Belgian White Chocolate & Raspberry Sauce Ice Cream Sticks (Tesco)

Hey, do you remember when I moaned (yes, I know I'm always moaning) a couple of weeks ago about Magnum's double raspberry ice creams, and more specifically about the fact that they'd chosen to coat them in milk chocolate instead of white? Well, I was in Tesco the other day when I spotted something that might just be the solution to said grumbles: a white chocolate and raspberry ice cream with raspberry sauce. Hurrah!

I had actually forgotten that until this summer Tesco sold white chocolate and raspberry ice creams that were pretty good rip offs of the white chocolate and raspberry Magnums - but now both Tesco and Magnum's versions have been sadly discontinued. Boo. Let's hope that Tesco have made up for it with these 2017 editions - which are slightly cheaper than Magnums At £1.50 for three sticks  (Magnum doubles are currently on offer in Tesco at £2 for 3).

"Vanilla dairy ice cream, covered with raspberry sauce, coated in Belgian white chocolate with freeze dried raspberry pieces."

Please agree with me that the raspberry flecked ice creams looked beautiful; to me they screamed luxury. However, I still find myself taken aback however at how small all these new 90ml sticks are (new Magnums are the same size). Biting into the stick revealed the shocking pink sauce that looked stunning against the vanilla ice cream and white chocolate. 

Unfotunately, it was one of those occasions where the taste just didn't quite live up to the looks. God damnit, I wish appearances weren't so deceptive. Perhaps I'm being harsh here, because the white chocolate was fairly good -it's no Magnum covering though- and the ice cream was creamy -it just lacked the real vanilla flavour that I longed for.

It was more the sauce that I was disappointed by. The sauce in the double Magnum had a real tang to it, more like a coulis, whereas this was more like a standard Askey's ice cream topping. I mean, it was just very sweet, and lacked the tartness that I'd hoped for. The raspberry flavour was a little lost actually, and I found myself wishing that they'd used a raspberry ice cream (as Magnum had) to really boost the contrasting flavours. 

These are great if you're after a pretty ice cream, but they're another case of style over substance. Considering the uncompetitive price-point, I probably won't bother with them again. 

7/10

Magnum Double Raspberry (Tesco)

This weekend I stayed with my sister and we found ourselves craving some proper comfort food. Both of us were super-achey (she’s training for the Cardiff Half Marathon) and I’d started phase two of the Crusader Strength Program*. We needed stuffed crust cheese pizza and ice cream. But what ice cream to have? Lou, like me, has a strong love for all things Black Forest (I think we’ve got our grandma’s Xmas roulade to thank for that) and so it didn’t surprise me that she was drawn to the new double raspberry Magnums whilst we were on our junk food hunt in Tesco.

I was unimpressed with Magnum’s 2017 flavours when they were announced earlier this year. Double raspberry? Double coconut? Meh. As you might’ve gathered I’m not Magnum’s biggest fan, but I wasn’t about to argue with my sister! 

"Raspberry ice cream with a chocolate flavour coating (8%), raspberry sauce (19%) and milk chocolate (24%)."

The ice sticks have a similar layout to the Double Peanut Butter Magnums; i.e. the ice cream resides in the centre, surrounded by a chocolate layer, then a sauce, all coated in milk chocolate. 

Biting into the stick revealed the tetralogy of distinct layers. The ice cream in the middle had a pleasant berry flavour, but you'd be hard pressed to ascertain that it was raspberry and not strawberry. This might sound like a complaint, but I was fond of the seemingly discontinued white raspberry Magnums, and so did enjoy the ice cream. 

The raspberry sauce was sticky and oozed from between the chocolate layers. It was much thinner than the sauce in the double peanut butter Magnums, and I preferred it as such. Magnum have made it from raspberry puree, which was a wise idea as it gave the sauce a sharpness that counteracted the sweetness from the ice cream wonderfully. 

