was a noticeable difference in consistency though, with the LIDL version appearing slightly shinier and a lot smoother. 

I first tried the spread on M&S' Gingerbread Teacakes -which I now realise is the perfect topping for said treat. Whilst the spread complimented the bread perfectly, the warming flavours from the teacake prevented me from really being able to tell the difference between LIDL and Biscoff. The following evening I tried both on the same *Christmas Tree* crumpet for optimum comparison, and found that there was very little difference in the flavour between them -both delivered on the extreme cinnamon biscuit yummy scrummy-ness. The singular difference came from the texture: Biscoff's spread was grainier and stayed put whereas LIDL's spread melted wonderfully, oozing into the crumpet's pockets and still provided a little crunch from the biscuit pieces. Delicious. 

Top 1/2 of the tree is LIDL, bottom 1/2 is Biscoff.

There's slight variations between the ingredients, more than I expected given the similarity of the flavours. Nutritionally the LIDL is slightly higher in calories and fat, but is lower in sugars (see below for the breakdown). Really there's not a lot in it though, and I love that the consistency of LIDL's crunchy Spiced Biscuit Spread is more like a mixture of Biscoff's smooth and crunchy. The price is also a bonus -at 36.8p per 100g it's a lot cheaper than the branded version (currently on offer at Tesco and still 46.1g per 100g). I'll certainly be stocking up before Christmas anyway, and I suggest you do too!

9/10

Nutritional Info Per 100g
LIDL: 594Kcal/ P:3.2/ C52.0/ F41.2
Biscoff: 571 Kcal/ P:32.3/C58.8/ F: 35.7

Maple Syrup and Salted Caramel Cheesecakes (LIDL)

My poor fiance works a crazy amount of hours  over three different shift patterns -mainly to pay the mortgage whilst I swan off to uni and  part-time job. One week he works a series of night shifts, then day shifts, then afternoon shifts. This week it's afternoons week, which means that he's away over dinner time. But why does this matter? Well it means that during those shifts I'm on the hunt for tasty, easily transportable desserts to pack in his lunchbox. Last week I made the trip to Lidl to stock up on my staple Skyr pots, when I noticed it was U.S.A week and they had some themed fresh goods -including these curious sounding Maple Syrup and Salted Caramel Cheesecakes. The pots were individual, lidded (easy transportation) and came in a 3 pack for 99p, so I picked them up to try this week. 

"3 Mini cheesecakes with a salted maple caramel topping and biscuit base."

You may have gathered by now, I'm a huge Maple syrup and salted caramel fan, but admittedly I've never had them together before.  I wasn't sure how the combination would work, or indeed how yummy the cheesecakes would be, given how pants supermarket potted versions normally are. 

Each dessert had a decent ratio of each three layers, although I soon discovered how runny the top syrup was.. The amber topping was also translucent, allowing me to see peaks of creamy coloured cheesecake beneath.

The flavour was just as strange as imagined. There were the characteristic deep maple tones, and sweetness of caramel, yet it lacked the buttery richness of a true caramel sauce. The saltiness was also forgotten about -I'm sure it was just used in the title to make it sound more on trend. The looseness of the sauce also meant that it was no mean feat keeping it on my teaspoon! 

The cheesecake beneath was lighter than a proper baked cheesecake, although the mousse-like fluffiness did work well. The sourness was also lacking, which is a shame as it was really needed to counteract the sweetness of the syrup above. 

A thick, crumbly biscuit base greeted me at the bottom. Considering that these cheesecakes were meant to be American themed, I'm surprised that LIDL chose to use the traditional British Digestive (which I hear is very hard to track down in the USA). It was a shame really, and gave the cheesecakes a far less genuine flavour -although I'm not sure how authentic I was expecting them to be considering how cheap they were!

If they sound good to you, I'd pop down to LIDL ASAP -it's now 'Italian week' but they may have some lingering on their shelves- otherwise you'll have to wait until American Week crops up again! 

