NEW! Dark Chocolate & Mango Jaffa Cakes (M&S)

Have you visited a Marks & Spencer food hall in the past week or so? You really should, it's pretty wow. I can't believe that one company can launch so many new lines such a short space of time! The sun might not be blazing where you are (it's not here at least!) but summer has well and truly arrived in M&S. You can't miss their new 'Spirit of Summer' range in their brightly coloured packaging, and there's some truly scrummy looking products to be found. I can't even begin to tell you about all of the temptations I've spotted, but a glance at Kev's Instagram feed will give you a pretty good idea. 

M&S have created some pretty wacky lines this year, but I was enticed by the sound of their new Dark Chocolate & Mango Jaffa Cakes, and at £1 they're not too expensive either. I love a good Jaffa Cake, and I have to admit that I believe Marks & Sparks make the very best. Don't get me wrong, I have a lot of love for McVities' version, but the dark chocolate covering on M&S' makes them extra special.

On a side note, do you remember Pim's white chocolate and cherry 'jaffa' cakes? I loved them as a child, but no-one seems to to recollect them. Anyway...

The box contained 13 rectangular cakes. and as soon as I unwrapped them from their cellophane I was bowled over by their strong tropical aroma. If the smell was anything to go by, the flavour was going to knock my socks off. 

The bottom was soft, and whilst it wasn't particularly exciting, it was a decent sponge all the same. The chocolate was at the milder end of the dark spectrum, meaning that I could enjoy it (you might already know that I'm a dark chocolate wimp). My only complaint is that it was a very thin coating, making it difficult to peel from the orange-coloured centre. Please tell me I'm not the only one who laboriously pares the chocolate off, before eating the jelly separately? 

The centre was wonderful; it was sweet yet sharp, the perfect contrast against the plain sponge and dark chocolate. The mango was the most prominent flavour, but there were hints of orange in the background, resulting in a tang that danced on my tastebuds. All of the three layers worked in harmony together, and whilst I'm not sure that it beats M&S' original (or indeed Pim's) its a lovely summery new addition. I can't wait to try some of their other new products soon!

9/10

NEW! Afternoon Tea Delights (ASDA)

Do you remember my review of ASDA's new Honey Teaser pots a few weeks ago? Well as sods law would have it, a couple of days later the supermarket put their entire new dessert range on offer. I'll admit that I sulked a little, but I returned to my local ASDA yesterday hoping to buy their new Rhubarb Jumbles. But, alas! They'd sold out. Instead I spotted their Afternoon Tea Delights (currently £1.50 for two), which sounded delightfully British, and right up my fiance's street.

"My word! Clotted cream mousse, strawberry compote and scrummy scone pieces... all in a pot? Why ever not!"

As with the Honey Teasers, the Afternoon Tea Delights were contained in a clear pot which meant that you could see the three distinct layers.

The top layer was the clotted cream mousse, which it's fair to say ASDA nailed. It had the rich luxuriousness taste of clotted cream, but without the heaviness. I love the taste of clotted cream but hate the texture of it (I find it cloying) so this was the perfect solution for me.

The scone pieces in the middle of the dessert were sweet and fluffy. They had retained their texture well, and hadn't gone stale nor fallen apart. The textural juxtaposition worked exceedingly well, and the combination truly tasted like cream tea.

At the bottom was the strawberry layer. It was fairly runny -in true compote style- but had enough density to prevent it from dripping off the spoon. The compote was well balanced between sweet and tart, and was the perfect ending to a wonderful dessert.

My only qualm with the Afternoon Tea Delights is the ratio of the layers. Whilst the mousse makes up 58% of the dessert, the compote accounts for 30%, meaning that only 12% of the pot's contents comes from scone pieces. Surely the scone should be the star of the show? I think that the dessert would benefit from an even amount of all three layers, and it would be better still if there were six layers in total!

9/10

NEW! Bodhi Date & Cacao Cricket Paleo Bars (Online)

Have you seen snippets in the news over the past few months about how insect protein is due to rise in popularity? Indeed The Guardian reported on Friday that there are at least six insect farms either in development or under consideration in England. Why would you want to eat bugs though? Well, one of the biggest benefits is that they are an environmentally friendly alternative to meat.

Bodhi is a new UK based company who have just starting selling Paleo bars made with cricket flour. When they offered to send me some samples, I accepted, thinking that I'd take the opportunity to try something utterly different -I'd like to think that I'd try most things at least once. Each bar contains 10g of protein, and is gluten, soy and dairy free.

