NEW! Lemon Sherbet Doughnut (Greggs)

Ok, it's not that new. Greggs' lemon sherbet ring doughnut was released the same week as their brilliant caramel cookie filled doughnut*. The thing is, I don't really see the point in non-glazed ring doughnuts -surely the best bit is the squidgy filling? That's if you get any of course, both Krispy Kreme and Greggs seem to be hit and miss. I've been having citrussy cravings of late though, I think it's due to the changing seasons, and so I decided it was time to try Greggs' other limited edition offering. 

"If you're after something with a sweet and sour kick to it, then this is for you! 

A soft ring doughnut topped in a tangy lemon sherbet flavoured fondant finished with a white chocolate flavour spin decoration. "

There's two Greggs in Hereford. I went into the first yesterday, took a look at the sorry state of the lemon sherbet doughnuts and decided to stop into the second branch instead as it was on my way home. Humf. The second lot didn't look any better. The icing wasn't sitting attractively atop the rings, instead it was sliding off all over the place. It wasn't even that hot outside! I even sneakily brought a doughnut box from LIDL with me to protect it, so this time I'm not taking any blame for the sorry state of the topping. 

Slicing the ring in two revealed the well aerated dough. It was adequately soft too, although nowhere near as soft as the Tandem Bakery's incredible doughnuts**.

Sweet and sour icing you say Greggs? Lemon sherbet? That's news to me. Yes it was lemony, yes it had a slight tang, but it certainly wasn't about to cause any lip-puckering. The lemon flavour was little stronger than the icing you'll find on lemon buns**. I found it pleasant, but it certainly didn't earn the sherbet badge. What was stranger was the dusting of caster sugar that I found underneath the icing. It was like Greggs had made too many sugar dusted ring doughnuts and then whacked some lemon icing on top -which perhaps explains why the topping was sliding off. Very peculiar. 

As for the dough itself, it seems to be an improvement on the rings I've had from Greggs in the past. That's to say it was less bread-like, with a sweeter flavour and lighter texture. 

At 75p the lemon sherbet ring doughnuts are unlikely to break the bank, but I know I'd rather have a plain jam doughnut from any of the supermarkets. Last year's rhubarb & custard doughnut was better -but still not great- so please pull your socks up Greggs for your next seasonal release.

6/10

*please buy one if you haven't yet, they're better than Krispy Kreme! 

**Tandem doughnuts...check out these Easter week doughnuts (they were the size of my hand!) 

Creme Egg

Hot Cross Bun

***oh god, I'd forgotten about Sainsbury's nostalgic finger buns, adds to shopping list.

NEW! Barebells Protein Bars: Cookies & Cream, Caramel & Cashew and Coconut-Choco (CNSport)

Chances are that if you're into fitness and regularly use Instagram you'll have seen plenty of posts following BodyPower of the hottest new protein bars on the scene. Just about everyone is talking about Barebells, the Swedish company who graciously came into our lives less than a week ago. Barebells sell a range of protein products including puddings, crisps, desserts and even a hazelnut cream -but it's the bars that has got everyone talking. They're available in three flavours: cookies & cream, caramel & cashew and coconut-choco, and I was lucky enough to be given some samples to review, thanks Barebells. 

Barebells say that they believe in "eating happy and living healthy". Their bars are less than 200 calories and each contain 20g of protein whilst being low in sugar (1.7g or less).

I know you probably don't want to hear about the packaging, but I love it. It's clean, simple, feminine and screams of luxury. They say not to judge a book by its cover, but lets hope you can in this case. 

Coconut-Choco
I'm not a huge bounty fan, and so I opted for this flavour first -thinking I'd get it out of the way more than anything. 

It's certainly pretty once unwrapped too, and sliced easily -a good sign that it wasn't likely to cause jaw-ache. 

The bar was delicious! The inner nougat was a similar consistency to a mars bar with an authentic coconut flavour. I was pleased to see the real coconut flakes (6%) that graced the outside of the bar too. As for the chocolate, it's not about to replace the real deal due to the lack of cocoa solids, but it's as good -if not better- than the coating of a Carb Killa. The bar also microwaved well, check out the video below including a cameo from Anthony the ant who decided to pay a visit from his home in the flowers. 

