BelVita Breakfast Soft Bakes Chocolate Filled (Sainsbury's)

It's not just Nature Valley who've brought out new 'breakfast' biscuits in the last couple of weeks.  On a side not I still don't know why they're called breakfast biscuits. Do any of you actually eat them or breakfast? Please drop me a comment and let me know. Anyway, the other key player in that market -Belvita- have surreptitiously released two new filled soft bakes in chocolate and strawberry flavours. The did, of course, release the soft bakes range two years ago, but Belvita have obviously decided it's time to give them an uplift. Admittedly I'm more of a Nature Valley girl - but then I'm addicted to oats- however it's Belvita that are bought more often in this house.

And that is because of Bert. He just loves biscuits. Where I can't resist the call of chocolate, he's more into sweets and biscuits. In fact he actively avoids the biscuit aisle in the supermarkets because he knows he won't be able to resist munching his way through an entire pack once it's open - which is why the pre-portioned 'breakfast' biscuits are handy. That and the fact that he's either at work or working on the Landy - so is forever eating out of his lunchbox. So they're handy. For Bert, the Yogurt filled and original Belvitas weigh supreme. The yogurt ones because of the taste, the original because there's four in a pack and they therefore feel more substantial.

"Soft baked biscuits made with wholegrain cereals and a chocolate hazelnut flavour filling (15.6%) and added vitamins and minerals."

Anyway, it was him I picked up these new filled soft bakes for, however I ended up tucking into them first - probably because I bought the chocolate flavour. Sorry Bert. Just for info, I found them in Sainsbury's for £1.50, however I believe they're now in Morrisons too. 

The biscuit was every bit as soft as it promised to be, although not so much that it fell apart in the pack. The smattering of oats was a pleasant sight, as was the golden hue. Breaking it in half revealed a fair amount of spread-like filling. 

Omnomnom. It was cakier than a cookie -and far removed from your standard biscuit- but I really liked it. In fact the consistency reminded me of a nutrigrain, although it was moister than that. As hoped, the chocolate filling was reminiscent of Nutella, although weirdly there's not any nuts in the actual ingredients. That shouldn't really come as a surprise seeing as Belvita comes under the Mondelez banner, and they're notorious for not including nuts in their nut flavoured products (such as the peanut butter Oreo ice cream sandwiches, and atrocious peanut butter Dairy Milk Oreo). 

Despite the lack of actual hazelnuts, I was impressed with these biscuits and went back for the strawberry flavour, so stay tuned for a follow up review of them! But most importantly, what did Bert think?....

"They're nice, but they're not big enough."

There you have it. 

8/10

NEW! Kinder Bueno Coconut (Superdrug)

Do you buy Kinder Bueno's regularly? I don't. In fact I don't tend to buy any of the wafer style chocolate bars often. There's no particular reason why I don't, it's just that there's normally a different bar that appeals more. Indeed that was the case when this new coconut Bueno came out a couple of weeks ago. But then I started seeing great feedback about the bar on instagram, and then I couldn't find it, and BAM, suddenly I was desperate to try it. Why are we programmed to want the things we can't have? 

Eventually I found it in Superdrug. They weren't even out yet but I asked the baffled looking assistant and he found them on a stock trolley for me. 75p. 75p? For a single Kinder chocolate bar that I'm not normally fussed on? Oh, ok then. 

"White chocolate with coconut milk covered wafer with smooth and ,milky hazelnut filling."

Once again I found myself frustrated that the nutritional info is so misleading. One bar is one serving. One bar, to me, is one pack. To Nestle it is one finger - half the pack. It's absurd. Anyway, the wafers were coated on their bottom side and down the edges with desiccated coconut, but looked otherwise indifferent to the normal white bueno. 

With my first bite I experienced the veritable melange of textures and flavours. There was the crunchy wafer and smooth filling with an added bobble from the coconut pieces. There was the cardboard-like wafer flavour, milky hazelnut and white chocolate with a smidgen more than a hint of coconut. In fairness, the flavours and textures worked well together, it's just that I've been spoiled of late. Compared to The Grown Up Chocolate Company's or Côte D'Or's praline, the filling is less creamy and rich. That doesn't mean it wasn't tasty (because it was) it's just nowhere near as decadent.

