McVitie’s Jaffa Cakes Hot Honey (Morrisons) By @SpectreUK

I love McVitie's Jaffa Cakes. I can happily eat a whole packet. I nibble around the edges of each one, bite off the orange jelly filling, enjoy the flavour, and then pop the rest of the cake in my mouth. I can't help it, I'm a bit of a child.

I saw these new McVitie's Jaffa Cakes Hot Honey flavour in our local supermarket. They are honey flavour, with a little orange juice and a kick of chilli. I take it's meant as a waker-upper for those who are falling asleep over their afternoon tea, or in a boring meeting at work.

On opening the packet there was an aroma of honey, a touch of orange, dark chocolate, and with a little of something else. I take it that 'something else' was the chilli. Of course, I ate my McVitie's Jaffa Cakes Hot Honey in the usual way.

On tasting the Hot Honey jelly, there was mild honey sweetness, whereas the added orange juice made it taste slightly of Manuka Honey, and a mouth warming medium chilli kick at the back of the flavour with the dark chocolate coating. These will be good in Autumn and Winter, which are fast approaching.

Information on the box; The box contained ten cakes at 41 calories per cake, 0.9g of fat, 5.3g of sugar, and 0.03g of salt.

Swizzels Marvellous Mallows Drumstick (Morrisons) By @Cinabar

I buy marshmallows for hot chocolate sometimes, but they’re almost always unflavoured. In fact, I don’t think I’ve seen many flavoured marshmallows over the years. I’m not sure why, as it’s a lovely idea. Here we have a crossover product: Swizzels Marshmallows inspired by Drumstick sweets. For those who’ve never indulged, Drumsticks are raspberry and milk-flavoured chewy lollipops.

The bag is bright and eye-catching, and I could see the marshmallows inside were a decent size, perfect for nibbling or topping a hot chocolate. As soon as I opened the pack, I was hit with the fab smell of raspberry. Not just any raspberry either, it was unmistakably Drumstick-scented.

The marshmallows are a little more square than a Drumstick lolly, but they do share the same pink and white two-tone colour scheme. I gave one a try and was impressed straight away by the texture. Light, fluffy, and just gently chewy, exactly how a good marshmallow should be.

The flavour was a little milder than the strong aroma had suggested, but it was still distinctly Drumstick. The raspberry and cream came through nicely, and they were seriously moreish. They melt in the mouth and are quick to eat, so I found myself reaching for another… and then another.

I’ve had to put the bag in the cupboard to make sure there are some left for hot chocolate later!

Lemon Passion Fruit & Yuzu Possets [@NLi10]

 Luxury deserts at discount prices is always a treat.  My partner happened to be in the supermarket as the stickered stock was going up so got one of the premuim items at a bargain price - but she didn't get to eat it!

These lemon and passion fruit & yuzu possets (!) were a lot at £2.17 each, but at 82p each are a much easier sell.  But oh no - we have to eat them today!

So fruity, so yummy, and oh so not suitable for vegetarians!  My guess is to make the clear jelly stuff on the top they added beef gelatine - scaring off both the Veggie and halal crowd which is why these are last-picked for the team.  I mean I guess some people might not spot it, but most are careful to make sure that the good stuff ca be eaten by all.  I guess as it has milk they figured if they were not vegan they might as well go the whole hog.

They are pretty little shots of fruity delight, and the textures are actually pretty welcoming, so as the non-vegetarian in the house I quite enjoyed it.  So small you can't get a decent picture though.

I'm hoping that they keep that extra day because I'm having the second one tonight.

Ice Cream of the Gods (Hotel Chocolat) By @SpectreUK

Ice Cream of the Gods sounds a bit big headed to me. After all, what will the master of all ice cream cones Mr Whippy say?

On a recent trip to Shrewsbury we passed by a Hotel Chocolat. Cinabar wanted to try their ice cream. It was a reasonably decent summers day, so we decided to eat in.

I tried the traditional raspberry sauce on mine, whereas Cinabar chose salted caramel. There was quite a zing to the raspberry sauce, and I enjoyed the Hotel Chocolat stick in the ice cream in place of the traditional Flake.

Made with Jersey Milk and Cream, the ice cream was creamy bliss, and is the first to be infused with pure cacao nibs. I also liked the waffle cone too, and the ice cream didn't melt through the base, as it sometimes does. It was quite cool in the shop though, and it looked like rain outside, so I guess that helped too.

