New McVitie’s Club Layers Orange (Tesco) By @SpectreUK

Any child of the eighties knows the high pitched theme tune for McVitie's Club. "If you like a lot of chocolate on Your biscuit join our Club." McVitie's have recently got into trouble for decreasing coco in their chocolate and may have to add "chocolate flavoured coating" to some of their bars. However, not with this New McVitie's Club Layers Orange. This is a "Milk Chocolate covered wafer bar with orange flavoured cream filling."

On opening the wrapper this New McVitie's Club Layers Orange smelt exactly like an original Orange flavoured Club bar. It was unmistakable. I haven't had one in years, but the smell made me want to bite in immediately. And so I did.

On first taste this New McVitie's Club Layers Orange had the same orange flavour cream filling I remember from the original orange flavoured Club bar. There was then the crunchy wafer flavour, which was obviously different, been as though there was no wafer in the original. This orange wafer layered bar was completed perfectly with the familiar milk chocolate coating. I really enjoyed this orange flavoured chocolate wafer bar and would definitely go back for more. I'm in the Club, are you?

Snickers Butterscotch (B&M) By @Cinabar

We popped into B&M at the weekend and, unsurprisingly, came away with a few interesting bits to try. My haul naturally leaned heavily towards the chocolate aisle. One bar that immediately caught my eye was this Snickers Butterscotch.

It is clearly an import, although I am not entirely sure from where. The front of the packaging is in English, but there is a large sticker covering the ingredients and details, which is not especially helpful. Based on the packet, I would guess either America or Australia, but either way they seem to be fairly easy to find in the UK at the moment.

As soon as I opened the wrapper, I could smell chocolate, peanuts, and the most glorious sweet butterscotch aroma. I took a bite and it did not disappoint. The familiar chocolate and peanut combo was there, but the real star was the rich, sweet butterscotch with its deep brown sugar flavour. It honestly reminded me of peanut brittle, and I mean that in the best possible way.

I have a very sweet tooth, so the extra sweetness did not bother me at all. It might be a bit much for some people, but as a sugary treat it was absolutely right up my street.

If you spot it, I would grab one while you can. B&M is brilliant for unusual imported chocolate bars, but there is never any guarantee they will still be around in a couple of weeks.

Reese’s Peanut Butter Filled Bunnies (Morrisons) By @Cinabar

I found another new Reese’s chocolate product, this time with an Easter twist. These are Reese’s Peanut Butter Filled Bunnies. The pack also has a competition to win a trip to Easter Island, which is related to Easter in name only, but it is still a pretty great prize.

Inside the bag are seven foil wrapped chocolate bunnies. They come in different coloured wrappers but all have the same filling. They would be ideal for an Easter hunt, or in my case, snacking straight from the bag. I unwrapped the first one and the bunny design is actually quite cute in the chocolate moulding. The chocolate is labelled as milk chocolate but it looks fairly dark.

I gave one a try and the chocolate is quite sweet, which suits me as I have a sweet tooth. When it combines with the nutty, salty peanut butter, it really works. I love that mix of sweet and savoury and I have always been a big fan of chocolate with nuts.

Spoiler alert, the bunnies did not survive until Easter. I swear I only meant to eat a couple.

Reese’s Big Cup: Easter Spring Sprinkles (Tesco) By @Cinabar

I love the combination of chocolate and peanut butter, so I usually have some Reese’s in the house. We often pick up one of the big imported bags of individually wrapped cups to have as a snack or a pick me up with coffee.

In previous years, Reese’s have released what is essentially the standard peanut butter cup in seasonal shapes for Christmas or Easter. Think soft tree or egg shapes, but with no real change to the formula.

These Easter Spring Sprinkles Reese’s Big Cups are clearly aimed at the Easter market, although I am not entirely sure how coloured sugar sprinkles fit the theme. When I opened the pack, the Big Cup looked fairly standard, just larger than usual. Once I bit into it, the coloured sprinkles revealed themselves and added a lot of visual appeal, with plenty of colour inside.