I've read reports that the new coconut bar is 'so good that even people who don't like coconut will like it', and although I can see where they're coming from, I'm inclined to disagree. You see, the coconut flavour is fairly mild, and so I would say that if you like both Nice biscuits and Kinder Buenos, then it's likely that you'll be a fan of this new addition to the range. 

7/10

NEW! OPPO Chocolate & Hazelnut (Waitrose)

There's a long awaited new flavour on the Oppo block! Chances are that if you're already a fan of the 'healthy ice cream' brand you'll be aware of it already, but in case you're not, I present to you: Oppo's Chocolate & Hazelnut.

"...made from Stevia leaf, Colombian Cacao and fresh milk from meadow-grazed cows  free to roam and eat naturally, with 55% fewer calories and 67% less sugar than standard branded chocolate ice cream." 

The ice cream wasn't as dark in colour as I expected it to be, and although it scooped better than the first tub of mint Oppo I tried (which, it turns out, was part of a badly freezer-burnt batch and has since been replaced) it wasn't as soft as most standard ice creams. However, I could spot the miniature hazelnut nibs (3%) embedded within it, which was a welcome touch. 

Hmm. An odd one. I'd not long since finished the last of my chocolate flavoured Jude's tub and so at first the flavour shocked me in its contrast. The chocolate wasn't anywhere near as rich, and the stevia was immediately evident, hampering the aftertaste. 

Once I'd got used to the ice cream I started to enjoy it, especially when the hazelnut flavour started to come through. It adds a mild nuttiness, but it's pleasant, and a welcome point of difference to a plain chocolate flavour. 

I'm not bowled over by this new Oppo flavour, personally preferring their Salted Caramel. At 43 calories per scoop it's a good option for those cutting calories, but it is expensive - the RRP is £4.99 per 500ml tub. If you are an Oppo addict I recommend that you pop down to Waitrose post-haste, where you'll find the entire range (including this new flavour) is currently 25% off.

7/10

Cavalier Stevia Hazelnut Milk Chocolate (Sweets Without)

Are you diabetic, simply trying to cut down your sugar intake, or following a low carb* diet? Still craving sweets and chocolate? Sweets Without might be your saving grace. Just take a look at their website and you'll discover a huge selection of sweet treats that'll help curb your cravings without the sugar content of traditional sweets and chocolate. Now if you follow me on Instagram you'll know that I eat a huge amount of sugar, and so when Sweets Without asked me if I'd like to regularly review their range I accepted, thinking that it would be interesting to compare their products to their sugar-laden counterparts. 

"Belgian milk chocolate with broken hazelnuts with sweeteners."

The first product I received was an 85g bar of Cavalier's no added sugar hazelnut milk chocolate. Stevia is used as the sweetener, which I'm sure you're aware is a natural sugar substitute extracted from the stevia plant grown in Bolivia and Paraguay. 

The 85g tablet was in a thin format, similar to Lindt's larger bars. It looked very similar to normal milk chocolate, save for the small chopped hazelnut pieces that studded it. 

In terms of cocoa content, Cavalier haven't substituted quality - the bar contains a minimum of 36% solids, as well as a minimum of 30% milk solids. 

The content is evident in the eating experience; the chocolate is silky with a pleasant melt-in-the-mouth texture, broken up by the small but crispy nut pieces. As for the sweetness, the bar was just as sweet as your usual chocolate, but did have a slightly different taste to its 'normal' sugary cousins. If you've been reading this blog since the beginning you might recall that I reviewed a similar bar by Chocologic. Cavalier's bar is far, far, superior. 

I have to say that I was thoroughly impressed with this Cavalier bar. Im not about to give up my beloved Côte D'Or, but it's a brilliant substitute for those who can't/don't want to eat sugary chocolate. 

8/10

Sweets without sells a range of Cavalier's Stevia products including a delicious sounding white chocolate, mango & raspberry bar, boxes of sea shell pralines and even varieties of 85% dark chocolate for those of you who are inclined towards the dark side! Prices start from just £2.69 for this bar, and delivery is free if you spend over £10! Check the range out here.

Thank you to Sweets Without for the sample!

