Hippeas Organic Chickpea Puffs (WHSmith)

I first spotted these Hippeas chickpea puffs a few weeks ago in the WHSmith in Birmingham train station. I looked at the price and assumed that I'd be able to pick them up cheaper elsewhere (seeing as train station stores are usually so overpriced). The trouble was, I couldn't find Hippeas again anywhere! So on my way back from London on Saturday afternoon I made sure that I popped into the Paddington WHSmith especially to pick some up. At £1.50 for two bags they had also come on offer and didn't break the bank, hurrah!

Sowhat are Hippeas? Hippeas are organic, vegan, gluten-free, high fibre, and low fat puffed chickpeas. The company are also keen to 'give back' and say:

"We believe in change from the ground up. That’s why we support Farm Africa, a charity who do just that.Working in Sub-Saharan Africa, they help farmers become more pioneering andproductive, climate-smart and competitive, enabling them and their communitiesto grow their own way out of poverty."

So, they're healthy and ecologically friendly, but that only matters if they taste good! I picked up a pack of the "Pepper Power" and "In Herbs We Trust" to try.

Pepper Power

Why did I opt for this flavour when I know I'm not keen on overly hot foods? WHSmith only had two varieties and I wanted to be able to compare both. 

The bag was only half full, but that's on par with most other savoury snack bags, and it only claimed to weigh 22g after all. The golden puffs looked like larger -less luminous- Wotsits, but the texture was entirely different. They were crunchier, and more satisfying to eat than the cheesy maize based snack. The trouble was, they were very 'flavourful' -and by that I mean they were super peppery. I needed a large glass of water to wash them down with!

6/10

In Herbs We Trust
This Hippeas flavour seemed to be much more up my street. A quick scout at the ingredients list revealed that they were seasoned with a mixture of sea salt, onions, basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, garlic and pepper. That sounds almost Italian. I like Italian.

Wow, as soon as the bag was open I was struck by the most wonderfully Mediterranean aroma. Seriously, had I just wandered down the streets of Sorrento? It was clear that these shouldn't be eaten on the train or bus -for fear that you'd be mugged for them. I hoped that the smell would be a true indication of the taste...

..and it was. They were so utterly moreish. The earthy tones of the chickpeas amalgamated with the flavourings perfectly. I enjoyed their crunchiness too, which was much more satiating than eating a bag of potato crisps. They were seriously good.

10/10

Summary
Pepper Power might not be my bag, but if you like spice I'm sure that you'll be able to handle it better than me. I loved the herby flavour, and now am desperately seeking the "Far Out Fajita" and "Sweet & Smokin'" packs too. I've noticed that Holland & Barrett have just started stocking Hippeas, but our local branch only stocks the two flavours I've reviewed! Keeping my eyes peeled...

NEW! Good4U Banana & Cocoa Super Bites (ASDA)

Happy New Year! May your 2016 be healthy, happy and full of mischief!

Have you got any New Years resolutions? Are you joining the gym, the clean eating brigade or giving up alcohol? I'm bucking the trend and starting an anti-diet, which will include munching on lots of my favourite foods! However if, unlike me, you're on a bit of a health-kick, I've got a food review for you today.

ASDA have recently started stocking the complete range of the new Good4U Super Bites: Banana & Cocoa, Cocoa & Orange and Coconut. They are are all raw seed & fruit bites which are wheat free, dairy free and vegan. I chose the banana and cocoa due to my love of both flavours -anyone agree with me about the utter food perfection and heavenly nature of a banana & nutella toastie? 

The snack size pack contained 30 nuggets which convincingly resembled miniature cocoa-dusted truffles. They were squidgier than expected, and slightly chewy. The cocoa tasted dark and bitter, but much need sweetness came from the dates and raisins. The banana flavour however, was underwhelming and was completely overshadowed by the intensity of the cocoa. There was no doubting its inclusion in the ingredients, it just felt more of an afterthought than the star of the show -missing the mark in a similar way to the Meridian peanut & banana bar I reviewed at the beginning of November.

Good concept, but for a healthy chocolate hit I'd rather have the Cocoa Chaos Trek Bar (which the delectable Erin informs me is even tastier microwaved).

