NEW! Hershey's Cookies'N'Creme Dipped Pretzels (A Taste Of The States)

I told you I’m obsessed with pretzels at the moment! I actually had my greedy eyes on the brand new Snyders Reese’s pretzels, but A Taste of The States hadn’t had any in when I placed my order. I can’t moan at all though, I had the Good Health pretzels to munch through and have an affinity towards anything cookies and cream. I’ve had sweet (S'mores flavoured) Snyder's pretzels once before, but I wasn't overly impressed with them

I can’t help but feel that It’s such a shame that pretzels aren’t given the recognition they deserve here in the U.K. I love their salty crispness, which is perhaps odd considering that I rarely crave potato crisps. Hey, I’m just contrary like that. Thank goodness for America!

The packet contained roughly 25 traditionally shaped, generously coated pretzels. There was  a good amount of cookie crumb poking about in the bag’s corners too -a good sign for those cereal dust fans* out there, you know who you are. I’m not sure how big Snyder’s mouth is but I didn’t agree that they were bite size. Well, you could fit a whole one in your mouth in I guess, but I’m more ladylike than that.

That’s a lie, I just like to savour my pretzels.

They were utterly delicious though; I mean seriously good. Despite loving the Hershey’s Cookies ’N’ Creme bar, I’ll admit that you need to be in a sugary mood to crave one as they are  sickly concoctions. I was therefore relieved to find that Snyder’s hadn’t done away with the salinity in these pretzels completely, as the salt was required to counteract the sweetness. The resulting combination was tantalising on the tastebuds: a journey of sweet vanilla with a touch of cocoa, followed by that wonderful salty hit. All that chocolate luckily hadn’t hampered the crunchiness of the pretzel dough either, and I enjoyed every single nibble. 

I’d like to say that my pretzel cravings have been satisfied, but actually I’m now even more desperate than ever to try the Reese’s covered Snyder’s Pretzels, which are now in stock at A Taste of The States. Don’t forget, you can get 20% off the new pretzels -and anything else that takes your fancy- from A Taste of The States by using the code AMYSEEKS20 at checkout.

Thank you to A Taste Of The States for sending me the new Hershey’s Cookies ’n’ Creme pretzels!

9/10 

*you know, the people who love the end of the bag of cereal? I’ll admit here that we normally give ours to the dog, which I know some of you will deem heretic! 

Good Health Peanut Butter Filled Pretzels (TKMaxx)

I don't like to think that I'm prone to being swayed by marketing, but of course I am. I first came across these peanut butter filled pretzels a couple of months ago, but baulked at the price (£2.89 for a 141g bag) and left them in TKMaxx. Then they happened to crop up in one of Fabien's vlogs,                      and by the time I saw them on Hebe's instagram page I just had to try them. Luckily, Hereford TKMaxx had a single bag left -which I saw as the final sign that I was absolutely meant to treat myself to them.

I'm going through a bit of a pretzel loving phase at the moment. In fact, I'd go as far as saying that I'm enjoying munching on a bag of pretzels with a glut of peanut butter (for dipping) more than my nightly chocolate bars at the moment. I know. Shock. 

These pretzels were in a completely different shape of course, and were made in the land that's famous for peanut butter: America. Hebe did forewarn me that they were lacking on the generosity of their fillings, but I was still excited to get stuck in.

The pretzel shells were perfectly crisp, and I adored the abundance of large salt crystals that adorned them. Peanut butter is nothing without a hefty saline kick after all. But where was that peanut butter at, I wondered. Hebe wasn't kidding; the image on the front of the packet spoke lies. The shells cracked satisfyingly between my teeth, but each pretzel parcel was (at maximum) a third full. I thought we could rely on our American cousins to provide proper portions, but alas, apparently that's just a stereotype. This was a huge shame too, as the peanut butter was delicious - there just wasn't nearly enough of it.

That said, I found these peanut butter filled pretzels to be frustratingly moreish, but you'll need a large drink to have with them. Pretzels are naturally thirst-making, and these are especially so. I can't help but think they're the perfect movie night snack though. Give me a glass* of Rioja, a bag of these Peanut Butter Filled Pretzels, and pop WonderWoman on and I'll be one happy girl.