The milk chocolate coating was just as tasty as I'd hoped it would be. Magnum might've reduced the size of their lollies quite considerably in recent years but they don't seem to have messed with their chocolate. However, I can't help but think that this ice cream would have been really special had Magnum have opted for a white chocolate coating. I mean, white chocolate and raspberry were just meant to be together weren't they?

Thanks Lou bum to treating me to the Double Raspberry Magnum (especially as I've promised to not buy any more new ice cream until I've got my collection under control). 

8/10

 *please check it out if you fancy building some strength and muscle with an extensive full-body plan, I can’t believe the changes I’ve seen in five weeks.

*Guest Review* Choc Affair! Raspberry & Rose White Chocolate (Online)

Today you've not just got my opinion to listen to, for I've called in the chocolate expert to help me with this review. You see, this rose bar was kindly sent to me by the wonderful Choc Affair, but as I mentioned in a previous review, I'm not a big fan of Rose flavours. 

"Ripe raspberries, touched with the exotic taste of Turkish nights, swirls of floral fruitiness linger on."

The bar was beautifully wrapped -as I've realised that Choc Affair's bars always are. The 100g bar was darker than your average high street milk, due to the high cocoa content. It also had a slight sheen to it, which I now recognise as the hallmark of high quality. 

Biting into the chocolate, I was greeted with a strong rose flavour. I tried to like it, really I did, but I just couldn't get my head around the taste. But I knew someone who did love rose.. would my good friend Nat over at lot-o-choc mind me sending her an open bar of chocolate....?

"Amy was kind enough to send me some of this bar, knowing that I loved rose flavoured things, well apart from Turkish Delight and rose creams, but that's another story. I'd sampled some of Choc Affair's bars at food shows etc before and remembered really enjoying what they had on offer, I was hoping I'd feel the same about this bar.
At 33.6% cocoa solids the milk chocolate is good quality, it has a gorgeously creamy, rich melt and eat and unlike white chocolate, which can be quite sickly when paired with rose, balances the flavours really well. The rose is most definitely the prominent flavour in this bar, it's safe to say if you don't enjoy rose you won't enjoy this, as although the title of "Raspberry & Rose" suggests that raspberry would be the dominant flavour, this certainly isn't the case. As the bar melts you're met with a subtle, sharp tang of raspberry but the main flavour is that of the sweet, floral rose which grows as the chocolate begins to melt. Personally I loved it and it's one of the nicest rose chocolate bars I've probably tried - thanks Amy!!'

Well there you have it! I'd like to say a huge thank you to Choc Affair for sending out this bar. If you're a rose fan and love the sound of this luxury, handmade chocolate then you can find it available to buy from their website for a very reasonable £2.75. The company have also just launched a brand spanking new line of chocolate buttons, which includes this flavour -so please do go and check them out! 

NEW! Rainbow Ring Doughnut (Greggs)

OK so I mentioned yesterday that there's in fact two new doughnuts to grace the Greggs summer range. The banoffee doughnut didn't hit the mark but I didn't have huge expectations from the rainbow doughnut in the first place (given my previous experiences with Greggs' rings*). The two friendly girls in Greggs Hereford however were quick to sing the praises of the new summer addition though, so I tried to refrain from judging it before actually taking a bite.

"If you like something that looks AND tastes good, then look no further than our rainbow doughnut.

A soft ring doughnut is coated with raspberry flavour fondant and finished with multi coloured decoration."

It's a very pretty doughnut, I'll give Greggs that. Although if you want to keep yours that way I'd suggest that you ask them not to put it in a bag in the shop, or else most of the icing will stick itself to the bag!

The dough was slightly softer than yesterday's banoffee doughnut, but it was still a lot denser than the Krispy Kreme ring. It also lacked the sweetness of Krispy Kreme's dough, which may make it more preferable to you if you find the glazed doughnuts too cloying, but to me it just tasted bland. 