5/10

Nakd Christmas Pud Bar

Today's review is of another festive product first released last year that I didn't get round to trying. I didn't think it would be my cup of tea, and I feared the horrible brown rice syrup that seems to be present in a lot of healthier snack bars. The only reason I even contemplated buying them was due to Erin's blog post about the Christmas Pud bars (we seem to have similar tastes and she thinks that they are pretty damn tasty).

I tried a few different outlets but had no luck, so I ended up buying a couple of different bars instead. First I tried the Banana Crunch Bar... then the Banana Bread bar... and I really enjoyed them both! So, long story short, in the space of a week I've fallen slightly in love with the Nakd bar range. Yesterday I received a Twitter tip off that Sainsbury's might be a good bet, which was a good hint because I finally tracked them down, hurrah.

The bars are 35g each and are attractively packaged in a festive green wrapper, complete with Christmas hat. I love Nakd's attention to detail- especially the tiny little 'Hi Mum!' hidden under the seal. The Christmas Pud bars' only ingredients are dates, cashews, raisins and natural flavouring "smooshed together," which means they are Gluten, Wheat & Dairy Free, count towards one of your five a day, and are totally Vegan friendly.

Unwrapping the bar, I was greeted by a strong festive aroma. It was well spiced, and the tones of cinnamon and nutmeg were particularly pungent. Texture-wise the bar was dense and chewy, which meant that it's quite satisfying to eat for such a small snack. Admittedly I'm not a huge fan of Christmas Pudding because it's so heavy and cloying -particularly after a main meal-  but this little bar has all of the flavour without any of the stodge.

Well played Nakd!

8/10

Crispy Bacon & Maple Syrup Portlebay Popcorn

I'm down to my last three bags (and favourite sounding flavours) now from the sample box that Portlebay Popcorn sent: Cinnamon Swirl, Cappuccino and the cause of today's review- Crispy Bacon and Maple Syrup. I love bacon frazzles, and I imagined this popcorn to taste similiarly. As with the Wasabi popcorn, the sweet element coming from the maple syrup (which I also love in it's own right) fazed me slightly... I just can't imagine pouring syrup onto bacon like the Yanks do.

When I opened the bag, I was greeted with a dusty orange coloured popcorn. I could smell hints of bacon, but the aroma most prominent was that of the syrup. This was also reflected in the taste, and although I could detect the smoked bacon element, the sweet maple was definitely more overpowering. I didn't believe that a ratio favouring Maple Syrup over bacon would work well, but once again Portlebay have turned my preconceptions on their head- the salty bacon tang balanced the sweetness out perfectly.

I absolutely loved this Popcorn, which I'm over the moon about because it's one of two flavours that our local Boots stock, meaning I can enjoy it again and again. I'd recommend trying this product if  you're either a maple syrup fan or a sweet and salty popcorn kind of person.

9/10

Very Berry Portlebay Popcorn

Very Berry is the first of sweet popcorn flavours up for review from the box that Portlebay sent me. I've never tried a berry flavoured popcorn before, but I always like red and purple sweets best, so I was looking forward to trying this out. 

The popcorn looked very girlie because it is dusted a pretty pink colour. It is Portlebay's signature style- light and fluffy yet satisfyingly crunchy. The berry flavouring is sweet and almost fizzy, reminding me of their Lemon Sherbet Popcorn which was the product that made me fall ever-so-slightly in love with the brand in the first place. Unfortunately my palette is not developed enough to determine the individual notes of blackcurrants, cranberries and raspberries; but it is definitely a berry flavour nonetheless. 

I think that this is a lovely product, and it's a pretty healthy snack option if you're craving sweeties but don't want all of the sugar. I think I marginally prefer their Lemon Sherbet flavour, but there's not a huge gap between the two. 

7/10

Sweet & Salty Portlebay Popcorn

Just a quick entry today, because I think this post is pretty straightforward. Today I tried Portlebay's sweet and salty popcorn, a flavour that has seen a rise in popularity over the past year or so. I'm a strange one- I love the combination of sweet & salty in peanut butter but hate sweet & savoury dishes like ham & pineapple pizza and sweet & sour chicken. I haven't actually tried sweet & salty popcorn before so I'm afraid I have nothing to compare it to.