If you want to try these pretzels but don't have any luck in TKMaxx, I have found them on iherb!

8/10

*lets be honest, I mean bottle -it's Saturday after all!

Lotte Pepero Biscuit Sticks: Peanut & Chocolate and White Chocolate Cookie

The lovely Nat didn't just send me the beautiful Solkiki white chocolate Gianduja bar for Christmas, she was kind enough to send me a number of goodies including these curious Pepero biscuit sticks. I'd never seen the Korean (no.1!) brand before, but my they looked good -especially the flavours! I imagined that they might be similar to Mikado or Pocky because Lotte describe their Pepero as: "Pretzel stick filled with premium chocolate, from end to end!"

 Peanut & Chocolate

"Love peanuts? We give you the best of both worlds with a combination of dark chocolate and peanut bits!"

The 36g box was generously filled with the biscuit sticks, each amply decorated with both chocolate and chopped peanut pieces. Biting into them, they weren't as crunchy as expected. Don't get me wrong, they weren't soft or stale but simply lacked the snap of a pretzel. That said, they still managed to be utterly moreish. The chocolate was mild considering it was meant to be dark, but to be honest that suited me much better. The peanut pieces added texture and imparted their nuttiness almost the whole way down each stick. I really enjoyed them and before I knew it I was reaching for another, but alas, they were all gone. Nom!

7/10

White Chocolate Cookie

"Enjoy cookie and cream on the go? These white cookie sticks will definitely leave you wanting more! Crispy biscuit sticks covered with white chocolate and cookie crumbs – one stick is never enough!"

As you can see, the sticks in this box were more broken than the peanut flavour. Is it awful that I just thought "oh goody, more munchy bits"?

The white chocolate cookie Pepero had the same texture as before, but this flavour had an even scrummier covering. Imagine a Hershey's/Dove Cookies 'N' Creme bar coating a biscuit stick and you'll have a good idea of what this flavour Pepero were like. The combination of biscuit and cookie studded white chocolate might sound a little sickly, but thankfully the sticks themselves weren't that sweet, meaning that the overall flavour was well balanced. 

9/10

If you don't follow me on Instagram, you won't know that I'm off to Malaysia today (If you do, I'm sorry for banging on about it). It's my first holiday in a very long time, and I'm looking forward to trying some of their local delicacies as well as bringing back some unusual treats to review. Now that Nat has whetted my appetite for chocolate coated biscuit sticks (thanks again Nat) I'll be sure to keep an eye out for some similar products. In the meantime I promise to try and keep up the reviews, but if I go AWOL please forgive me -I'm simply having too much fun (well that, or the Malaysia Airline flight has gone missing).

Megaload Sweet & Salty Peanut Butter Cups (American Fizz)

You're probably bored of me telling you about just how much I love Reese's peanut butter cups. Admittedly they might not be the best quality chocolate on the market, but there's something deliciously satisfying about the combination of salty- peanut butter encased in waxy super-sweet milk chocolate that I just can't get enough of. Even better if it's white chocolate doing the wrapping. Anyway, despite loving Reese's as much as I do, sometimes its good to have a change. Normally I have M&S' 'The Nutty One' in reserve for such occasions, but I spotted these Megaload peanut butter cups on American Fizz and, at 99p per pack, I decided to give them a go! 

Each peanut butter cup was topped with a different flavour pretzel: peanut butter, milk chocolate and white fudge -sounds good, right?

I was a bit baffled when I sliced each cup in two; where was the bright orange peanut butter centre that I've grown accustomed to? I hoped that Megaload had just opted for the more natural approach...

Unfortunately not. The coating was inferior quality, making Reese's look like the Hotel Chocolat of the American chocolate market. The peanut butter was non-existant -I literally couldn't taste it against the cheap tasting chocolate- and to finish things off the pretzel was stale and had lost its crunch.

So much for my venture into something new. Sometimes the original is just the best, as Nibs also recently found out with these dire butterscotch peanut butter cups. Reese's will you forgive me for deserting you*?

2/10

*albeit briefly! 

