M&S Red Velvet Hot Cross Buns (Ocado) By @Cinabar

I have been loving hot cross buns this year, especially all the new varieties, and I have some great ones to write about. Starting off we have these Red Velvet Hot Cross Buns from Marks & Spencer.

To say these hot cross buns are a bit different is an understatement. For a start they are burgundy in colour. They do still have the traditional cross on top though. They are flavoured like red velvet cake, complete with chocolate chips throughout and a dollop of white chocolate icing in the middle.

I split one in half and could immediately tell these were not meant for toasting. I sometimes risk chocolate chips in the toaster, but the gooey filling felt like pushing my luck a bit too far. I was not even sure whether to add butter, but in the end I spread on the tiniest amount.

When I tried one the flavour was incredibly indulgent. The bun itself is sweet and soft, with the chocolate really coming through. Because I had added a little butter I also ended up spreading the icing throughout, which made it more evenly distributed. That added a sweet, creamy flavour that made the whole thing feel more like a cake than a traditional hot cross bun. It is definitely a proper treat. Even if they are not suitable for toasting, I am seriously impressed.

Walkers Sensations Chilli and Cocoa (Ocado) By @Cinabar

These new Sensations Chilli and Cocoa crisps are the latest limited edition Easter flavour from Walkers. I have no idea how they relate to Easter. Perhaps it is the cocoa, since Easter eggs are made of chocolate. The chilli addition is a bit more confusing. That said, chilli and cocoa is actually a very old flavour combination, dating back to some of the earliest uses of cocoa.

I do have to say I am impressed that Walkers have brought out such an interesting flavour. We decided to share these at lunchtime, which raised the question of whether they were crisps to have with sandwiches or more of a dessert crisp to eat afterwards. In the end we went with the sandwiches.

The aroma from the bag is very cocoa forward and quite chocolatey. I took a bite and they have the usual Walkers texture and crunch. The flavour is slightly sweet with a noticeable cocoa taste. At first the chilli is very mild, but as you eat a few more a gentle warmth builds, followed by a bit of heat.

My first reaction was curiosity, but a handful of crisps in and I was hooked. They are not too sweet and the balance of cocoa and chilli works surprisingly well. I also love that there is a brave new flavour on the shelves.

Naty Vanilla Wafers - tiny Romanian wafer cubes [@Nli10]

 Not an exciting review really - but a new-to-me brand of a traditional British favourite - the pink wafer.

Here you get a big bag of little vanilla wafers, but not pink

And they come all the way from Romania!

I picked these up for my 98 year old nanna, little sweet temptations that will happily sit in the bag until needed.  Ironically she preferred (and kept!) the bag of plain poppadoms that I bought for us - but she did sneak a few of these with her tea.

Easily as good as the British traditional version, so I might have to try a few of the exotic flavours next time I'm on the highstreet.

Rose’s Lemon & Lime Fine Cut Marmalade (Asda) By @SpectreUK

I've had a bit of an upset stomach all week, possibly after a dodgy bacon sandwich. So, I'm on nutritious easy to eat food at the moment. I'm also a traditional eater. I eat my marmalade on toast before eating my boiled eggs. Today I opened this Rose's Lemon & Lime Fine Cut Marmalade.

There was an intoxicating aroma of lemon and lime from the fine cut marmalade inside the jar. Spreading well, I added a little honey to one slice, as I often do.

This adding something sweet and syrupy to toast harkens back to when I was a kid. I used to have huge amounts of Golden Syrup on toast with my eggs. I'd thickly butter each piece of toast, add treacle, and have a dob of butter on top each mouthful of toast. It was pretty heavy on calories, but I didn't care when I was 10 years old. 50 is different, and besides, I've run out of treacle.

There was a gorgeous zing of lemon and lime from the un-honeyed piece of toast. It was really moreish and lightly sour. I eat pancakes traditionally too, with brown sugar and lemon juice. This Rose's Lemon & Lime Fine Cut Marmalade would go down a treat on my pancakes.

Snickers Creamy Peanut Butter (Morrisons) By @Cinabar

There was a time when finding a chocolate bar with peanut butter felt almost impossible. Thankfully, in recent years, brands like Reese’s and Kit Kat with Peanut Butter have made it much easier to get your nutty chocolate fix. Still, it’s always exciting to try something a bit different, and that’s exactly what Snickers Creamy Peanut Butter offers. I spotted these in a multipack at Morrisons and, naturally, couldn’t resist picking one up as a post-work treat.

As soon as I unwrapped it, the smell of nuts and chocolate hit immediately. Each bar actually consists of two smaller bars, each layered with gooey caramel, crunchy peanuts, and topped with a creamy peanut butter layer. As a peanut butter fan, I loved the flavour and the combination of textures. The caramel stayed perfectly gooey, while the peanut bits added a satisfying crunch and a salty, nutty kick that complemented the chocolate beautifully.

Overall, this is a full-on nutty snack that hits every mark for anyone who enjoys a rich, peanut-packed chocolate treat.