 A little more info on the company:

"Here at Bodhi we like to keep an eye on our diets, and make sure we're getting enough protein. While protein bars are a handy way to do that, we found most bars available were packed with sugar, artificial ingredients, and the source of protein was not a natural one. We set out to create something new, innovative and effective. We wanted to develop a bar that combined a natural protein source, all-natural raw ingredients, that fit into a paleo lifestyle.  

That's when we stumbled across a new and exciting ingredient... Cricket flour. We say new, but eating crickets and other insects is already considered completely normal in many countries around the world. However, it's only recently countries like the UK, USA, Australia and many countries in Europe are coming around to the many benefits. Crickets are actually part of the same animal family as prawns and lobsters, so the idea of eating them shouldn't be so strange."

The brown, rectangular shaped bar looked similar to a Trek bar, although it had a definite earthy aroma. The texture was firm and dry to the touch, but when I bit into it I discovered that it was crunchy. Immediately the thought of a mouthful of crickets entered my mind, and I found the bar difficult to swallow. I thought I'd got over the mental hurdle of eating bugs, but it cropped up right at the wrong moment and I couldn't continue.

I had been documenting my journey with these paleo bars on instagram, when one of my followers (macroswithmeesh) expressed an interest in trying them. I offered to send him one, curious to discover whether it was just the thought of eating crickets that prevented me from enjoying it...

His review: 

"...Having tried a fair few of the 'natural'/'raw' paleo bars it is about on par with most other products...

On the plus side, the extra protein (10g) is a good selling point and coming from crickets, it is more resourceful and what not..."

So there you have it. Two reviews in one. Macroswithmeesh may have been able to stomach it, but I woosed out. Since I stumbled at the first hurdle it seems unfair for me to score it.

Thank you to Bodhi for me the samples. If you're braver than me and are intrigued by the sound of these new Date & Cacao Cricket Paleo bars, please head on over to their website where you can find out more about the company and buy some for yourself.

MaxiNutrition Strawberry Protein Milk (Home Bargains)

I don't know why this Protein Milk appealed to me, perhaps it was because I'd never tried it before, but *somehow* it jumped off the shelf and into my basket. I think it was about £1 from Home Bargains, which I think is cheaper than you can buy them from in most Sports Stores, so it might be worth visiting your local branch if you buy them regularly!

'MaxiNutrition Protein Milk is a great tasting, refreshing shake that is packed with 20g of protein goodness to keep your muscles in tip top shape.'

The milk also contains no added sugars and is fat free. I have to admit that I was a bit surprised when I shook the drink and poured it into a glass to discover that it was a creamy colour instead of the pinky hue I was expecting.  It was also thicker than I thought it would be, meaning it had a similar consistency to a Frijj milkshake. 

Taste-wise the flavour was of a standard strawberry milkshake. It wasn't particularly natural tasting, but neither did I expect it to be. The protein milk didn't taste any different to a normal milkshake, which I considered to be an attribute -as I've mentioned before that I often find that protein products often have an odd chemically aftertaste.

As something of a non-athlete I won't be going out of my way to stock up on these MaxiNutrition Protein Milks, but I think that they're a tasty choice for anyone wishing to up their protein intake. 

7/10 

NEW! Vanilla Bean Macchiato at Starbucks

Just over a month ago I reviewed Starbucks' new Honey Blossom Macchiato, but I must admit that I've not visited the chain since. It's not for lack of want, I'm just ensuring that my student loan lasts me through until October and I can keep contributing towards the mortgage!

When I reviewed the Honey Blossom Macchiato I mentioned that the Vanilla Bean version also appealed, and so whilst meeting my sister for a catch up this morning I took the opportunity to try it, and see how it compared.

"For all Vanilla lovers this new addition to our Macchiatos is the perfect pick with layers of milk, espresso and vanilla flavour being topped with a creamy vanilla bean sauce."

The Barista was extremely generous with the sauce, spending a good thirty seconds or more decorating my coffee -at least I was getting my money's worth! I was impressed that the vanilla seeds were visible on top of the foam, adding to its authenticity. The only issue I have, is that it would look more appetising served in a latte glass as per the photos in Starbucks' adverts? 

The foam layer was a good inch thick, and was pillowy soft and sweet thanks to the vanilla sauce. Please reassure me that I'm not the only one to ask for a spoon to savour the froth separately? Anyway, that's what I did, and I enjoyed every scrummy spoonful. 

The coffee itself was well balanced. I find that Starbucks coffee is robust enough to be drunk as a latte/cappuccino/macchiato without losing the caffeine kick. The sweetness from the milk and the vanilla syrup worked well with the espresso, resulting in a coffee that tasted deliciously indulgent. The Vanilla Bean Macchiato had less prominent layers than the Honey version, but that may be just because I gave it a good stir with my spoon. 