*For those interested, carbs per 100g:
Cavalier's Milk Chocolate Hazelnut = 31.8g
compared to 
Cadbury's Whole Nut Dairy Milk  = 50g

NEW! Dairy Milk Medley Ice Creams (Sainsbury's)

My ice cream buying ban lasted two weeks. That might not sound like much but considering that I was buying tubs/packs on a daily basis I'm rather proud! It's the special offers that draw me in, and so ultimately I'm blaming Cadbury and/or Sainsbury's for me falling off the wagon. I know, I know, I'm an adult and should probably be accountable for my actions. Anyway, back to the matter in hand. I spotted these new ice cream sticks on the same trip I found the Peanut Butter Oreo ice cream sandwiches, but avoided temptation for two primary reasons:

1. They were full price at £2.50 per pack
2. I wasn't a fan of Cadbury's Fudge Medley Bar.

At £1.50 though, the curiosity won (I'm sure I'll end up 6ft under with the cat one day).

"Hazelnut Ice Cream with a Chocolate Mousse Centre, Covered in Milk Chocolate with Freeze Dried Raspberry Pieces and Digestive Biscuit Crumb."

Hazelnuts, chocolate, raspberry & digestive biscuits are all foods I love, and they should harmonise; but then that's what I thought about peanut butter, chocolate & Oreo and yet Cadbury managed to royally muck that combination up. The 90ml sticks looked pretty at least!

I was surprised and tentatively impressed by the chocolate casing, which did bear resemblance to Dairy Milk (albeit the cheaper Easter Egg stuff). As for the raspberry pieces, the taste of them were almost completely lost. Only two nibbles rendered any tart fruitiness, which was a shame seeing as the combination was rather good. The digestive biscuit pieces were also unrecognisable. Sure, there was a gritty texture to the chocolate casing, but even the best biscuit connoisseur would be hard pressed to determine exactly what it might be.

Fortunately the hazelnut ice cream was the stick's real saving grace. The flavour was every bit as nutty as I'd hoped and the texture was creamy. It was perhaps a little on the soft side for my personal preference, but it stayed put and didn't melt too quickly.

Sandwiched between the two pillars of hazelnut ice cream was the chocolate section, which provided some confusion. The front of the box described it as a mousse, whilst the regulated product name on the back labelled it as ice cream. So which was it?

Either way it was pretty poor. Chocolate ice cream can be so hit and miss, and it seemed that Cadbury didn't bother even aiming for the mark with this one. Considering that their chocolate mousse's are well flavoured, I'd hoped that they'd be able to pull off a decent attempt at an ice cream/mousse. This tasted no different to the Tesco chocolate ice cream* I'd had the night before though.

Again I've found myself moaning quite a bit about a product that I did in fact enjoy. Would I buy them again? No, considering they're called 'luxury' I'd much rather have M&S' Belgian milk chocolate & hazelnut ice creams.

6/10

 *in their Neapolitan soft scoop no less, check me out with my retro food!

NEW! Chocolate & Hazelnut Müller Rice (Morrisons)

When's the last time you had a Müller Rice? It's only just dawned on me that I haven't bought one in months. Once upon a time I'd have them a few times a week for dessert, but since my ice cream addiction got out of hand I rarely buy them - although admittedly I'd got a bit bored with the flavours too. Every few months Müller bring out a new limited edition but more recently the company have got a little lazy and have just reinstated previously retired flavours (such as the banana & toffee, chocolate, maple syrup and salted caramel).

At long last they've come up with a new concoction though: chocolate and hazelnut. Short of releasing a peanut butter/peanut butter & chocolate variant*, a Nutelle-esque rice pud is about as up my street as it gets! The new flavour didn't come without concerns though -so far Müller's chocolatey pots have been pretty pants in my book. I haven't got along with the insipid sickliness of the sauce at the bottom, and even gave every single one of the chocolate & caramel flavour pots in the Going The a Distance multipack to Bert.

"Creamy dairy rice with smooth chocolate & hazelnut sauce (15%)."

I spotted the new Chocolate & Hazelnut Müller Rice at Morrisons and ummed and ahhed for a moment on wasting the money on a pot, then got a grip and reminded myself that it was just 69p (although they're now 50p in Sainsbury's) and bought one.