As for the raspberry topping, it was very mild in flavour. Think of a stickier version of the toppings you find on raspberry finger buns and you'll get the gist. The trouble is, those buns also tend to have a jammy centre -and without that the doughnut was insipid. Yesterday I said that KK could do with some doughnut filling training from Greggs, well today it turns out that Greggs could do with the training from KK on how to make a topping flavourful. After all, the shimmery raspberry topping on the (ridiculously under-filled) PB&J doughnut was delicious. 

Meh. This is just a pink ring doughnut, and to be honest, Tesco's pink ring doughnuts are far tastier. They're also a lot cheaper; the Greggs rings are 75p each, whereas Tesco's rings are currently 80p for four (normally £1). Even better yet, @productsinstore found new filled raspberry ripple ring doughnuts in Sainsbury's yesterday, which -I hope you agree- look incredible!

6/10

*Previous Greggs rings doughnut reviews:
Lemon Sherbet
Toffee Apple
Rhubarb & Custard

Choc Affair Peach & Raspberry White Chocolate (Online)

Peach Melba is a flavour combination that is rarely appreciated nowadays. Whilst Black Forest occasionally makes a welcome appearance, Melba seems to be the even less cool cousin that's been left in the 80s. But why? Raspberry and peach is a beautiful pairing -never more so than during these summer months. It therefore filled me with delight to discover that Choc Affair have created a chocolate bar featuring the classic flavour and -even better- it's white chocolate too! 

"What a combination, our peach & raspberry chocolate is like a dream come true. This chocolate is easy to eat, as it’s almost yoghurt or icecream like in its profile. When we do our tastings, even those who don’t usually choose a white chocolate try this and are  light and are nicely surprised with the result."

They say not to judge a book by its cover, but this bar was beautiful inside and out. The wrapper was undeniably attractive, as was the pink flecked bar within.

I have had a bar of Choc Affair's white chocolate before; last time it was the Mango bar and I mentioned that I'd have preferred a touch more fruitiness. However, this peach and raspberry bar ticked every single box. There was no escaping the smooth creamy nature of the white chocolate base, but the freeze dried raspberry pieces shone through, breaking up the sweetness in the most wonderful way. The only other time I have tasted a peach infused chocolate I found the peach to be completely redundant, however Choc Affair have not half hearted the fruit and it was noticeable against both the chocolate and raspberry flavours. Bravo Choc Affair.

The only problem with this bar is that it was completely moreish. I made myself save half the bar so that I could enjoy it in two sittings, but found myself constantly thinking about it. Let's just say it didn't last very long. There's a link to a recipe for peach and raspberry cookies on Choc Affair's website which sounds incredible, and I have the utmost respect for anyone who manages to refrain from eating this bar long enough to make cookies with it! 

Fancy a summery white chocolate bar that's like no other? Look no further than Choc Affair's Peach & Raspberry bar. At £2.50 for 100g bar (or £1.50 for a 50g bar) it's affordable, and you'll also be supporting cocoa farmers in Colombia with your purchase. What are you waiting for? Go go go! 

10/10

Thank you to Choc Affair for the chocolate bar! 

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

NEW! PhD Smart Bars: Choc Peanut Butter, Cookies & Cream, Chocolate Brownie and Dark Choc Raspberry (CNSport)

Barebells aren't the only bars that are generating a lot of buzz at the moment. There's another player on the scene, and it's phD! I must admit that I've stayed clear of PhD since the peanut butter flapjack that I tried before I even started doing any weight training. Of course the protein bar industry has changed rapidly recently, and there's no space any longer for chewy/rubbery/ tasteless bars. Grenade led the way with the Carb Killa range, and now we're seeing an influx of bars that resemble chocolate bars. The lines are becoming further blurred - just look Mars' range! Texture, taste and nutritionals are all important; cue the PhD Smart Bars. Available in five flavours, the Smart Bars each contain 20g of protein, are low sugar and palm oil free. I was given four of the five bars to review when I was at BodyPower, so here goes...