The corn have the same nice fluffy texture that I'm now used to with Portlebay. I think I expected a mixture of sweet and salty kernels, but instead they were an evenly balanced amalgamation of the two. I actually found them a little bland, but that's to be expected in a naturally plainer option than their other more exciting innovations.

5/10

P.S If you're interested you can read my reviews of the other Portlebay Popcorn flavours i've tried thus far:
Lemon Sherbet
Wasabi & Sweet Ginger
 Chilli & Lime

Peanut Butter Clif Bars

This week as part of my Boots meal deal, I opted for something I've never chosen before. Next to the cereal bars was this peanut butter Clif Bar. As soon as I read 'peanut butter' I was tempted, but then I realised it was a protein bar and I wavered. I've never really bought into the whole protein thing, particularly because I don't do weight lifting, and in fact the closest I get to going to the gym is the long daily dog walk.

I pondered over it for a while, and then decided that I hadn't much to lose as I was only paying £1 for my entire lunch anyway (thanks again o2). It is described quite simply as an 'Oat and Peanut Butter Energy Bar'. Clif are an American brand and the packet tells me that it's named after his father; how cute.

When I removed the wrapper I uncovered a rather unattractive alien-like brown bobbled mass. I was expecting it to be similar to a flapjack, but it was denser and actually stickier than that. I could see the mottled mounds of chopped peanut dotted across the top that assured me of the peanut buttery reason why I bought it in the first place.

The texture was chewy- a little bit like nougat- and it didn't have the crunch that I expected. I could taste the sweetness from the peanuts, but it lacked the lovely saltiness that balances a good peanut butter. The fact that it's so dense means it's quite satisfying to eat and leaves you feeling like you've had a decent snack. I could detect a slightly odd, almost artificial after-taste though which I thought might be some kind of protein powder. It led me to check the ingredients but the only things I could blame it on is brown rice syrup or soy rice crisps, both of which I've not acknowledged having eaten before.

The nutritional information also informed me that it contains 11g of protein. Now as i mentioned before, I don't do any kind of weight lifting, but I also don't eat a lot of meat either which means I probably don't always meet my daily requirements of protein. I know that's boring for you, but if you're a vegan/vegetarian these might just be a handy way of meeting your daily needs.

This wasn't my favourite peanut butter snack (that definitely sits with the glorious Nutter Butter Bites) but I did enjoy it, and will have it again in the future no doubt.... especially if I see the 'White Chocolate Macademia' about!

5/10

Chilli & Lime Portlebay Popcorn

The popcorn that sounded the second least appetising to me in the box that Portlebay sent was the Chilli & Lime Kracklecorn. Again it's just because it's a savoury product that it doesn't appeal to me, but given how much I enjoyed the Wasabi & Sweet Ginger, I wasn't entirely dreading it.

When I opened the bag I was met with quite a strong spicy aroma. The popcorn was a dusty orange colour, and I worried about whether they'd blow my head off. I like my spice, but I'm more of a Rogan Josh than a Vindaloo kind of girl. I don't understand the enjoyment of eating food that makes you sweat. I'd appreciate any insight from anybody who's a Scotch Bonnet fan! 

The popcorn didn't taste as spicy as I feared, and actually reminded me of tikka. The heat intensified as I continued through the bag, but not to the point where I couldn't eat it. I could taste a refreshing hint of citrus coming from the lime, but it was only just distinguishable against the spice. I offered a bite to my discerning taxi driver who was surprised to discover that he enjoyed it. He compared it in similarity to Tyrell's chilli rice crackers but I can't pass comment having never tried them. 

I'm pleased to have had the opportunity to  try this flavour, and I don't think it's unpleasant, but I also don't think I'd buy it again. If you like curry rice crackers and/or crisps, this might be your cup of tea- it's just unfortunately not mine. 

2/10

New Strawberry Cheesecake Cake Stacker at ASDA

ASDA have released a whole host of new products in their bakery aisle recently. There's loads of yummy sounding innovations including: Cinnamon Sugar Cake Slices, Red Velvet Cake Slices, Caramel Brownies, Tiffin slices, Carrot Cake Flapjacks, Apple Crumble Flapjacks and Bakewell Flapjacks to name just a few!. They've also released a range of 'Cake Stackers.' 