As always, I stuck my pud in the freezer for 45 mins before retrieving it. The sauce had behaved itself and had remained at the bottom, but I could still smell the sweet hazelnut scent emanating through the creamy rice topping.

We'll blow me down; the flavour was rather good! It was still a thin 'ice cream topping' style sauce, but the taste of hazelnut was at the forefront and complimented the chocolate. Perhaps it would have been better with a denser texture -akin to the consistency of the caramel core in Ben & Jerry's Karamel Sutra for example- but it was still much better than expected.

I then decided to take my chances and microwaved the second half. Now I always normally prefer my rice puddings ice cold, and so the second surprise came when i found that I loved this flavour warm too. In fact it was easier to imagine I was eating melted Nutella that way, and the chocolate mixed into the rice easily.

For a low fat (but high sugar!) dessert it tasted very indulgent, and this flavour is certainly one I'd buy again. Bravo Müller!

9/10

*can you imagine? Yes please!

Solkiki Hazelnut Cream White Chocolate Gianduja Review (Online)

One of my best discoveries of 2016 was not chocolate, or even peanut butter. I was very lucky to from strong friendships last year with a couple of other bloggers whom do happen love my favourite foods, Nat and Laura I'm looking at you. Indeed Nat writes a blog purely about chocolate, and I regularly find myself drooling over her reviews of the premium brands that I haven't even heard of -let alone tried.

One such chocolatier that Nat has written highly about on a number of occasions is Solkiki, a British family business who manufacture vegan bean-to-bar chocolate. I'd never seen their products before reading Nat's reviews, but was over the moon when she kindly sent me a bar of their Hazelnut Cream White Chocolate Gianduja at Christmas. 

I only recently discovered Gianduja in November when I bought a bar of the Grown Up Chocolate Company's Hunky Dory. I loved the texture of the hazelnut paste used in the bar, and so this white chocolate version from Solkiki sounded right up my alley. I'd never had dairy free chocolate before though, so wasn't entirely sure what to expect.

"Soaked hazelnuts and cold-pressed cacao-butter create a soft, crumbly bar of creamyGianduja that is very easy on your body. We slowly stonegrind the nuts with cold-pressed cacao butter to create a delicious surprisingly healthy bar."

White chocolate that's good for you? I was sold. 

As per the images I'd seen on Nat's blog, the bar had the most exquisite design. I almost didn't want to break the bar it was so beautiful. That's it.. I'd have to eat it in one go, nibbling my way through all 56g -what a shame ;). 

As promised the chocolate was undoubtedly smooth, melting easily in the mouth. I was surprised by the flavour of it though, for it was unlike any white chocolate I'd ever experienced. At first I was unsure about the almost floral tones, but I soon became accustomed to it and started to really enjoy the unusual qualities of the bar. The hazelnuts were a subtle addition, truly ground down and offering a slight nuttiness that penetrated the white chocolate.

I'm so grateful for Nat for the opportunity to try Solkiki. The company sell a range of interesting bars including 'strawberry, coconut and pink pepperberry' white chocolate, and even a dark chocolate made from the 'world's rarest bean' which are available from their online shop.

9/10

White Chocolate Cote d'Or Bouchées (Kingdom of Sweets)

I've been on the hunt for these little white elephants for an extraordinarily long time. It must be almost a year ago that I was told that Cote d'Or make my favourite chocolates in the entire world in a white version too. White chocolate covered Bouchées? You've got to be kidding me! Could I find them for love nor money though? You bet your bottom dollar I couldn't. Every family member travelling to Europe was sent on a mission to hunt for these Belgian chocolates, and every one came back fruitless (or chocolate-less I should say). I had just about given up hope when I spotted Kingdom Of Sweets on Oxford Street the week before Christmas, and begged my friends to let me go and ogle at the many different varieties of Oreos and Reese's products that I could see through the window. Inside the store was a veritable heaven for sugar addicts and chocoholics. Floor to ceiling was rammed full of every kind of sweet laden treat you could imagine and I started to expect that Willy Wonka himself was going pop out from the staff room. I wanted to move in.