Choc Peanut Butter 

The long, bobbly bar contained a protein nougat core, surrounded by caramel, then crispies, all covered by milk chocolate. Sounds good right? 

A delightful combination of textures awaited me; the nougat was soft with a gentle chew, the caramel gooey (so much so that it had escaped through the bottom of the bar like it had with the Warrior bar too) and the crispies of course offered crunch. Flavour-wise the chocolate and caramel were scrummy, BUT -and it's a big but for a reason- the peanut butter was non-existent. I made Bert smell the bar (he refused to even sample it) and he promised me he could smell peanut butter, but I really couldn't taste it. Such a shame.

Macros per 64g bar: kCal 239P20/C24/F10

7/10

Cookies & Cream

Ahh the go-to protein bar flavour. I loved the Barebells C&C, could phd compete with the Swedes? This Smart bar looked similar to the choc pb flavour, but was devoid of the caramel layer and instead contained a pale nougat. 

Fundamentally the bar was good with a sweet milky taste and contrasting textures, but It didn't really scream of Cookies & Cream. Even a couple of months ago I would've been mightily impressed, but the chocolate crispies on the outside and better macros of the Barebells bar mean that PhD fail to take the C&C crown.

Macros per 64g bar: 241kCal/P20/C24/F11

8/10

Chocolate Brownie

This coating of this Smart bar was a different colour to the previous two bars, and it was then that I realised that both this and the chocolate raspberry are coated in dark chocolate instead. This is a unusual choice in a market that's dominated by very sweet milk chocolate covered bars.

The flavour was rich but the bitterness from the chocolate meant that the bar was far less sickly than the previous two. The chocolate was only about as dark as Bournville but it made a big difference. The nougat was chocolate flavoured and there was a chocolate sauce between the crispies too, which made it a very chocolatey bar. This might sound like perfection but so actually preferred the milk chocolate coating.

Macros per 64g bar: kCal237/P20/C22/F11 

8/10

Dark Choc Raspberry 

Finally! An unusual flavour combination from PhD, and the bar I was most excited about -especially having heard rave reviews from Conor at CNSport. The closest creations I guess are Quest's and Reflex's white chocolate & Raspberry protein bars. It's a strenuous link though because clearly the multi-layered  Smart Bar is very different to those classic protein bars. 

This bar comprised a chocolate core, crispies, dark chocolate coating and raspberry flavoured caramel. 

Jesus-F-Christ. 

PhD are genii! This is a bar to really rival the nougat chocolate bars on the market. I adored the juxtaposition of textures as I had with the other Smart Bars, but this combination of flavours was unreal. The slightly bitter dark chocolate worked wonderfully well with the sweet but zingy raspberry sauce, delivering an experience that was reminiscent of Black Forest. Throw in the milky, soft nougat and crunchy nibbles and you've got yourself a winner. I didn't have the patience when I was eating it through to sheer enjoyment, but I imagine that this bar would be amazing heated up - and even better warm with a side of ice cream. Oof.

Macros per 64g bar: 237kCal/P20/C22/F11

10/10

Thank you to PhD for the samples! Smart bars are available from PhD's website and CNSport.Have you tried them yet? What do you think? Let me know in the comments or on Instagram! 

NEW! Jammy Ring Ice Cream (Tesco)

After many trips to Tesco I've finally found the Jammy Ring ice cream. Well, no actually I fib, Bert found it for me. Given my disappointment with the Red Velvet I didn't have very high hopes for this new flavour, but still desperately hoped that the supermarket would pull it out of the bag.

"Try our delicious 500ml tub of Jammy Ring Ice Cream. Biscuit flavour ice cream with a swirl of raspberry sauce and tasty shortcake biscuit pieces."

Except the tubs only contain 480ml of ice cream don't they Tesco? Starting with a lie is never a good sign. Each of their new 480ml tubs cost £2 each.