Snyder's of Hanover S'mores Pretzel Pieces (American Fizz)

Pretzels are totally underrated here in the U.K. Even ASDA have recently discontinued their six-pack of individual pretzel bags. What gives England? Don't you understand just how deliciously satisfying the salty crunch of a pretzel is? I'm hoping that one day we'll catch up with the Stateside fascination with them, but meanwhile I will have to get my fix through American Fizz. I haven't tasted any of Snyder's range before, but they come highly recommended by fellow blogger Nibbles 'N' Scribbles (please do check out her reviews of their salted caramel pretzels pieces and peanut butter pretzel sandwiches).

"The sweet flavors of marshmallows & chocolate sprinkled onto perfectly salty sourdough Pretzel Pieces."

I think it's the combination of salty-sweet that endeavours me to peanut butter, and probably why I love it even more combined with chocolate, banana and/or jam (seriously if you've never tried a pb & nutella or pb, jam & banana toastie, you need to get on it at your next opportunity!). It was the promise of salty-sweet that really drew me to this Snyder's flavour... well that and the inclusion of chocolate of course! 

I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the bag and poured out its contents. There was a complete assortment of different sized pretzel pieces, including some positively ginormous chunks! All of the bits were evenly coated in a sweet scented chocolate powder, which I was pleased with as it's so frustrating when you eat underseasoned snacks! 

The pretzel pieces were perfectly crispy with a decent crunch. Whilst I found this satisfying, it did start to irk my fiance who was watching a film with me at the time -Snyders are most certainly not cinema friendly snacks. 

The chocolate flavouring was pleasant enough, but it tasted just like hot chocolate powder. Obviously it wasn't the most authentic chocolatey experience, but the sweetness of the flavouring allowed for the perfect juxtaposition against the salty pretzel. I'm not sure where the marshmallow or Graham cracker elements went to, that the traditional 'S'mores' consists of, because I couldn't detect them anywhere.

Complaints aside, the Snyders S'mores Pretzel Pieces make a welcome change to what's currently available in the UK. I haven't tried anything like it before, and whilst I may not be in a mad rush to buy this flavour again, I'll certainly buy more from their range in future.

6/10

Pretzel M&Ms (69p at B&M Bargains)

If you know anything about me by now, you'll realise I love nothing more than a good bargain (except possibly peanut butter and chocolate). My favourite discount store though has to be B&M bargains, due to their ever-increasing range of inexpensive American goodies. 

This week I picked up this bag of Pretzel M&Ms for just 69p. I've been hankering after pretzels since reviewing the wonderful 'Take 5' Bar. Its a shame we don't have more chocolate/pretzel combinations in the UK, but I'm sure that would be deemed far too risqué for us Brits. 

The bag contained 14 irregular shaped candy coated balls (oo-er!). Biting into my first M&M, I have to admit, I was disappointed at the lack of flavour. I could taste the sweet crispy coating, and the almost biscuit-like pretzel within, but the characteristic saltiness and chocolate was lacking. However, as I continued on through the bag, I discovered some with a thicker -more satisfying- layer of chocolate, and others with a salty kick. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the evenly flavoured M&Ms,  I just wish that I could have depended on the combination in every bite. 

7/10

Take 5, Mike and Ike Zours, Twizzlers & Nerds (Taffy Mail Conclusion)

Take 5
The item I was most undeniably excited about in the Taffy Mail goody box was this Take 5 Bar. It's an unusual concept, and it's called Take 5 because it consists of 5 components: chocolate, pretzels, peanut butter, caramel and peanuts. The packet told me it contained 2 bars, and I was expecting them to come in a 2-finger format like Twix, but instead they were a couple of square-ish shaped blocks.

Once the blocks were sliced into, you could easily distinguish the chocolate, caramel, peanut butter and pretzels, which were evenly distributed (unlike the Cadbury's marvellous creations bars). As a fan of cleanliness and order this pleased me enormously. The structure of the bar meant that you could taste each of the elements in every bite. The chocolate wasn't great, and it reminded me of the coating of Reese's PB cups (I then read the packet and realise that it is indeed made by the same company- Hershey's). The caramel was gloriously sticky, although there wasn't a great deal of it because the bar is so compact. I could taste the peanuts & peanut butter which resembled the filling of a Snickers bar. The most enjoyable element however came as a surprise- it was the pretzels- which added a lovely saltiness to the bar and complemented the sugary chocolate and caramel wonderfully. 