"White chocolate with hazelnut cream filling"

It's not the cheapest store, but my scroogy student ways were almost completely forgotten the moment I spotted the Cote d'Or stand. There they were: individual white chocolate elephants or a pack or 8 for £6, next to the FudgeNuts that I reviewed a while back. I should explain for a second that they had a very short date on the Bouchées, my fridge at home was already full of chocolate, I was bound to receive some more Reese's treats in a week and I'd just been given a huge box of Thorntons from my colleagues -i.e, I didn't really need any more chocolate. But, I had been searching for so long, and I knew that Bert was unlikely to buy me food for Christmas, so I decided that he could treat me as part of my stocking -thanks Bert*! To the till I went with our joint account card and a pack of 8.

Each little truffle -which admittedly don't bear much resemblance to elephants- was individually wrapped. It's a good job really otherwise the temptation might be too much to bear! Peeling off the covering revealed the snow-white chocolate in all it's glory, and the excitement mounted. 

Biting into the bouchée was a celestial moment. The sheer joy of creamy sweetness against the nutty filling was true chocolate perfection. I pity those of you who have never tried Cote d'Or's Bouchées, they're simply wonderful. I didn't think they could improve on the original, but the white chocolate version is my new favourite.

The ratio of chocolate:praline is spot on and the quality is inarguable. I'm surprised they haven't been meddled with considering these are in fact made by Cadbury's wreckers Mondelēz, but it seems that the Bouchées are safe, for now. 

10/10

*I knew he wouldn't mind, and of course he didn't, the good egg.

JimJams Healthier Jams & Spreads (Tesco)

You can't open the papers or turn on the news without hearing how bad sugar is for our health. It's being squarely blamed for the obesity epidemic and we're all regularly told how we're addicted to the stuff. I'll openly admit it, I certainly am a sugar addict. One look at my instagram feed will attest to that.

I love most sweet foods, and whilst I'm aware of the health problems such as Diabetes (hi Dad!) that too much sugar can cause, I'm not quite ready to give it up yet. I am however prepared to try to make healthier swaps for lower sugar products, and that's where JimJams come in...

JimJams is the brainchild of Kellie and Kevin Bath, who decided to create their own lower sugar jams and spreads after spotting a gap in the market. They say:

"My family wanted delicious Jams without all the sugar, so we made them…
One morning at breakfast we were enjoying a few slices of toast & jam, like many other families every day. Whilst looking at the packaging of well-known brands we were shocked at the amount of hidden sugar in such a small jar.

Our kids deserved better for their breakfast, so we set about making our own to see if we could make the same tasting Jam and Fruit content without all the sugar.

JimJams was born and we know that there has never been a better time to eat less sugar…"

In the dying months of 2016 I kept seeing their products pop up all over instagram, and so when JimJams offered to send me a jam and spread to review, I jumped at the opportunity. Less than a week later a jar of strawberry jam and chocolate hazelnut spread arrived -thanks JimJams!

Strawberry Jam
JimJams jams contain 35% less sugar than standard jam, and contain 55g of fruit per 100g. Flavours include blackcurrant, orange marmalade, raspberry and strawberry, but I opted for the UK's favourite flavour jam -strawberry*! 

Now I'm not sure what I was expecting from JimJams, but I have to admit that I was suitably impressed! The jar's contents looked and tasted like a good strawberry jam. I mean, it doesn't taste as good as my homemade rhubarb & vanilla jam, but then I am biased, and I'm absolutely sure that JimJams' jam is kinder to my teeth. 

Thumbs up for the jam!

8/10

Chocolate Hazelnut Spread 
Now this was the jar that I was super excited about. If you know anything about me you'll know how much I love nutella (almost as much as peanut butter). I even carry an emergency spoon on my house keyring -you know, just in case it's one of those days. 



Containing 83% less sugar than Nutella, could this really even compare on taste? Surely something had to be compromised. The hype on instagram suggested otherwise, but then I've also seen many people rave on there about the utterly disappointing Reese's Rounds, so I needed to make my own mind up.

Yikes. The instacrowd aren't wrong. Although it has a slightly grittier appearance than Nutella, it certainly doesn't taste any different. In fact I'm sure most people would be baffled that they were sampling two different spreads if offered a blind taste test of both. The JimJams spread melts well too, making it the perfect topping for toast or your morning porridge. Otherwise make my favourite: a banana and JimJams toastie. If you're not a hazelnut fan, no worries, they also make a milk chocolate version too! 