With so many new products to choose from I chose what intruiged me the most: the Strawberry Cheesecake Cake Stackers. They comprise of 'a digestive biscuit layer, strawberry jam, strawberry flavoured sponge, cheesecake flavour icing and vanilla sponge'.

I decided that these slices sounded rather special, so instead of having them in the afternoon with a cuppa, I served them with a scoop of strawberry ice cream for dessert. The cakes look pretty, with three bright and distinct tiers.

The vanilla sponge top level was disappointingly dry, which unfortunately tends to be standard fare amongst supermarket cakes. The strawberry sponge wasn't any better, and although it was a pretty pink colour, lacked any identifiable strawberry flavour. The icing that separated the two was normal buttercream, but again I couldn't distinguish any 'cheesecake' flavour to it. The bottom, biscuity level was a good moist digestive base and was the best bit of the stacker by far.

I'm really pleased I served it with ice cream because these Cake Stackers are a let down. Instead of being a glorious combination of sponge cake and cheesecake, they are a bland, dry, and utterly disappointing product. Although the other treats in ASDA's new range sound enticing, I won't be buying them unless I see them in the reduced section. Good idea, but poor execution.

1/10

American Pop Tarts: Hot Fudge Sundae

OK, I might have a bit of an obsession, because I also bought these Hot Fudge Sundae Pop Tarts from B&M.  In the last few weeks I've tried (& reviewed) Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Confetti Cupcake, and Cookies & Creme; and so like a Monopoly player I felt the overwhelming need to add to my hoard... which embarrassingly now has it's own Pop Tart shelf in my kitchen.

The Hot Fudge Sundae Pop Tarts have the most enticing title to date, and their website describes them as: 

Frosted Hot Fudge Sundae

'With a chocolate crust, smooth vanilla filling, vanilla and fudge icing, and colorful sprinkles, this chompable sundae is a thing of beauty, The good source of calcium and reduced sugar is the cherry on top'

I'm not sure they can extol the virtuousness of these Pop Tarts, because despite having 'reduced sugar' they still have a hyperactive inducing 16g each. However, as we all know sugar tastes damn good- and it keeps me awake and happy- so it doesn't make a difference to me.

The pastry is the same as the Cookies and Creme, and thereby similar in taste to an Oreo/Bourbon biscuit. The filling oozed alluringly once warmed through in the toaster, and was familiarly sweet, which provided a good contrast against the dark borderline bitter cocoa crust.

In fact, it was so similar in taste to the Cookies and Creme flavour I tried a couple of days ago that I don't think I could tell the difference if blindfolded. The only difference from the description should be the fudge flavoured icing, but unfortunately it is indistinguishable and completely lost against the rich chocolate pastry and sugary centre, That's not to say that it's not tasty- because it is. I just think that it's a clever marketing ploy by Kellogg's to attract two different consumer camps, both the 'Hot Fudge Sundae' and the 'Cookies & Creme' fans.

I'm keeping my eye out for something a bit different next time.. like the frosted blueberry, PB & J, and/or Cinnamon Roll Pop Tarts... Mmm... I think I've got an addiction. 

6/10
Simply because I was hoping for a clearer difference in flavour.

New Limited Edition Cinnamon & Vanilla popcorn by Boots

Monday's tend to be a pretty rubbish day for most people, but I now have a good reason to look forward to the first day of the working week. As an o2 customer I can make use of their priority offer- a boots meal deal for £1 every Monday. Yes I know it's a bit sad, but as a student, trust me when I say that this lunch feels luxurious compared to the rest of the week. I've got into a bit of a meal deal habit: sarnie/wrap, Pepsi & Portlebay Lemon Sherbet Popcorn. Today, however, I made an exception because I spotted Boots' limited edition Cinnamon & Vanilla popcorn. 

I love cinnamon, it's my absolute favourite spice, and so Boots couldn't have really chosen better in terms of my tastes (unless they'd produced a peanut butter and/or banana popcorn.) I've heard good things about Portlebay's cinnamon popcorn but as I haven't located it anywhere yet,  I thought I'd try Boots' version.

The bags are a decent size and when I opened it up I could see the lovely tell-tale dusty cinnamon powder. I expected it to be sweet- rather like the ProperCorn Sweet Coconut & Vanilla that's also a personal favourite- but it wasn't!