7/10 

NEW! Milbona Skyr Pots (LIDL)

If you look into our 'drinks fridge' (aka the skanky fridge that we inherited with the house, but worked fine so we couldn't throw it out) you'll find a rather impressive selection of yogurts. My other half and I love the stuff -his shelf contains Muller corners, mine Skyr. I'm a happy girl with a bowl of yogurt so thick I can stand my spoon up in it. The trouble is, my preferred brand -Icelandic Skyr- is so much more expensive than the ARLA big pots, so I end up buying the cheaper version most of the time and then flavour it -at the moment I can swap between: banana, salted caramel, white chocolate, almond and tiramisu. With that in mind you can imagine my animation whens spotting the photo Alex posted onto Instagram of a selection of flavoured small pots he'd found in LIDL this week, and I made a beeline for the discount retailer after work. Everyone else must have seen Alex's pic too, because they had sold out the first day, but thankfully I was in luck the second! Each 150g flavoured tub cost 49p, and the plain 45p. 

Strawberry

So keen was I to try this new Skyr that I even took my first pot to the cinema with me that very afternoon (together with a generous supply of popcorn and sweets). I had assumed that the strawberry flavour would be amalgamated within the yogurt, so I was shocked -and excited- to find that in fact it formed a separate fruity layer at the bottom. The layer was also thick, and even better... it contained whole strawberries. I gleefully informed my fiance of this whilst we were watching the trailers, but I don't think he was as impressed! As for the Skyr, it tasted just like the ARLA stuff to me, and passed the thickness test.

8/10

Raspberry 

Unfortunately the thick layer of compote at the bottom of the raspberry yogurt wasn't quite as successful. It was very runny, and the natural tartness of the fruit didn't do enough to counteract the acidic yogurt on top; resulting in quite a bitter yogurt pot.

4/10

Blueberry

The balance of sweet-sour was better with the blueberry, but again the fruit layer was too watery, meaning that it was more like a sauce. The pot was pleasant though, and certainly much more enjoyable than the raspberry.

6/10

Peach & Passionfruit

The almost tropical flavours worked well with the Skyr in this pot, helped again by the natural sweetness. My only complaint would again be the thickness, but it was better than the blueberry.

7/10

Plain
As expected, I couldn't handle the acidity of the plain Skyr. I can't fault LIDL for that though, seeing as I'm not keen on the taste of any natural yogurt. Not to worry though, my trusty tiramisu syrup came to the rescue!

 7/10

Summary

These little pots from LIDL make a welcome change to ARLA, and are handy to pack in my lunchbox. They're not even close in deliciousness to the premium Iceleandic Skyr -but then I didn't expect them to be either. For anyone interested, the macros for the fruity are roughly: 6.6C/13.4P/0.3F (83Kcal) and the plain: 6.2C/17.7P/0.3F (98kcal).

NEW! Tarte Au Citron (LIDL)

It's French week at LIDL, which means that they are selling a whole host of spécialités françaises. Whilst I wasn't brave enough to try the frozen snails, I did like the sound of Tarte Au Citron (especially given my current love of all things lemon). At £1.99 for four individual desserts they weren't exactly bargain basement, but were still notably cheaper than most supermarket offerings. These Tartes weren't what comes to mind when it comes to the classic French patisserie dessert as instead they consisted of a biscuit base, lemon layer and a meringue topping. Err. Excuse me LIDL but isn't that a lemon meringue pie? 

I'd certainly give LIDL low marks for their choice of packaging as each Tarte came in what looked like a cat food tin. Fortunately they appeared far more appetising once the lids were removed and the cloud like meringue was revealed.

The topping was soft and mallowy. It missed the crispy top of a home-baked meringue, but it was still pleasant to eat. Underneath was layer of bright yellow sauce, which was refreshing and zingy in a lemon curd sort of way, but there just wasn't enough of it! The biscuity base reminded me of the middle layer of Cadbury's -much missed- Caramellionaire pots, for it was softer and more cake like than what you'd expect at the bottom of a cheesecake. 