I can't see why I would buy Nutella anymore, I'm a JimJams convert! 

10/10

JimJams are available to buy from Tesco, Morrisons, Whole Food Markets, Ocado, Dobbies, Holland & Barrett, The Protein Pick & Mix, and Elveden. P.S their chocolate spreads are currently on offer in Morrisons for £2 per 350g jar, I'll certainly be stocking up!

Thanks for the samples JimJams!

*The very best flavour for making PB&Js ;). 

Festive Mini Macaroons (M&S)

We should all probably be sick of the sight of Christmas food, but I just can't help myself from buying more -especially when I spot a bargain or two, or three, or four..! Anyway, I had reached breaking point with my marketing report late yesterday afternoon when I decided to give my brain a breather and pop into town. I couldn't resist heading into M&S before coming home, and there I spotted these festive mini macaroons in the food-to-go section. If M&S offered a meal deal like Boots do, I'd be far more inclined to pick up my lunch there more often. Instead I usually bypass the sandwich aisle unless it's reducing time. I'd seen these glittery little macaroons a few times though, but was disinclined to spend £1.50 on them. Reduced to a mere 55p yesterday afternoon however, I decided to give them a whirl.

Now I have an embarrassing confession to make: I'd never tried a macaroon before. Shocking, right? I'm not sure why either as I like meringues and love almonds. I think I'd just got them down as expensive little dainty morsels, and as such will always opt for something more substantial (and usually more chocolatey) when choosing dessert. These macaroons were special though, because not only where they shimmery, but they were a triple whammy of chocolate flavours.

"Chocolate ganache and hazelnut, chocolate ganache and salted caramel, chocolate ganache and orange flavoured French Almond macaroons." 

Mmm, in my head I imagined nutella, chocolatey dulce de leche, and Terry's filled almond flavoured meringues. The trouble began though when I realised that there was no way of working out which was which! I tried smelling them, but I couldn't distinguish any difference. There was only one way to find out....

Biting into the first, bronze coloured, one left me puzzled because I couldn't really tell what flavour it was meant to be .The macaroon wasn't even particularly chocolatey, and all I could taste was the almondy meringue. The texture was enjoyable with its soft chewy interior and crispy outer shell, but I was very underwhelmed by the lack of hazelnut, salted caramel, orange or cocoa. Humf. 

The purple-escent macaroon was next up, and when I munched into the edge I started to think that M&S were pulling my leg. Are macaroons the Emperors new clothes of delicacies? Again, the flavour was completely lacking and I felt rather put out. 

Fortunately, somehow I'd saved the best until last. The golden macaroon contained a hidden gem of chocolate orange ganache that shone from within. The flavour was impeccable, and worked wonders with the sugar almond exteriors.This was a real treat -I just wish the box contained 3 chocolate orange macaroons. After all, chocolate orange is arguably the only festive flavour combination in the combination, and was the tastiest by a couple of clear country miles. 

If you spot these festive macaroons reduced then I suggest you pick them up, but otherwise they're not worth your pennies. 

6/10

NEW! Chocolate Orange & Salted Caramel Mince Pies (ALDI)

A few nights ago when enjoying my mince pie and fresh salted caramel custard, I was informed about some rather delicious sounding mince pies by fellow instagrammer Amy. She had tried ALDI's new salted caramel flavoured versions, and promised me that they were "amazing". I wondered whether they were the same salted caramel tarts that came out last year -as an alternative to mincemeat for the people who can't stand the dried fruit filling- but no, apparently not, they were mincemeat and salted caramel pies.

Amy also dropped the bombshell that the discount supermarket are also selling chocolate orange flavoured ones too, and that was all a I needed to hear. The very next day I cajoled Bert into taking me to our closest ALDI (on Specialbuy Sunday I might add) but the store had completely run out. Unperturbed I trekked to the branch in my uni city on Monday (yes, In that torrential rain) and eventually found both flavours, priced at £1.59 per six pack.

Admittedly I cursed Amy that afternoon for tempting me with the curious sounding mince pies, especially when I turned up to my lectures drenched through to the skin (hence the rain damaged boxes) with my big 'nuttier than a fruit cake' ALDI bag. Can you tell I'm the cool kid in class? I really hoped that the mince pies would be worth the effort, and that I'd be thanking Amy instead later...

