Mr Kipling Custard Cream Whirls (Ocado) By @SpectreUK

Mr Kipling makes exceedingly good cakes, I hear. In fact Mr Kipling has been making exceedingly good cakes since 1967. They have been the market leader since 1976. It must be tough to come up with new ideas. So, why not come up with a new take on an old classic?

These new Mr Kipling Custard Cream Whirls are a new take on the classic custard cream biscuits. I do love custard creams, from the small ones to the big ones, and also the chocolate coated custard creams.

Described as a custard flavoured shortcake swirl with a vanilla flavour centre, I had already figured these Mr Kipling Custard Cream Whirls would be exceedingly good. On opening the packet of four cakes, there was a lip-smacking smell of baked shortcake, with the sweetness of vanilla.

I usually twist custard creams, eat the biscuit, then lick the cream, then eat the other biscuit. So, keeping with tradition, I twisted the top off, licked the cream and then popped the shortcake top into my mouth. The cream was smooth and tasted just like custard cream, and the top and bottom shortcakes were soft and beautifully baked. I wouldn’t just say these Mr Kipling Custard Cream Whirls are exceedingly good, I would say that they are a triumph.

Information on the box; Each cake has 151 calories, with 8.8g of fat, 7.4g of sugar, and 0.15g of salt.

Sprite Chill (Ocado) By @Cinabar

There is talk of a mini heatwave this weekend, although that does seem optimistic considering Monday is a Bank Holiday in the UK, and those are usually famous for rain rather than sunshine. I’m hoping the forecast wins out over tradition this time. If the weather does behave itself, I’m planning to spend some time in the garden with a good book and a refreshing drink. I bought these summery sounding cans of Sprite Chill for exactly that occasion.

Sprite Chill is essentially the classic lemon and lime fizzy drink but with added mint for an extra refreshing twist. Opening the can released the familiar strong fizz, and it poured out clear with a slight cloudiness.

The mint flavour is more like fresh garden mint rather than peppermint, which gives the drink a bit of a mocktail mojito vibe. It tastes fizzy, fresh, and fragrant, with the mint adding a cooling edge without overpowering the citrus flavours. It’s a very easy drink to enjoy in warm weather because it feels light, zingy, and properly refreshing.

Now we just need the weather to avoid doing its usual Bank Holiday thing.

Sparkling J2O Apple and Raspberry (Ocado) By @Cinabar

Fizzy drinks are nothing new for J2O, although you wouldn’t necessarily know that from the packaging. They have sold a large 750ml fizzy Pear and Raspberry drink for quite some time. What is new, however, is the classic Apple and Raspberry flavour now being available in a sparkling version. As someone who rarely drinks alcohol, I do enjoy a J2O, so I was more than happy to pick up a box of these new cans.

I poured a can into a glass and it had a lovely fizz, while still keeping the same deep colour as the regular drink. On first taste, I was impressed by how strong the flavour was. I think I expected it to be a little watered down because of the added fizz, but it still delivers that full-on fruity sweetness, just with bubbles added into the mix.

It being sparkling is a nice touch and, if you already enjoy the regular Apple and Raspberry J2O, you’ll know exactly what flavour to expect here. I think these will make a really refreshing drink over summer, and I can definitely see myself mixing a few sparkling cans in with the usual still versions.

Aero Pistachio (Tesco) By @Cinabar

Pistachio is still absolutely everywhere at the moment, so it was only a matter of time before Aero joined in with the trend. Their latest big bar flavour is this new Aero Pistachio, which I picked up in Tesco. The wrapper is a muted green shade rather than the loud bright green used for mint, and there is also a competition on pack for The Devil Wears Prada 2.

Inside, the bar has Aero’s classic bubbly texture with a milk chocolate shell surrounding a pistachio flavoured aerated centre. The filling itself is also green, again a subtler shade. 

Texture-wise, this is exactly what you would expect from an Aero bar. The bubbles make it light, chunky and easy to bite into, while the chocolate melts away quickly. I have always liked the texture of Aero and this version works particularly well because the pistachio flavour comes across as soft and creamy rather than overly nutty.

Taste-wise, it is pleasant and surprisingly balanced. Personally, I still think peanut or hazelnut are stronger pairings with chocolate overall, but the pistachio here has a creamy richness that works nicely with the milk chocolate. It feels quite smooth and mellow rather than intensely nutty.

Overall, this is a tasty addition to the Aero range and definitely worth trying if you are fully on board with the pistachio craze. It may not convert pistachio sceptics, but for fans of the flavour trend it is an enjoyable chocolate bar with a lovely light texture.

Gingerbread Latte Imperial Stout (Morrison’s) By @SpectreUK

The weather has been pretty up and down this week. It seems pretty cold, rainy, but sunny, then hailing so hard it makes my blue car go white. Typical English weather you may say. So, I fancy a warming spicy beer with my dinner.

I have steak and curly fries tonight for a treat. The first use of a new grill pan after burning some particularly fat burgers murdered the old tired griddle. I do like a good stout with my steak dinner, and so I have decided to blog about this warming sounding Gingerbread Latte Imperial Stout.

Brewed by Vault City, this 11% in volume Imperial Stout has lactose, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, vanilla and coffee added in the brewing with a mix of malted barley, hops, oats and yeast. That’s quite an ingredients list, but what does it taste like?

On opening the 330ml can there were hints of chocolate malt, coffee, vanilla and spiciness. On taste, there was sumptuous chocolate malt to begin with, then a hint of coffee, with milky creaminess from the lactose and sweet vanilla, and oodles of warming ginger and cinnamon into the aftertaste with all that luscious chocolate and cream. Yum. Perfect with my steak and curly fries, and I left a little for my chocolate tea cake dessert.