Mr. Kipling Rich and Gooey Salted Caramel Brownie Bites (Tesco) By @Cinabar

I was hunting for snacks; really, I was looking for Halloween snacks, but hidden behind a packet of pork scratchings in the supermarket were these Mr. Kipling Rich and Gooey Salted Caramel Brownie Bites. I’m not sure how new these are, but they appealed, so I picked them up. I will go on a further hunt for more seasonal items, but for now I’m happy with my choices, and these are perfect for an afternoon snack with a coffee.

Inside the box, I discovered the Mr. Kipling Rich and Gooey Salted Caramel Brownie Bites are much smaller than I thought they would be. They are called ‘bites’ I suppose, but I still hoped they would be bigger. I decided to have a couple, as one just wasn’t going to be enough. I bit in, and the milk chocolate shell cracked and gave way to a chocolatey, moist sponge and a rich, buttery dollop of caramel. These were a delight, a two-bite delight. The flavour was full of chocolate and sweet from the caramel and rich too, as the sponge had a heavy cocoa content. They were lovely; I ate two but could easily have had more. I haven’t given up on the search for Halloween goodies, but these were a yummy find in the meantime. 

Reese’s White DJ Santa’s Disco Lights (Tesco) By @Cinabar

The next big event that will be upon us is Halloween. My local Tesco Express has skipped this and is stocking Christmas goodies. Oh my. I love Christmas, but if I’m honest, I’m not really feeling ready for it; I prefer to wait until mid-November. That being said, I also can’t resist a new product, so here we are with Christmas chocolates in October. This bag of chocolates is called Reese’s White DJ Santa’s Disco Lights, which is quite a lot to unpack in the name. Is being a DJ what Santa does the rest of the year? Are they called Christmas lights because of the shape? Because,  let me be honest, aren’t all Reese’s peanut butter cups the same shape?

I opened up the bag and found foil-coated chocolates. I unwrapped the foil, and then under that I also had to unwrap the brown paper wrapper. That is some serious packaging. The chocolates themselves are yummy. There is loads of thick white chocolate and a good dollop of peanut butter. The flavour combination is sweet and nutty and an absolutely delight. The links with Christmas are a bit bizarre, but the Reese’s White DJ Santa’s Disco Lights chocolates are a brilliant flavour combination. 

Asda Festive Pie (not that kind, or the other kind, a new one) [@NLi10]

 Ah - Festivus - the celebration of all things Festive.  Today Asda have provided us with a Festive Pie.

      No - not a mince pie.

            And no, not a Turkey & cranberry pie (although I wouldn't say no to one of these - maybe they are in another part of the store)

It does look good by my parents fire - and it wishes us a Magical Christmas.

This Festive Pie can be found on the floor above the Horror Emporium spooky green foods, and is only £1.50 for two which I thought was worth a risk - but what is it?

Oddly - it's gingerbread and winter (ish) fruits!

Spiced pear and date filling might not be everyones cup of eggnog, but I thought it sounded interesting and worth a try.  With the gingerbread too I found it just a little too spicy for my enjoyment, but then ginger isn't my go too Festive Flavour.  The pastry/gingerbread was spot on - but you'll want a plate.

They certainly look the part too, and for people that don't like Mince Pies (heresy!) like me they allow us to join in the fun.

If you have an older relative that likes strong flavours then give them this with a warm drink at night and they will probably go all misty eyed.

Perfect for leaving out for Santa too!

My mince-pie & ginger loving partner said she'd definitely have them again, so I suspect that I'll get to try them in colder weather too - if they are still around by then.

Enville Ale - Honey Ale (Cost Cutter) By @SpectreUK

I fancy a sweet brew tonight with my Rotisserie Chicken, salad, and cold meats meal. Here is a honey pale ale from just down the road from where I live in the West Midlands. At 4.5% in volume, Enville Ale, is brewed with natural well water, Pale Maris Otter malted barley, English hops, and pure blossom honey.

I haven't had a pint of this Enville Ale for many years. I recently saw it in a local garage, and had to pick up a can. On opened the can there was a sweet honey and pale malt aroma. Pouring with a good head, this clear golden pale ale beckoned me from my waiting beer glass.

On taste Enville Ale had a light refreshing sweet pale malted barley flavour, with a crisp herbal hop bitterness into the aftertaste. This honey pale ale was gorgeous. It washed down my chicken and cold meats meal perfectly. Cheers.

Golden Blond Chocolate Spread (M&S) By @Cinabar

A few days ago I was talking about Caramac making a temporary comeback and how it had lost its market share as everyone was doing golden caramel chocolate-like products. Well, Marks and Spencer has brought out Golden Blond Chocolate Spread, so they are taking the golden caramel chocolate to the next level. I picked up a jar because one of my favourite treats is chocolate spread on toast. And I have a sweet tooth. 

Once home, I put the toaster on, ready to give this the taste test. I opened the jar, and the first thing I noticed was that there were bits in the spread. The texture was light and fluffy and easy to spread, but I couldn’t work out what the bits were. I checked the jar again, and it turns out they were waffle pieces. I have no idea why they are there. I have this on toast, so I don’t think it adds anything for me. The flavour though was sweet, rich caramel tastes, and was absolutely delicious. Maybe they do a smooth version without the bits too. I really enjoyed the taste; it was the perfect sweet treat for an afternoon snack or a naughty breakfast at the weekend.