If you're a fan of Starbucks' Caramel Macchiato or Vanilla Latte, I implore you to give their new Vanilla Bean Macchiato a try. The Honey version has a bolder flavour, but the Vanilla is equally as tasty.

As a final note, I'd just like to comment on how friendly and welcoming the Baristas in my local Starbucks were this morning. The coffee shop was busy, yet the tables were clean and the staff made conversation. So often we complain about bad service, but this was quite the opposite.

8/10

Bonne Maman Crème Brûlée Au Chocolat (Waitrose)

How can you improve any dessert? Add chocolate of course. Or salted caramel. Or both! That's my viewpoint anyway, so when I spotted Bonne Maman's Crème Brûlée Au Chocolat on offer in Waitrose (£1.52 for two) I was suitably tempted.

Both the chocolate and standard crème brûlée come in Gü dessert style glass ramekins. Please tell me you're kitchen is full of the little glass pots too? I'm sure the saying should be "a moment on the lips, a lifetime in your cupboards", but it doesn't have quite the same ring to it does it? Each dessert is topped with a sachet of brown sugar to complete the 'brûlée' experience..

..Except, I was baffled by the rather ambiguous serving suggestion on the back of the packet:

"Sprinkle the contents of the attached sachet evenly over the surface of the Crème Brûlée. Place the pot in the oven until golden and bubbling. Allow to cool slightly before eating. Alternatively, serve cold."

A cold oven? Obviously not. A temperature? Time? Jeez. These are worse than IKEA instructions! Having partaken in some chef training a number of years ago I realised that the sugar needed a quick blast from a blowtorch. I left my kitchen to ask my (Engineer) other half for said implement but he sniggered and apologised for leaving it at work. Thinking on my feet, I whacked my grill onto full blast and popped the sugar-topped crème brûlées under the heat, hoping for the best.

The sugar didn't really caramelise, but I got a few crispy bits. Underneath the sugary top I was met with a tepid, gelatinous, brown substance. It wasn't  pleasant, and made me think of Granny's rejected blancmange.. I was hoping for a punchy cocoa taste, but instead it was horribly mild and insipid. The colder custard at the bottom of the ramekin was marginally better, but far from tasty. I'm showing my age here but did you ever have school lunch luke-warm chocolate custard?  That's the closest flavour I could liken it to.  Gloopy, warm, and jelly like. Not one for me.

Being nosy I had a quick gander at the ratings on Ocado's and Waitrose's website. They're not good. Bonne Maman's chocolate crème brûlée has a 3 stars on Waitrose, and only 1.4 stars on Ocado. Interestingly, the reviews are good for the original version, so maybe this is one dessert that doesn't benefit from the addition of chocolate...

2/10

Have you had either of the Bonne Maman crème brûlées? What do you think of them?

Rhokkett Belgian Chocolate Cheesecakes (Waitrose)

I've had my beady eyes on these Belgian chocolate cheesecakes for a while, continually hoping that I'd find them displaying a satisfying reduced sticker at the end of the day. At £3.09 from Waitrose, they're much dearer than the luxury supermarket's own brand Belgian chocolate cheesecakes (£2.00), but they looked so beautiful! Despite my persistence I eventually gave up on my bargain quest and eventually stumped up the full price. 

Rhokett is the love child company created by celebrity chef Gary Rhodes and chef patissier Martin Dockett and specialise in cheesecakes. I'm sure you'll agree that they are beautiful with their dark chocolate biscuit base, tantalising chocolate chunks, and carefully feathered chocolate topping.

"This delicious indulgent cheesecake has a piped chocolate ganache through the centre and Belgian chocolate pieces throughout.
Classically made using rich cream cheese then decorated by hand before being baked to deliver that true classic cheesecake flavour and texture - chocolate Heaven."

I'm pleased to report that they tasted as good as they looked. The cheesecake was rich, yet light, with a good balance between sweet and tart. The chocolate chunks added a welcome crunchyness, whilst the ganache was silky smooth. 

My favourite part of cheesecake is always the base, and I was expecting the soggy bourbon biscuit affair that is commonplace amongst mass-manufactured cheesecakes. Instead I discovered a crisp, crunchy bottom with a punchy hit of cocoa. The biscuit held its shape well, and crumbled easily once nibbled.

I'm on a learning curve with regards to getting what you pay for and I must agree that the premium price of the Rhokkett cheesecake is well earned. 

Waitrose also stocks Rhokett's strawberry cheesecakes, although I'll always choose chocolate over fruit! Rhokett's website informs me that the company also makes a caramel cheesecake, but I haven't seen it stocked anywhere. Any ideas? 

8/10