The amalgamation of 5 completely different constituents resulted in textural heaven: bite, chew, smooth and stickiness. Yum.

If you're a fan of the sweet/salty combination I'd definitely recommend Take 5!

9/10

Mike and Ike Zours

These little pellet shaped sweets pack a punch. I'd describe them as a Jelly Bean version of Haribo Tangfastics -minus the sugary coating. Each flavour is perfectly represented (lemon, apple, watermelon, blue raspberry and cherry) and is chewy without pulling being filling-removers. They're utterly different to what we have in the UK, and I'd happily buy them again

7/10

Twizzlers
I've seen these in the import sections of both B&M and Tesco. Twizzlers are another Hershey's product and are strawberry twisted licorice. The flavour was mild and very synthetic, and although they're quite fun to eat in a 'Cheesestrings' kind of way, I'd probably opt for normal strawberry laces in favour of Twizzlers.

3/10

Nerds
Nerds were something I remember enjoying as a child, and this duo pack of cherry lemonade and watermelon apple rekindled my love of these little crunchy miniature sweets, although I'm not sure I could identify the flavours if asked!

7/10

Taffy Mail Conclusion
Once again, a huge thank you to the guys at Taffy Mail for sending me a sample of their Classic Box to review.

Christmas is just a couple of days away, and if you're panicking that you've not finished buying gifts for those you love, then why not subscribe to Taffy Mail for them, boxes start from just £7.49 and that way they recieve a box each month!

Alternatively If you've got a sweet tooth, and crave something a bit different to what's available on the UK market, Taffy Mail might just be your answer.

For more info please visit: www.taffymail.co.uk

New: New York Bakery Co Soft Pretzel Knots

Yay, I finally tracked down the newest kid on the bakery block: the New York Bakery Co 'Soft Pretzel Knots'. I'm a big fan of NYBC's bagels- particularly the cinnamon variety. First off though, I have to admit that I'm certainly no pretzel connoisseur.. In fact the closest I normally come to consuming Pretzels is when the cracker selection type comes out at Christmas time.

I've been seeking these treats for a few weeks and eventually found them in Morrisons. I grabbed the  only variety available and indeed the last pack on the shelf. Luckily it was the 'sweet cinnamon' flavour that had been sat there waiting for me but -for anyone with a less sweet tooth- NYBC also make 'original' and 'cheese and red onion' varieties. Each pack contains four individually wrapped Pretzels, which means they're perfect either for lunch boxes or to pop in the handbag for a quick refuel when out and about. The pack of four cost £1.30 which I think is quite dear, but I was so eager to try them that it didn't deter me.

The packaging states that you can either enjoy them cold or alternatively pop them in the toaster on a low setting and eat warm, which of course I decided to do. When I opened the pack I was welcomed by the familiar festive aroma of cinnamon and attempted to warm the Pretzel as suggested. Admittedly, it may just be me being clumsy or the size of my toaster but my pretzel end got a bit caught up.. However following a bit of manoeuvring I managed to wiggle it out.

The pretzels are doughy, soft, and quite close textured. Biting into my pretzel I could have been forgiven for thinking I was eating one of their bagels- it's extremely similar. I enjoyed the taste, but was glad to have a cup of coffee alongside it as I imagine if it was eaten cold and without a beverage it could become quite cloying. I also really missed the raisins that stud their cinnamon bagels.

However on the flip side, the pretzel was quite filling and for less than 150cal it's perfect for that time in the afternoon when lunch seems a distant memory and dinner is still a long way off. They're also pretty healthy and for anyone watching their fat intake the Pretzels are pretty angelic, containing only 1g ( 0.2g of which is saturated fat) each. The pretzels sit within the bakery aisle and have a short life of only a few days, but they are freezeable- if they hang around that long!

8/10 NYBC if you put raisins in I'll bump it up to a 9 ;)