Now, I'm sure you're thinking, Hotel Chocolat ice cream called, Ice Cream of the Gods, would be super expensive. Actually my ice cream cost just under a regular ice cream van price at £3.45, and was gorgeous. So, next time you pass by a Hotel Chocolat on a hot day, or maybe even if it looks like rain, give it a try. It'll make you feel Divine.

Chorizo and Cheddar Ridge Cut Crisps (Morrisons) By @Cinabar

I always end up scanning the crisps aisle, even when we’ve only popped in for something basic like bread. It’s just a habit now, and one I have no intention of breaking. I particularly love meaty flavours, so when I spotted these bright orange own-brand Chorizo and Cheddar Ridge Cut Crisps in Morrisons, they immediately ended up in the basket.

The packet proudly claimed they were “big on flavour”, which always makes me a bit sceptical, but I was hopeful. Once opened, the aroma was lightly meaty with a hint of smokiness. The crisps themselves had great ridges and were nicely covered in seasoning, not patchy or dusty like some can be.

The first bite took me by surprise. I was expecting something fairly generic, maybe just a smoky cheese flavour, but these genuinely delivered on the chorizo. There were warm spices, a good hit of paprika, and even a little tang of vinegar. It actually tasted like chorizo, not just a vague suggestion of it. The cheddar followed through with a creamy but punchy note that balanced out the heat nicely.

They were far more addictive than I’d anticipated, we polished off the bag quicker than we meant to. These are seriously tasty crisps, and I’ll absolutely be picking them up again.

Nostalgia Overload – Bendy & Cheese (Wimpy Bar) By @Cinabar

I haven’t been to Shrewsbury for a day trip in years, so it was absolutely lovely to visit over the weekend. We’d planned to head home for dinner, but while wandering around the shops, a familiar red logo caught my eye. We walked over to double-check, and sure enough, it really was an actual Wimpy Bar. Oh my word. The one in my city closed in the 1990s, and I was heartbroken when it did. It was a favourite childhood treat spot.

As we got to the door, I was still only peeking in, curious to see if my childhood favourite was still on the menu. Then I heard the nostalgic 1980s music playing, and the sound of the Ghostbusters theme sealed the deal, we were going in. We sat in a cosy booth, and there it was on the first page of the menu: Bendy & Cheese. It’s a sausage, bent to fit in a bun and treated like a burger, and I had to order it just for the memories. I love that Wimpy still offers table service.

The food arrived quickly. We both had chips and a soft drink to make it a full meal. I opened the bun and grinned, the Bendy & Cheese looked exactly like I remembered.

 

One bite and I was overwhelmed with nostalgia. It had that classic frankfurter taste but was chunkier and firmer. The cheese, ketchup and tomato balanced it all perfectly. I couldn’t stop smiling while eating it. The chips were great too: crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside.

The dessert menu was new to me, I can’t remember what I used to have as a kid. I went for churros, as that’s always a favourite. They arrived in a fab-looking glass, more like an ice cream sundae. There were churros, ice cream and chocolate sauce, a sweet and indulgent treat.

We left full and impressed with the speed of service and the quality of the food. This place will definitely become a regular haunt. I can’t wait to go back.

Mesi Kapp - Estonian Choco Snack [@NLi10]

My partners sister picked these up in Estonia - this cheerful guy is. Mess-Kapp!

He’s a no nonsense rodent of some kind, and has four chocolate snacks.

I mean- probably - but Google lense does help

Milk bars with wafer

Choc bar with waffle

Cocoa bar in chocolate 

And a waffle candy

I had the double chocolate first

The top bit just means bars? Very odd

Very nice though!

The wafer one was less special 

No less nice though ~ and pretty sweet!

Overall, unusually high quality for holiday snacks and ones I’d buy again if I saw.

Barry Island IPA (Morrisons) By @SpectreUK

I haven't been to South Wales for many years. I've heard Barry Island is a fun beach resort near Cardiff. I've heard Cardiff is a great place to visit too, with its castle and Dutch Church, and Roald Dahl exhibition. Perhaps we'll have to visit sometime.

S.A. Brain & Co., Dragon Brewery have produced this 4.5% in volume Barry Island India Pale Ale. Made with three American hops, the can suggests citrus and berry bitterness, with a smooth malt finish.

On opening the can there was a smell of berries and a little citrus from the hops, with malted barley at the back of the aroma. There was a deep golden colour to Barry Island IPA. On taste there was strong fresh fruity bitterness, and a touch of citrus from the hops, and then smooth sweet pale malts into the aftertaste. Very nice indeed. It washed down my chilli dogs a treat. Cheers.