Chocolate Orange

"All butter shortcrust pastry cases filled with an orange flavoured mincemeat, topped with a chocolate and hazelnut filling."

That very evening I tucked into the chocolate orange mince pies. I mean, I love chocolate and often forget how much I like chocolate orange, but would this be a step too far? The pack said they could be enjoyed warm or cold, so of course I tried half and half.

Slicing into the very attractive mince pie revealed an off centre smattering of chocolatey paste stuck to the inside of the lid. There wasn't as much of it going on as I hoped there would be, but the shop assistant in ALDI was glowing with positivity about the deliciousness of these pies so I hoped the chocolate would be more potent than appeared.

The first non heated half was good, but nothing to write home about. The pastry was sweet and crumbly, whilst the mincemeat was zesty and not overwhelmingly rich -but the chocolate was barely distinguishable. There was a little there, but it just felt a bit lacklustre. Humf.

Admittedly the second half was the side with the most chocolate in, and I deliberately chose to heat this side as I tend to prefer mince pies warm anyway. 10 or so seconds in the microwave later and I could see the steam emitting from the pastry.

Wowzer! This side really was chocolatey. The cocoa orange came through in full pelt, so strongly that it completely overshadowed the mincemeat. The texture of gooey chocolate and fruits however was divine, and I found myself delighting in the sheer decadence of the combination.

It's a shame that the chocolate wasn't better spread out, but I still can't wait for my next chocolate orange mince pies. I did wonder how I would get through the 18 mince pies that I've bought in the last week (to myself, Bert hates mince pies) but now I realise that there's no chance I'm giving these babies up.

9/10

Salted Caramel 

"All butter shortcrust pastry cases filled with fruity mincemeat of vine fruits and mixed peel, topped with salted caramel."

Now I realised after my concoction last week that salted caramel and mincemeat shouldn't be a feared combination, but instead heralded for it's scrummy-ness. 

Again, I decided to try half warm and half ambient, so sliced the pie in two. I soon wondered why the pastry was only half filled, and then realised that quite a bit of the caramel had bled into the casing. My head filled with thoughts of Mary Berry disgracing the soggy sides.

The ambient half was first to make it to my mouth. It was good but, as with my first experience of the chocolate flavour, a bit non-committal. The second portion suffered the same quick blast in my microwave, and I kept my fingers crossed that the same sort of taste transformation would occur. 

Sadly it didn't, and whilst the caramel offered an extra sweetness to the already rich mincemeat, it wasn't special enough to stand out. It was still delicious, and an ingenious twist on the classic, but nowhere near as mind-boggling as the chocolate orange. 

8/10

The Grown Up Chocolate Company Hunky Dory (WHSmith)

My luck was in for the second time when I spied another one of The Grown Up Chocolate Company's bars in WHSmith's reduced section the other day. It was therefore a given, following the delicious success of the White Chocolate Wonder Bar, that I eagerly snapped up their Fruit and Nut Hunky Dory. I realise that I only moaned about my general disdain towards chopped nuts in chocolate less than a week ago, but I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to try another one of The Grown Up Chocolate Company's bars.

 "A decadent muddle of nuts and fruit on a bed of milk chocolate Gianduja enrobed in luxury milk chocolate."

Embarrassingly, I must admit that I didn't have the foggiest what 'Gianduja' was, so I summoned the help of Google and discovered that it's an Italian delicacy, originating from Turin, comprising of a sweet paste made from hazelnuts and cocoa -and that was me sold.

As per the White Chocolate Wonder Bar, the Fruit and Nut Hunky Dory came in two individual bars. I'd love to be able to say that I ate one and saved the other for later, but I'm afraid that my chocolate resistance skills simply aren't that advanced.

I sliced one bar in two and quickly discovered just how jam packed the filling was. This wasn't a Cadbury job of whacking a few almonds and raisins in (or sultanas now, ooh the controversy). Oh no, that just wouldn't do now! The Grown Up Chocolate Company instead opted to fill their bar with roasted hazelnuts, almonds, citrus peel and cranberries.