Preconceptions aside, and despite my moans, I actually rather enjoyed these Tarte-Au-Citron-come-lemon-meringue-pies. They make a handy standby dessert, and I probably would buy them again.

7/10

Gelatelli Tiramisu & Cream Ice Cream (LIDL)

The south Wales coastline boasts some of the most incredibly beautiful beaches I have ever seen. If you've never been to -or indeed heard of- the Gower Peninsula, I really suggest you put it on your bucket list. Rhossili bay ranks number 9 in the world by Trip Advisor, and even has it's own shipwreck. If you pay a visit, may I suggest that you also head down to Mumbles and pop into Verdi's for a spot of lunch? It's a family run Italian Gelateria and Cafe with the most exquisite views of the Swansea bay -and the perfect spot from which to people watch. Verdi's make their ice cream fresh every day, and it is hands down the best I've had in the UK. My favourite flavour is Tiramisu, and I'd happily make the 154 mile round trip just for a cone of sheer heaven. 

It was with this thought in mind that I paused for a moment, lost in contemplation, when I found this 750ml tub of Tiramisu and Cream ice cream in LIDL. Would I be bitterly disappointed by it, unavoidably comparing it to the wonderful Verdi's? 

Well, I decided at £1.75 it was worth the gamble - but I'd already decided it was the poor man's version. 

I was surprised when I lifted the lid and discovered these perfect beige and cream coloured peaks. My scoop delved into the tub effortlessly, the ice cream was that soft. 

Wow. wow. WOW. The flavour was incredible. Undeniably Tiramisu, the coffee and cream came through in equal measures, deliciously backed with the resounding sweetness of the ice cream. So smooth was it, that I'd liken it to silk. What made it even more special was the addition of real tiramisu that was flecked throughout. These little extras injected further flavour into the already gorgeous gelato: sheer perfection.

I can't put into words how exquisite LIDL's tiramisu and cream ice cream is. Absolutely delightful, and a bargain to boot. If you're a fellow lover of tiramisu, I highly recommend -nay, I order- you to head to LIDL at your very next opportunity and pick yourself up a tub. Or six. 

10/10

Bahlsen Poppy Seed Stollen vs Lidl Marzipan Stollen

I had a bit of a bad experience with Stollen this year. I first tried to buy some from Waitrose -but they'd run out- then I bought a mini one from Lidl -which was awful- and then thankfully my luck changed and Bahlsen sent me one with some of their Zimtsterne biscuits. The Stollen they sent me however was a Poppy Seed version that I've never seen before, and one I'd probably not usually be inclined to buy. I've nothing against seeds, I just love marzipan so would always opt for the version with the thick almond paste running through it.

'This Premium stollen is a fantastic edition to our Christmas range. This stollen is filled with a poppy seed filling which complements the sweet fruit and icing sugar. A must have for a traditional German Christmas.'

When I unwrapped it, I was greeted with a lovely sweet festive scent from the loaf covered with a generously thick layer of icing sugar -reminding me why I love the traditional German Christmas treat so much. Slicing the Stollen revealed the Poppy Seed swirl which accounts for 9% of the total ingredients. 

The loaf was sweet and dense in a comforting manner that felt oh-so nostalgic of Christmas' past. The spice and fruit came through well, offering flavour and texture in every bite. I'm sure I came across some marzipan, and although it doesn't explicitly mention it amongst the ingredients, it does declare almonds on the allergen list (so I may or may not have imagined it). The poppy seeds were an unusual addition, and although I still prefer the marzipan as a filling, they added something different to this festive loaf. 

8/10

A Huge thank you to Bahlsen for sending me this Stollen to try!

Just to give you some contrast, this dear readers is a picture of the atrocious Lidl Marzipan Stollen... 

As you can see, it's lacking the sweet denseness of Bahlsen's loaf, which renders the whole thing crumbly and dry.

2/10

If you've only tried the Lidl vesion, thinking that as a German supermarket they should know their Stollen, I implore you to buy Bahlsen's offering instead next year!