VIELE Angel Hair Strawberry Flavour Chocolate (Morrisons) By @Cinabar

The Morrisons website now features a label on some items that reads ‘As Seen On Social’, and that’s exactly what caught my eye with this: VIELE Angel Hair Strawberry Flavour Chocolate. Pistachio is having a moment right now and has become a major trend, largely thanks to the popularity of Dubai chocolate on social media. We’ve tried the odd product, but honestly, much of it is so expensive that it can be off-putting. Even this small bar of VIELE Angel Hair cost £5, which is more than some high-end bars.

When it arrived, I took a proper look at the packaging and ingredients. Inside is a pistachio cream, candy floss (aka cotton candy), and a Milky Cocolin coating. I had to look that last one up, it’s a type of chocolate made with other fats instead of or with cocoa butter. Odd, and not something I’ve come across before.

The bar was packaged in a cardboard pull-out tray and wrapped, though not sealed, in gold foil. It smelled strongly of strawberry and was thick and chunky, with a hint of green showing through. Although the pieces were marked out, it looked tricky to break, so I gave in and used a knife. The bar is hairy inside, with visible strands of candy floss poking out.

I gave it a try, and I genuinely don’t know how to describe what I tasted. There was strawberry, then a strange aftertaste, presumably pistachio, with salt, but also something woody, slightly sweet, and almost menthol-like. It reminded me a bit of pine. Apart from making it difficult to cut, the candy floss was too soft to affect the texture. I’m sorry, but I just didn’t get it. The only reason I went back for another bite was to try and figure out why it tasted so weird.

Meaty Pizza - Tesco Finest, Franky & Benny + Italian Deli [@NLi10]

 Sometimes I skim through my hard to review photos and notice a theme, or in this case that I've essentially been eating the same thing repeatedly.

This time it's meaty pizza things.

My partner got me this meat plater pizza - and for a Tesco pizza it's amazingly lush

All the right things in all the right proportions and a pleasure to eat.

This was the Frankie & Bennies version - and for a restaurant I think you'd be underwhelmed - but for a chain outside a cinema with the prices and speed factored in this was actually a lot more luxurious than it needed to be - the sausage was a lovely touch.  I'd have it again - although a little oily!

On the complete opposite end of the spectrum this was a little more indulgent and a lot more Italian is the cafe on Bearwood high-street - I even got to watch the meat be sliced off the giant ham.  My only regret was not ordering an espresso macchiato to drink as I waited

Tomato focaccia on top of a lightly toasted base with the smoked ham, parmigiana, potato and goodness knows what else

An amazing sandwich to be absolutely savoured - and definitely an encouragement to walk more to get the 30 mins round trip to the deli and back at lunchtimes.

The best of the bunch then, but at £8 a go (not including the Cannelloni I got to take home and next times inevitable coffee) it'll soon add up.  But wow - so worth it.

Golden Wonder Salt & Chilli Chicken flavoured crisps (Golden Wonder) By @SpectreUK

There's always a demand on chicken flavoured crisps. So, what do you do when there are already quite a few different chicken flavoured crisps on the market? You come up with a different flavour. Golden Wonder have come up with Salt & Chilli Chicken flavoured crisps. I love chilli and I love salty snacks. So, I reckon these could be a winner.

 

On opening the bag these Golden Wonder Salt & Chilli Chicken flavoured potato crisps had an orange colour to them. I can see what they were thinking when they designed the packet. There was a salty warming chilli aroma, with a little roast chicken. On first crunchy taste, there was a salty sweet chilli and paprika taste, with roast chicken and a light burn of chilli into the aftertaste. These crisps left my tongue tingling and moreishly wanting more. Yum.

Information on the packet; The 25g bag contained 131 calories, with 7.7g of fat, 0.5g of sugar and 0.34g of salt. Suitable for vegans, and with no artificial flavours, preservatives or colours, please see photograph for the ingredients.

Cadbury Dairy Milk Ice Latte Edition (Morrisons) By @Cinabar

I feel like this chocolate bar could spark a debate about where people store their chocolate. I usually keep mine at room temperature, unless it gets too warm and starts melting, then it goes in the fridge. I was actually quite pleased recently to find a forgotten Dairy Milk bar hiding under some cheese, stashed away during the last heatwave. It was a lovely surprise.

This particular new bar, Cadbury Dairy Milk Ice Latte Edition, is designed to be chilled. Firstly, it represents an iced latte, so the fridge adds the “ice.” Secondly, it has a clever colour-change design on the wrapper, once chilled, the latte swirls on the front turn blue, letting you know it’s ready to eat.