Macros per 55g bar: 199Kcal P:20/C:15/F:7.7

9/10

Caramel Cashew

Another stunning looking bar. This time the innards actually looked very Mars-bar-esque with the nougat and caramel layers. If you've ever had a Mars protein bar you'll know that they're chewier than their non-protein counterparts. The Barebells however was wonderfully soft, and was far superior to the Mars protein bars in terms of both taste and texture. 

The nougat had a lovely chocolatey flavour to it (much like the now discontinued Mars Xtra Choc actually), whilst the cashews on the outside were crisp and added a natural crunch. The ingredients list mentions white chocolate, but to be honest I'm not sure where that came in -I couldn't see or taste it. This bar was also delicious warmed up, but it doesn't serve to improve it as the bar is so good at ambient temperature anyway. 

Macros per 55g bar: 199Kcal P:20/C:14/F:8.3

8/10

Cookies & Cream

I thought I'd saved the best flavour until last, but I wasn't sure if Barebells could top their other two bars. Cookies & Cream is a popular choice amongst manufacturers in this crowded market, so I was eager to find out how Barebells would rank amongst the protein bar giants such as Quest and Grenade.

Sweet bejeezus. It was a corker. The inner was milky sweet and every bit as soft as the other too bars. If I was to be pernickety I'd say that the cookie pieces in the centre were too small to be noteworthy. The best part however was the coating, which was covered in super crispy cocoa soy crunches and ended up tasting like coco pops. So imagine if you will: a soft, low-sugar protein bar with the texture of a Mars bar, but coated in chocolate covered Coco Pops. Need I say more? 

10/10

If you want to try these fantastic new bars then please do give Conor a call at CNSport, he's selling boxes of 12 for £21.99 but as a favour is offering an extra 10% off for you guys -simply quote AMY10 when you ring: 07967949984. I think that makes them the cheapest place to get them in the U.K right now!

Thank you to Barebells for the samples! 

Chococcino Muffins (M&S)

I've had such a mixed bag with M&S' cakes recently. Take their new Tiramisu cupcakes for example, which were pretty lacklustre, especially when you compare them to the amazing spiced carrot cake muffins. I found these chococcino muffins reduced to a very reasonable 15p and couldn't resist the bargain.

"Tasty two-tone chocolate & coffee flavoured muffins, studded with dark and milk chocolate pieces."

They were aesthetically pleasing muffins, but then M&S can always be trusted to deliver on the appearance front. Slicing on in two revealed a centre that was entirely chocolate cake. The way my knife cut through it so cleanly with little resistance did set off alarm bells however. 

Just as feared the cake was dry as a bone and I was thankful for my cuppa to help the mouthfuls go down. The flavour didn't save the day either, for it was mostly cocoa and didn't have the coffee kick I hoped for. As for the chocolate chips, they were far and few between and so added very little to these disappointing muffins.

Another miss from M&S' bakery department in afraid; I'd give these a miss if I were you.

5/10

NEW! Creative Nature Protein Flapjacks (Online)

A few weeks ago I was fortunate enough to receive some of Creative Nature's new protein flapjacks, you know, the ones I mentioned in my review of their superfoods bars? The flapjack flavours sounded spectacularly good too, and seeing as their superfoods bars reminded me of nakd, I thought these might pose similarities to Trek protein flapjacks bars.

Like Trek flapjacks they're made from cold-pressed fruit, are vegan, gluten and dairy free. In contrast they're smaller (40g compared to 50g) contain a mixture of vegan proteins (soya and pea instead of just soya) and contain about a third less calories, whilst delivering only about a gram less protein. 

Apple pie

Is there anything more comforting than warm apple pie (or crumble) with custard? Now don't get me wrong, I don't think that a raw protein bar is in danger of replacing the classic dessert, but surely it can't hurt to have a healthy snack with similar flavours to tickle your tastebuds when hunger strikes between meals. 