The chocolate to peanut butter ratio was heavier on the peanut butter, which I really liked. The sprinkles added some texture and an extra hit of sweetness that worked well for me. I really enjoyed these. They could have done with a few sprinkles on top as well to make them look prettier, but overall I think they are a success.

Mallow and Marsh Coconut (Tesco) By @Cinabar

I found this lovely marshmallow bar tucked away in our stash of Christmas goodies, although I am fairly sure it was originally picked up at Tesco.

It is a substantial looking bar, made up of coconut flavoured marshmallow coated in milk chocolate. Straight away, it got me thinking about Bounty, which seems to be a proper Marmite option in Celebrations. Some people love it, others absolutely cannot stand it. Curious, I once tried to get to the bottom of why, and from a very small and unscientific study of work colleagues, it appeared the issue was more about texture than taste.

This bar is interesting because while it delivers coconut flavour, it avoids the shredded coconut texture altogether. Instead, you get a fluffy marshmallow centre. For anyone who dislikes Bounty purely because of the chew, this could be a game changer. Once opened, the bar is a decent size with a thin coating of milk chocolate. The whole bar comes in at 139 calories, which is fairly low for a chocolatey snack like this.

Taste wise, it really delivers. The flavour is sweet and creamy, with the coconut shining through nicely. The chocolate is mild, as you would expect from a thin coating, but it is pleasant and cracks nicely when you bite into it. The marshmallow itself has a great texture, soft and squishy while still feeling substantial rather than insubstantial or foamy.

This is a genuinely lovely bar. Great flavour, good texture, and very moreish. It might just be the bar that convinces Bounty sceptics that coconut deserves another chance.

Baileys Chocolate Caramel Buttons (Iceland) By @Cinabar

These were bought as part of an online order rather than picked up in store, and unfortunately the bag arrived looking a bit worse for wear. One side had been creased over several times, leaving the top noticeably slanted. Thankfully the bag was still fully sealed, which is the main thing.

There was a time when either the Baileys brand or the Iceland picker would likely have spotted this before dispatch. That said, this seems to be an ongoing downside of online grocery shopping in general. I have previously had crisp multipacks sealed into the main outer bag, missing cocktail sausages, and bruised fruit. It often feels like there is little time or financial incentive to reject imperfect items. Moan over. As this was not intended as a gift and the seal was intact, it was easy enough to move on.

Inside the bag are fairly chunky milk chocolate buttons with a lovely sweet aroma. The first bite confirmed these are genuinely good. The milk chocolate is smooth and pleasant, while the creamy Baileys flavour comes through clearly with that distinctive Irish cream taste. This then softens into a rich caramel and chocolate finish. The centre is soft and gooey, giving a really nice contrast in texture. These would make a great stocking filler. Hopefully next time the bag itself will arrive in better shape.

Nestle Milkybar Chocolate Crumble (Tesco) By @SpectreUK

This is an interesting one. I love Nestle Milkybar, however this new Nestle Milkybar Chocolate Crumble is covered with Milkybar white chocolate, and has a creamy crumbly biscuit centre, with a milk chocolate base. I genuinely don't know how I feel about that. Don't get me wrong, it sounds great, but part of me may just wish the whole chocolate bar was Milkybar without the extra gubbins.

As you can see from the photograph, on opening this Nestle Milkybar Chocolate Crumble does indeed have a milk chocolate base, with a creamy crumbly biscuit centre. It tastes amazing, I have to admit it. It's easily one of the best combinations of white chocolate, biscuit and milk chocolate I've ever tasted. Although having said that, I can't recall many in the past.

There is the creaminess from the Milkybar coating, followed by the creamy crumbly biscuit, which provides a little body to this chocolate biscuit bar, and then the milk chocolate base adds further creamy chocolaty flavour. Nestle Milkybar Chocolate Crumble is a triumph really. I don't know what I was worried about.