I chilled mine and then opened the pack. The aroma was fantastic, rich chocolate and coffee. There just aren’t enough chocolate and coffee products in the UK, and it’s such a good combination. I took a bite and it was absolutely gorgeous.

There was a light crunch I hadn’t expected, which turned out to be from biscuit pieces mixed into the soft fondant filling. The centre was smooth and sweet, with a lovely coffee kick that reminded me a little of white chocolate. The classic creamy Cadbury Dairy Milk coating completed it perfectly. The coffee and chocolate flavours worked together beautifully, making it an absolute delight.

It’s such a shame this is a limited edition, I’d pick this over several of their regular bars any day.

Milka Shake (Iceland) By @Cinabar

Today wasn’t the ideal weather for a milkshake. Summer has passed, and we’re now into heavy rain and thunderstorms. The temperature is muggy, but I still fancied trying this Milka Shake to cool off. When I got it home, I noticed the instructions on the lid were simple enough; shake, open, drink, but they also mentioned you could microwave it for one minute and have it as a hot chocolate. I really liked that idea. There should be more drinks you can just zap and enjoy hot; I’d be all for that.

 

I’d already decided to have it cold, so I gave it a gentle shake, opened it, and it looked quite nice with a layer of bubbles on top.

Before I get to the taste, I need to add my Milka disclaimer. I love Milka chocolate, it's my absolute favourite. While I enjoy most chocolate, Milka is always my first choice, so I know its taste inside out.

I took a sip, and it was pleasant, nicely chocolatey, but very sweet. I could also pick up on the distinctive flavour you get with ultra heat-treated milk. What was missing for me was that familiar, slightly nutty Milka taste. The extra sweetness meant it didn’t quite hit the mark as a Milka drink. It’s a perfectly nice sweet chocolate milkshake, just not quite what I was hoping for.

Green on Toast? I Siciliani Pistachio Crunchy Cream [@NLi10]

 My sister got me some Pistachio themed birthday presents - including this green spread!

As it's a variation on nut butter (I have almond and others at home to go with peanut butter) I figured I'd pop it on some muffins

The fact they are calling it a nut cream instead of butter should have been a give away! This is for spreading on cakes and deserts.

It does look interesting... but the smell is fantastic - this would be great on baklava

And yeah - this would be perfect on a chocolate muffin, but a bread muffin is the wrong place to put it.

It worked though - a bit fragrant, and a strange texture when warmed, but really tasty and certainly a novel experience.

 

Lindt Lindor Shortbread Flavour Milk Chocolate (Cannock Designer Outlet - Lindt Store) By @SpectreUK

It's no secret I'm a Cadbury's Dairy Milk Chocolate lover. I rarely eat Lindt Chocolate. It's not that I don't like it, but I just have my preferences. I can't help it.

We were at Cannock Designer Outlet the other day, and Cinabar wanted to visit the Lindt Store, as she really likes Lindt chocolate. When we entered, the lady behind the counter offered us Lindt Pistachio flavour as a sample, but unfortunately I had to decline due to my intolerance for nuts and seeds. She then passed me a Lindt Milk Chocolate from the pick n' mix section instead. It was a really nice customer experience, as it made me feel included.

So, we raided the pick n' mix section and came away with a bag full of goodies. This new Lindt Lindor Shortbread Flavour Milk Chocolate was part of that selection. On unwrapping there was a biscuit aroma to the milk chocolate ball inside. On taste there were little pieces of shortbread in the gooey ganache. Wow, gorgeous and luxurious in flavour, and super moreish. We definitely need to pop back to the shop to get some more of these sometime soon.

Shaken Udder Scoff-The-Lot Milkshake (Tesco) by @Cinabar

I found a new milkshake flavour, and even though the weather has dropped a few degrees, it’s still the right season for a treat. The milkshake is called Scoff-The-Lot, though the flavour isn’t immediately obvious from the name. The label mentions it contains real cinnamon, which always makes me wonder about products that use the fake stuff. It also gave me a clue that this must be a Biscoff-style flavour, those caramelised cinnamon biscuits I adore. We always have some at home; they’re far more than just the freebie biscuit you get with a tea or coffee.

I gave the bottle a gentle shake and took a sip. The milkshake is creamy and a little thicker than regular milk, maybe similar to gold top, if that’s still around. The flavour was lovely, sweet, spiced, and packed with biscuit notes. There was a delicious hit of cinnamon and a rich baked taste. It was an absolute delight. As a cinnamon fan, this was right up my street: sweet, spicy, and just perfect. The warm spice also worked well with the cooler weather. I’ll definitely be stocking up on these!