Once the lid was removed I was met with a milky coloured ice cream that barely hinted at the prospect of raspberry sauce. Digging in I found the ice cream to be almost mousse-like in consistency. It was so airy that the 96ml portion only weighs 59g (compare that to 82g for the same volume of Ben & Jerry's Strawberry Swirled). I did, however, uncover some bright pink swirl as I scooped.

I'm not exactly sure how to describe the flavour of the ice cream. It's meant to be biscuit flavour, but seeing as biscuits come in such a huge array of varieties and flavours, it's hard to distinguish one determining element. Instead I'll tell you that the ice cream is sweet, and somehow does remind me of shortbread -although that might just be wishful thinking. I also found it to be quite nostalgic, stirring memories of the cheap little ice cream mousse pots that mum used to give us as children.

The sauce was neither here nor there, adding little in the way of flavour. As for the biscuit pieces, they were far and few between - I had a grand total of 3. Texturally they were hit and miss too: two were soft and cake like, whilst one was delightfully crunchy. Humf. Fortunately Siân had already tried the ice cream and given me the heads up on instagram concerning the meagreness of the chunks so at least I'd had the foresight to top my cone with mini Jammy Dodgers.

What a shame. Tesco have created an ice cream with a scrummy flavour; it's just a shame they haven't used quality ingredients and seen the product through. As a luxury tub it doesn't quite work and as such I'd rather pay the extra 50p for a tub of Ben & Jerry's from ASDA.

7/10

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!

Gü Strawberry & Raspberry Cheesecake (ASDA)

So I was going to write a 7th healthy review today to conclude the first week of the new year buuuuuut....

1. It's Saturday
2. My sister asked me to review something "that she'd actually eat."

..Which gave me the nudge to not neglect those of you for whom high protein/low sugar just isn't interesting. With that in mind I thought I'd jump to the other end of the foodie spectrum and write about one of my sister and I's favourite indulgent desserts: cheesecake. Not just cheesecake either, but Gü's newest strawberry & raspberry shortbread creation.

This duo pack of desserts came out towards the end of the year, which I thought to be quite an odd choice for the company, or is it just me who naturally thinks of strawberry as a summer treat? Especially when enjoyed with shortbread, or shortcake, or scones, or cream. Mmm. Can you tell I'm hungry at the moment? Anyway, they were on offer in December for £2 in ASDA (currently £3) and although I wouldn't normally veer from their incredible Zillionaire's or Banoffee cheesecakes I was tempted enough to try them at least once (for you guys of course).

"Wander through raspberry and strawberry fields with flowering hibiscus, before journeying into vanilla infused cheesecake and crumbly shortbread base.
Pleasure seekers, grab your spoons..."

Yep, definitely summery then!

The bright red topping of these cheesecake looked eerily similar to the insipid toppings adorning ASDA's smart price cheesecakes -i.e not great, don't bother if you're lucky enough to have never suffered them. On the plus side there was evidence of real fruit though in Gü's little number , so I dug in..

I was worried the Hibiscus flavouring might overpower the berries (though I'm not sure that I can tell you what hibiscus tastes like, but I'm guessing flowery like lavender) but all I got was a pretty bog standard jam like topping. The cheesecake was ok, pretty standard, and without Gü's incredible ganache sitting alongside it was disappointing.

As I've explained in all of my cheesecake reviews to date, the biscuit base is very important. I hoped that the rich buttery shortbread tones would sing through, but actually the final layer tasted barely different to your usual digestive number. In fact there wasn't a huge deal of it, and what was there was über crumbly.

Humf. I wish I'd listened to my instincts and picked up a chocolatey ramekin instead. Talking of which, what on earth do you do with yours once you eaten your dessert? I always think that they're too nice to throw away, but I now have 30 or so in my kitchen drawer! Any bright ideas?