Can you see how packed full of seeds and protein crisps the bar was? It smelt incredible too with both the Apple and cinnamon emanating from the bar. It was soft, and the aromas translated into the taste. For me there wasn't enough oats to quantify it being called a flapjack, but it was certainly tasty! 

Macros per 40g bar: 152kcal P8.1/C:20.0/F:3.5

8/10

Salted Caramel 

The flavour is everywhere isn't it? So it makes sense that Creative Nature bring out their new bars in salted caramel too. 

Unfortunately whilst the texture was good, the flavour wasn't as fabulous as I'd hoped.Granted the fruity bar was sweet and had a welcome salinity to it that worked well, it just didn't scream of gooey, buttery caramel. Perhaps that's unsurprising given that it's vegan and raw. 

Macros per 40g bar: 152Kcal/P:8.4/C:19.0/F3.7

6/10 

Cacao orange

Of course I saved the chocolate flavour until last, and used it to top some chocolate flavoured skyr and served it with raspberries as part of a pre-bed treat. 

The flavour in the bar comes from a combination of cocoa fibre, cocoa butter, cacao beans and natural flavourings. It was tasty too; there was a kind of rustic feel-good quality to the chocolate which was complimented by the tangy orange. It wasn't overly sweet, but it was far from bitter either. 

Macros per 40g bar: 151Kcal/P:8.0/C:18.0/Fat3.9

9/10

If you fancy trying these protein flapjacks them please pop on over to Creative Nature's website where you can find your nearest stockist and/or place an order! As ever, a huge thank you to Creative Nature for the samples!  

Mr Gladstone's Curious Emporium Rhubarb & Custard Wine Review (Tesco)

It feels very odd to be writing about wine at 10am, especially whilst en route to a fitness convention. Actually, scrap that, the man opposite me on the train  just cracked open a Strongbow so I figure it's more than acceptable. Plus, it'll be evening by the time this is published, and you might be needing wine to get you through the Sunday blues. Convinced yet? I am.

Now I'll also start by admitting that I'm certainly no wine connoisseur but my preferences usually lie with either a full-bodied Rioja or zesty Pinot Grigio, depending on what I'm having for dinner. I've left the rosé with my teenage years and early twenties; despite my chocoholic tendencies I find it too sweet now. That was at least until I spied this rhubarb & custard wine on fellow sweet-toothed foodie Siân's instagram and then promptly found it on offer in Tesco. Argh it's pink, it's likely to be sweet but it's new, novel and rhubarb & custard flavour. If you've been following this blog for a while you'll know that I can't resist the call of anything rhubarb. At £3.50 (normally £4) it wasn't about to break the bank and so I treated myself to a bottle in the wake of finishing my second year at uni. 

"Expertly crafted with 100% natural flavours to create a refreshingly delicious treat, bursting with the traditional confectionary flavours of Rhubarb and Custard. Perfect served chilled or over ice."

Chilled it was. Siân suggested that I smelt it before I tried it, and I was pleasantly surprised by the intermingled aromas of both wine and rhubarb and custard. Whilst I was concerned that it would smell odd and artificial, it reminded me of summer days during my a-levels and having BBQs in the fields by the river with my friends. Now I don't imagine that that's what it would bring up for you, but I hope you get the picture.

It wasn't syrupy and slipped down my throat with ease. The rhubarb and custard flavour is surprisingly strong, but not overwhelming and works weirdly well with the rosé. I thought I'd balk at the sweetness, but it's not half bad. I wouldn't serve it alongside dinner but the Curious Emporium Rhubarb and Custard wine makes for a good sunny afternoon drink with friends (it's much lower in alcohol at 9%) or alongside a tub of Ben & Jerry's strawberry swirled.  

8/10 

NEW! Extra Special Belgian Chocolate & Almond Dessert (ASDA)

I'm not happy with ASDA. They've pulled their amazing peanut butter millionaire's desserts from shelves. What's a girl to do? Fortunately they've replaced it with something that sounded almost as good: a Chocolate and Almond Dessert. The pots are £1.50 each or two for £2 (mix and match with the Strawberry Senga Trifle and Triple Chocolate Dessert.