Neither sweet or salty, the popcorn was rather neutral- and as cinnamon can be used in both sweet and savoury cooking- It was left with a bit of a split personality. I wondered if I'd just got an un-sweetened price of corn, but it was consistentlu poor throughout  the bag. I was left feeling really confused (and a bit upset I'd chosen it in favour of the Lemon Sherbet Portlebay.)

I'm now not sure whether I'd like Portlebay's cinnamon flavour or not and so  I'd be keen to know if anyone else has tried it? 

Meanwhile, it's back to the Popcorn I know is good...

1/10

American Pop Tarts: Cookies & Creme

As it's Sunday and we'd run out of dog food, my other half was obliged to take me to B&M bargains this morning.. It's a store he hates simply because I love it so much and could therefore spend hours in it. As I've mentioned previously, they stock an unpredictable and cheap range of American Imports, which is the main reason why I love B&M so much.

This morning I spotted these 'Frosted Cookies & Creme' Pop Tarts which seemed like the perfect treat to end chocolate week on. They are described as follows-

'Chocolate cookie crust. Sweet, white frosting sprinkled with cookie crumbles. Smooth vanilla crème filling. '

I was hoping that they'd taste like an Oreo combined with a Pop Tart. The chocolate pastry was very dark in colour, and the flavour didn't disappoint. It was rich with a deep cocoa flavour- imagine a grown up Bourbon biscuit. The filling was incredibly sweet by comparison- it would have been far too much by itself- but it worked surprisingly well with the chocolate cookie flavoured crust. Imagine warm gooey Oreos.. That's what these are!

I couldn't have hoped for more from these Cookies & Creme Pop Tart. They're not my favourite Pop Tart to date, but they're pretty damn tasty, especially if you're an Oreo and/or Bourbon biscuit fan.

7/10

P.S I've also reviewed the American Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Pop Tarts & American Confetti Cupcake Pop Tarts 

Caramac Breakaway Biscuit Bars

Caramac has a warm place in my heart; it was the treat my dad always used to buy for me when I was younger. As a child I relished the sickly sweet caramel flavoured bar, but as an adult browsing the confectionary aisle I'm only interested in either the milk or white chocolate, forgetting entirely about the retro Caramac. 

That said, McVities Gold bars are often a lunchbox staple in my house, and I find the combination of syrupy caramel coating and crunchy biscuit enclosed within a much better balance. 

This year, there have been two new Caramac flavoured releases: Caramac buttons (which I've only seen once and have regretted not buying ever since) and the Breakaway biscuit bars. 

In my opinion it's a good choice of addition to the Breakaway range, as I'm not normally tempted by them. The chocolate biscuit bar is a saturated market, and with delicious products such as the cookies & cream Kitkats and toffee Penguins, I think of Breakaways as being bland and boring by comparison. 

So Nestle, you've caught me, and ever a fan of nostalgic treats I decided to give these Caramac Breakaway Bars a go. 

They are smaller in size than the McVities Gold Bars, but have a nice even coating.  I tried not to compare the two products, but I found I couldn't help myself. 

As I bit into it, I found it difficult to distinguish the Caramac. The biscuit is a good digestive, but I found it actually overwhelmed the coating- which is a lot thinner than that of a Gold bar. I tried my hardest to nibble the topping off, so that I could feel the warmth from the pleasant memories I had eating Caramac as a child, but they failed to reach me. 

I'm sorry to say, but I found this to be a poor mans Gold bar, and I'll return to McVities with my tail between my legs! Although, if I spot the rare Caramac buttons in the future I won't hesitate to buy them.

4/10

New Nature Valley Chocolate & Peanut Protein Bars

I've seen these protein snack bars in stores for a couple of months now. Nature Valley seem to be broadening their ranges, as they also recently released their Popcorn Bars which I reviewed last month. Protein seems to be having its hey day at the moment for its muscle building properties* and fullness factor, & it seems very in vogue to opt for protein rich diets. I'm surprised that more snack manufacturers haven't seized the opportunity to cash in on this craze by advertising their products as being protein rich.

I really enjoy the Nature Valley Oaty bars, especially the chocolate, maple syrup and much less available coconut ones (which taste like a hobnob mated with a nice biscuit), but they're all scrummy. 