5/10

NEW! Lindahl's Vanilla and Raspberry Flavoured Quark (Waitrose)

Happy New Year guys and gals! Have you woken up aiming to turn over a new leaf? Whilst I think that everyone can and should set themselves goals at any point during the year, January the 1st does present itself as somewhat of an opportunity to kick those dreams into motion. Sometimes it's the smaller goals that can bring us joy; for example one of my 2016 resolutions was to have peanut butter and chocolate every single day -simply because I love it- and yesterday I completed my little challenge (admittedly sometimes that meant sneaking Reese's peanut butter cups into my suitcase).

Other goals have been more significant -2016 was the first year since 2012 that I have completely avoided hospital admissions- and for that I raised a glass (or two) last night. I feel very fortunate for my life right now, and I'm super excited for what 2017 has to offer. Sure there's a mixture of resolutions and goals that'll be challenging, but that's what makes life interesting! 

For many people New Years diets will be coming into force from today. It's something that grates on me a little bit, but only because I think that healthy lifestyles should be a way of life and something that includes balance. As a snack reviewer it may look like I live on a diet of pure junk food, but most of the time (70% ish) I eat relatively healthily (certainly not clean though!), and I'm pretty active. One of my daily food staples is LIDL's Milbona Skyr pots -they're cheap, a brilliant source of protein and fat free. I flavour them using sugar free syrups to make them more interesting (Salted Chocolate Espresso, Tiramisu and banoffee are personal favourites) but I'm still always on the look out for new brands to try.

Cue Lindh's, which isn't Skyr at all, but Quark. Both Skyr and Quark are technically soft cheeses, although quite often they sit amongst the yogurt section in the supermarket. I buy Skyr because it's cheaper (at Lidl anyway), and the only sweet flavoured Quark pots widely available are the ARLA protein pots -which I don't particularly rate. So when I spotted these new Lindahl's Raspberry & Vanilla pots on offer at Waitrose for 70p (per 150g pot) I just had to give them a go!

Lindahl's is the number 1 Quark brand in Sweden, and a quick glance at their website made me very envious of the selection that the Swede's get to choose from!The pots contain no added sugar and are suitable for vegetarians. 

Raspberry
First up was the raspberry, and when I peeled back the lid I uncovered a pale pink substance so thick that the individual peaks had remained intact.

Delving my spoon into the Quark revealed a dense mousse like appearance, which simply melted away in the mouth. Instantly I was reminded of the Petit Filous fromage frais pots I enjoyed as a child. Despite the lack of sugar the Quark was sweet enough (more so than the ARLA pots), and I enjoyed every last morsel. Delicious.

9/10

Vanilla
When it comes to Skyr, nothing beats Icelandic Skyr's Vanilla pots. I only wish I had more money so that I could buy them on a regular basis. My love of the vanilla Skyr made me all the more excited to try this Lindahl's Quark version.

The pot had the same consistency and creaminess of the raspberry, although it wasn't as flavourful. The vanilla was less pronounced, and sat delicately in the background. Still delicious, but just not quite as good as my beloved Skyr I'm afraid.

9/10

Summary
These are the perfect snack or light dessert for those looking to up their protein intake and/or eat healthily this January. At only 90Kcal per 150g pot* they're filling and delicious. They're also only on an introductory offer -so if you also like them then stock up pronto like I plan to! Also, if we all buy enough then maybe *just maybe* Waitrose will start selling Lindahl's white chocolate Quark. Please Waitrose?


*Macros P:16.5/C:5.3/F:0.3

NEW! Santa Belly & Melting Snowman Doughnuts (Krispy Kreme)

Apologies for the lack of Sunday review, I was just too busy having lots of fun in London with my best friends*. The journey back yesterday however was less than enjoyable, and yet another example of the British rail network at it's best. My Virgin train from Euston was cancelled, as were the three previous services, which meant that I missed my connection and had to wait for two hours in Birmingham for my last leg back to Hereford (making the journey 6 hours in total).