All of these components made for a super crunchy, crispy bar with the occasional moistness coming from the cranberries. Unfortunately I found that all of this texture actually detracted from the most incredible flavour from both the Gianduja and Milk chocolate. I remember thinking how superb The Grown Up Chocolate Company's white chocolate was but the milk chocolate was equally (if not even more) sublime. The melt and creaminess of the coating was unquestionably delicious and I'd have more than happily munched an entire bar of it on its own.

Whilst The Grown Up Chocolate Company might not have turned me into an avid chopped-nuts-in-my-chocolate-lover, they certainly have earned an even bigger fan. I'm desperate to try their incredible sounding Christmas bars now, and will be on a desperate hunt for them when I visit my sister in Cardiff at the weekend. Flavours include: Mince pie, spiced ginger biscuit and festive fig & port. Just look at them, oof, YES please!

9/10

NEW! Choco-Nut Malt Wheats (Tesco)

A couple of months back* I reviewed one of Tesco's spanking new cereals, Golden Syrup Malt Wheats. I was so impressed with them that I gave them top marks, but I've now decided that it's high time to give their choc-nutty compadre a go. Their price remains at a rather bargain-ous £1.19 for a 500g box which I was more than happy to pay, although I wasn't yet convinced that they would taste all that special.

"We carefully select quality whole grain wheat to make this cereal, then cook it and lightly toast it for a lovely crisp texture and full flavour. To make it even more special, we coat each one with a chocolate flavour coating and ground roast hazelnuts to make sure they taste really nutty."

Well, Tesco, you had me sold on the description. Looks-wise the cereal appeared indifferent to Coco Shreddies (mmm Coco Shreddies) but it didn't have a particularly strong aroma and just emitted the slightest scent -reminiscent of Nutella. 

The Choco-Nut Malt Wheats were just as crispy as promised, and passed my milk soaking test with flying colours. I have to admit that I was slightly dubious as to how nutty they would taste, but my preconceptions were unfounded for each square delivered a powerful hazelnut flavour. In fact the nut element was perhaps a smidgen more dominant than the chocolate, but it was yummier for it and the resulting flavour tasted somehow more adult and less sweet. By all accounts the cereal should taste sickly considering that sugar is ranked number 2 on the list of ingredients, and each 40g portion contains 8.3g of the stuff (that's even more than the Golden Syrup version).

I'm impressed with both of the new flavours to Tesco's 'Malt Wheat' line, although the Golden Syrup flavour still reigns as my favourite. 

8/10 

Nutritionals per 40g serving: 151kcals P3.4/C30.2/F1.0

*I can't believe it was that long ago, where is the time going? Jeez. 

Hazelnut Praline Chocolate Bar (M&S)

Last week I reviewed the M&S Intense Cappuccino bar, and mentioned at the time that I'd made use of the current 2 for £1 deal. Today's review is of the other bar I bought: Hazelnut Praline. It was recommended to me months ago, but I'd since forgotten about its existence. That was until I was lured in by Marks & Sparks' tempting offer.

"Milk and dark chocolate bar with hazelnut praline centre (51%) and roasted almonds (4%)." 

I had been informed that it tasted like Nutella, but in all honesty I hoped it would taste slightly more grown up and less sweet than the chocolate hazelnut spread. The knobbly bar's appearance didn't give much away until I sliced it in two. M&S have a habit of layering the chocolate round the outside of their truffle style bars, and this one revealed the hazelnut centre enrobed in a layer of dark chocolate and covered by milk. Normally I think this is a bit of an odd choice, and that surely people prefer one or the other, but on this occasion it worked exceedingly well. The resulting flavour was rich without bordering on bitter, and served as the perfect backdrop for the sweet centre. I loved the addition of almonds too, which added crunch to the chocolate and made it far more texturally interesting. 

Now for the star of the show: the hazelnut praline. Did it taste like Nutella? Not to me. It was far better than that, probably due to the fact that hazelnuts rank second down the ingredients list, meaning that it's truly nutty -hurrah! In fact if I'd have closed my eyes, I'm sure I could be been convinced I was eating my absolute favourite (and hard to get hold of) chocolate: Côte D'Or's Bouchée. Wow! It was heavenly. I really didn't think I could find another truffle, or indeed bar that could taste anything like my treasured favourite, but it's been under my nose in good old M&S all this time. Silly me! 

10/10