Anyway, I'm a big peanut butter fan, and whilst I'm disappointed that Nature Valley don't make peanut butter oat bars (ASDA do brilliant ones.) I bought these peanut & chocolate protein bars whilst half price at Tesco (still £1.44 for 5) and they're described quite simply as 'protein bar with peanut and chocolate'

I have to admit I was a bit disappointed when I opened the box when I saw how small they were. There was lots of air, and not much snack inside the packaging.

However, when I opened up my bar I was pleasantly suprised to find that it was chock full of chocolate chips and peanuts. N.B Please excuse the poor photo below- I was eating it en route home!

It was delightfully chewy and satisfying to eat as each mouthful I was greeted with a mixture of textures and tastes. All to soon the bar was finished but I was left with a lovely snickers like aftertaste. 

I was going to share my purchase with my other half, but I've scrapped that idea as I think I'll keep these little treats for myself.. Shh.. 

7/10 (because my tummy started rumbling 30mins later)

*if you believe the media hype.

New Salted Caramel Squares

I'm a bit disgruntled at the release of these Rice Krispies Squares simply because it replaces the Rocky Road variety in our local ASDA. I particularly enjoyed the Rocky Road flavour because:

It was chocolate-y & It had a good combination of flavours and textures including white chocolate chunks, raisins and marshmallows.

I'm not sure if Kellogg's have stopped making the Rocky Road variety as ASDA was the only stockist of the entire range in my area.

I shouldn't complain too much, because as you may have gathered from my earlier posts, I love caramel... So I decided to see how it faired in comparison to the other Rice Krispies Squares.

I love that each Square is individually wrapped- it may not be good for the environment- but it's much better for transportation purposes (and ultimately stops me from becoming tangled in cling-film whilst attempting to wrap it and stow it in a lunchbox!)

The wrappers are a pretty gold colour, and I was surprised when I opened the packet to find that the colour of the Square itself was a similar colour. I'm not sure why I was fazed by this as caramel is  golden, but for some reason I was expecting it to be the same pale colour of the standard Squares.

The Square tasted sickly with a mere hint of the salt that it promised of. I thought the caramel flavour was nice and strong, but without any other flavours to break it up, it simply felt too saccharine. That may sound daft because the additions to the Rocky Road Squares are all sweet; but I think its the monotony of the salted caramel that led to it's demise. Perhaps I was just hankering for a chocolate element to top it off!

Thankfully I only paid the offer price of £1 for 4 but I won't be rushing out to buy them again as they do lots more flavours that are more appealing!

4/10

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 ;)

Walls Cooky Snack Ice Cream

I wandered down to Tesco Express this evening to buy an ice cream for my dessert, and I thought I'd just check their impulse freezer, which was a good shout because all of their single ice creams were half price. It just goes to show there are benefits to them clearing space for the Christmas lines so early!

I was just about to pick up a cornetto when I spotted these:

Walls Cooky Snacks.

I'm not sure if they're new or not but I've never seen them before. They are described as 'vanilla flavoured ice cream with chocolate drops and biscuits with chocolate chip'. I bought them at 63p each .

My other half ate his straight up but I separated the cookies & microwaved them for 30secs.

I know the photo doesn't look very appetising, but -oh my days- this was amazing! The cookies were soft when cold but after microwaving them but they were gooey, the chocolate chips having deliciously melted. The ice cream was pretty standard vanilla and unfortunately only had chocolate chips around the outside but they were plentiful enough. I really REALLY loved this ice cream.. I just wished they came in a multipack so I could buy them year round.

8/10.

New Coco Pops Multi-Grain Biscuits

Today I tried the new Coco Pops Multi-Grain biscuits, which I purchased from Asda for £1. The bag contains 5 mini bags of multigrain biscuits at 104 cals per bag. 

Each bag contained about 12 multi-grain biscuits, which I guess are meant to be a "healthy" biscuit snack choice. I love coco pops and so was disappointed at the lack of chocolatey flavour. They tasted rather too much like cardboard for my liking, and more like munching on dry cereal than munching on biscuits. 

Sorry Kellogg's, I'll be sticking to my Cadbury mini dinosaurs when reaching for a mini biscuit bag treat in future. 

5/10