Still, I found a silver lining -which strangely didn't include being in the Bullring exactly a week before Christmas Day. My close proximity to a Krispy Kreme certainly made me happier though. If you've been reading this blog for a while you'll know from my many previous moans that I have no access to the iconic doughnut chain's goodies; the nearest store is over an hour away, and none of the Tesco's stock it within that radii. This means that I normally make the most of trips to Birmingham and come home with a doughnut or two. My other half almost jumped for joy when I rang and asked him if he'd like a KK collected. 

Even better, the hold-up had given me the time to visit the actual store and make use of my 20% student discount -which I imagine is rather dangerous if you're at a university city with local Krispy Kreme. I opted for the filled Christmas doughnuts of course, and asked the friendly assistant to find me some pretty ones. The trouble was, my bags were pretty full and very heavy, so by the time they arrived in my kitchen the doughnuts looked decidedly less attractive than they had in Birmingham, oops.


Melting Snowman
"Hand dipped in white chocolate flavour coating, filled with caramelised biscuit kreme hand decorated with chocolate iced buttons and a scarf."

I've seen plenty of complaints online about the lack of ingenuity when it comes to the fillings of Krispy Kreme's doughnuts this Christmas. For my birthday back in March -in lieu of a traditional cake- I tried their Lotus Caramelised Biscoff doughnut, so I imagined the Melting Snowman to taste rather similar (and therefore delicious). 

I sliced it in two and found the pocket of biscoff flavoured filling in the middle, which was slightly off centre and not particularly generous. I also noted how dense the doughnut felt. 

The situation didn't improve when I bit into it either, for the biscoff and white chocolate topping didn't impart much flavour other than a resounding sweetness. Where had the spice that speculoos (aka Biscoff) is known for? The icing didn't even hint towards tasting of white chocolate either. Now, you must know by now just how sweet-toothed I am, but just one half was enough for me. If I'd have paid the full £1.90 I'd have been even more royally resentful towards the doughnut chain. Gah. 

5/10

Santa Belly
"Hand dipped in raspberry flavoured red icing, filled with chocolate truffle Kreme, hand decorated with chocolate iced buttons and belt, then finished with a buckle."

Picking up this doughnut felt a damn site more promising because the dough felt so much lighter. I also thought that the design was rather clever too. I've not had the opportunity to try any of the previous raspberry and chocolate Krispy Kremes before, so I cut into Santa with fresh (albeit slightly squinty) eyes -cutting Father Christmas open is never going to feel right. sorry Santa.

The dichotomized doughnut looked even more delicious, because it was packed full of a light chocolate mousse. This was what I was hoping for Krispy Kreme! Flavour-wise it was drastically better too. The sweet raspberry icing worked wonderfully well with the fluffy chocolate innards and soft dough surround. Chocolate and raspberry is a heaven-made match, and this only improves when combined with one of Krispy Kreme's fresh doughnuts. Mmm.

9/10.

Conclusion
Of the two, Santa is the surprising winner! I definitely thought that the Biscoff Krispy Kreme would be my firm favourite, but my doughnut was too sweet, underfilled and lacking in flavour. I do wish that KK had thought to include a traditional Christmas flavour though such as a filled mince pie doughnut (yep, STILL obsessed even after all of the ones I've reviewed this year) or a filled gingerbread with chocolate coating (lebkuchen-style). Fingers crossed for next year!

*On a side note: The family Carol Service in St Paul's Cathedral is one of the most beautiful festive activities I've ever had the privilege of experiencing (but get there early to ensure seats) whilst Dirty Dancing at the Pheonix Theatre is incredible fun. On a food point the Maitre'D in Prezzo on New Oxford St is one of the rudest men I have ever met, but the little family run Italian run restaurant Giotto (just a few doors down) serves excellent pasta and pizza at reasonable prices.