"Layers of almond flavoured sauce, brownie slices, dulce de leche and dark chocolate ganache."

Chocolate and almond is vastly under appreciated in the U.K., in fact the only time I usually have the combination is when I make chocolate truffles at Christmas time (and even then they tend to be heavy on the rum). It's a gorgeous pairing though and so I hoped ASDA had done it justice.

It was hard to tell which layers were which from the container, but I rightly guessed that the topping was the ganache. As to be expected it was rich and silken; perhaps a touch too sweet for those with a preference for bitter dark chocolate -i.e it was perfect for me. 

Next up was a golden sauce which I presumed was the dulce de leche, however it had a very strong almond flavouring. I ended up confused, was this the almond sauce? I couldn't see anything else that remotely looked like caramel, so I guess the almond flavours had leeched out and overpowered the leche. This wasn't necessarily a problem, it just wouldn't have passed Ronseal's mark of approval. 

Underneath the golden layer was a couple of mixture of brownie pieces and darker sauce. Now this, ladies and gents, was where the magic happened; a recurrence of the peanut butter millionaire's dessert pleasure groans. The combination of soft but squidgy chocolate cake pieces strongly flavoured with what I can only describe almost amaretto made my tastebuds dance with glee. It was sheer heaven. Fortunately there was an ample supply of this final tier. I eeked out every last mouthful, not wanting it to end, and thereby making the small 105g pot last a full ten minutes. 

Well done ASDA, another full mark dessert!

10/10

NEW! McVities Jaffa cakes Chocolate & Orange Blondies (Morrisons)

I'm not sure that we can be friends if you don't like Jaffa cakes. In my books they must be eaten in one of two ways: 

1. Nibble off the chocolate, dunk the sponge in coffee and savour the orange jelly.

Or

2. Proclaim "full moon"... "half moon"..."total eclipse" in a silly accent whilst devouring the Jaffa cake in two bites. N.B. If you don't remember the iconic advert please google it so you don't make me feel old! 

I'm not sure either ritual can be applied to these new blondies though. McVities have also released chocolate jaminger* (sorry, Jamaican Ginger) cakes and chocolate brownies in the same range, but it was the Jaffas that took my fancy.

"Moist Sponge Cake with Orange Flavour Fruit Pieces, Dark Chocolate and an Orange Flavour Topping."

I love the combination of warm brownie/blondie with ice cream so jumped on the opportunity to try these with Tesco's Jaffa Cake ice cream; which incidentally I've fallen more and more in love with. Oh, silly me. Given the topping I'm not sure the squares would microwave all that well. Ambient blondies and ice cream it was then. 

The chocolate was very thin, there's no way I could even attempt to peel it off even if I wanted to. I'm glad I had the chocolatey ice cream to fulfil my fix. 

The blondie was an odd one. Surely for a blondie has to contain white chocolate to earn its name, or is that just my wrong presumption? I certainly didn't think it meant a dense, doughy, un-risen sponge cake devoid of flavour. The 'blondie' was so stodgy that it stuck itself to the roof of my mouth. Not pleasant. 

Don't even get me started on the 'orange flavoured fruit pieces'. Why not use an orange sauce, jelly or *real* orange pieces McVities? Why can't companies use the real deal in products? Argh, I can feel another peanut butter rant coming on. Anyway, the 'orange'  pieces are made from an unbelievable amount of ingredients: Concentrated Apple Juice, Concentrated Orange Juice, Sugar, Dried Apple Powder, Gelling Agent (Pectin), Lemon Juice Concentrate, Glucose Syrup, Antioxidant (Ascorbic Acid), Natural Flavouring, Acidity Regulator (Potassium Citrate)].

It pretty much had the texture of a sauce anyway, but I think you can make out from the photo below that it had sunk down to the bottom of the squares, which made the base all sticky. Taste-wise it was ok, but seeing as it only constituted 6% of the blondie it didn't make much of an impact.

I've made a lot of complaints in this review, but that's because I love my jaffas and I felt these missed the mark. At £1 for four they're cheap and cheerful, just don't expect too much from them.

5/10

*explanation of Jaminger here!