Information on the wrapper: The 84g bar contains 92 calories per 2 pieces, with 5.4g of fat, 8.9g of sugar, 0.03g of salt. Please see photograph for the ingredients.

Exhale - Ltd Ed Colombian Smooth Coffee Chocolate bar (Dark 76%) [@NLi10]

 I had my bi-monthly Exhale coffee delivery coming up so I added some festive treats for me.  A tiny £3 chocolate bar to review - and a £22 travel mug so I could save money in the long run by buying less out of house coffee.

 

Both look very deluxe and giftable - and the coffee is great too.

Here are all the facts! It's only 30g but it's pretty powerful so that's four sittings.

See - they sliced it up for you!

Although it didn't break that neatly, but it worked in principle.  The flavours are really balanced - the coffee and chocolate are both very present - the caffeine kick is really about an espresso level so don't give this to unsuspecting people!

The main event, and the thing I've been experimenting with all week, is the travel flask.  At only 300ml it's not designed to give you a days coffee unless you are like me and really don't drink that much.  What I have been doing is making one at 11 and then having 4 small drinks - all still hot - throughout the day.  

It has a double lid so you can drink the last little bit ok, and although it didn't keep warm overnight (6pm to 9am was too much for it) I think the 6 hours stated is very fair - you could probably tighten it or drop it in an insulating sleeve to extend that on hikes.

I'm still scared to put milk in these after some stinky flasks of youth, but for luxury black coffee (or maybe jasmine tea) it's really great!

(we aren't sponsored, but they still do a free trial so here is the link - not an affiliate one - it's just my favourite coffee right now).

Quality Street's Purple One, but as a Kripsy Kreme Doughnut [@NLi10]

 My partner bought me a Krispy Kreme doughnut, and peaking in the bag I thought it was a standard brown one - but no it's a Purple One - as in the Quality Street chocolate!

The colours are a lot more noticeable under the right lighting, and it certainly entices

Even Flo was excited by it.  Inside it has both the fluffy white filling and the heavy Nutella style filling which made a nice change.

These were originally for Halloween so you might not be able to find them now, but a whole Christmas selection box of Quality Street doughnuts would be great fun so I hope they do that.

Nestle Milky Bar Crispy Cookie (Morrisons) By @SpectreUK

It's no secret I love Nestle Milky Bar chocolate. It's possibly the first chocolate I tasted as a child. I used to have huge amounts of it, from big bars for birthdays and Christmas, to little bars for when I came home from school. I still eat Nestle Milky Bar chocolate now, as it's my favourite white chocolate.

These new Nestle Milky Bar Crispy Cookie buttons are bakery inspired. They are white chocolate buttons with chocolate biscuit pieces added to them. It sounds an ideal accompaniment for ice cream or a nice hot chocolate later this evening.

On first opening the bag, there were loads of chocolate nobbled white chocolate buttons inside. On first creamy crispy crunchy taste, there was the flavour of Nestle Milky Bar chocolate mixed with tiny crispy crunchy pieces of chocolate biscuit. They were very tasty indeed, and I enjoyed the rest with my chocolate ice cream after dinner.

Information on the packet; The 86g bag contained 155 calories per 12 pieces, with 8.7g of fat, 14.6g of sugar, 0.06g of salt. Please see photograph for the ingredients.

Maple Caramel Whips (Marks and Spencer) By @Cinabar

When your local Marks and Spencer closes, and you spot an M&S food hall on a road trip service station, what can you do but make a few impulse buys and stock up? These Maple Caramel Whips were part of my haul from a recent trip. I love a traditional Walnut Whip, but these have a festive twist that I couldn’t resist.

There are four whips in the box, each topped with green icing and sprinkles, giving them a very Christmasy feel. I took one out and bit the top off, it was crunchy, but not too hard, and perfectly sweet. The milk chocolate is thick and rich, with the usual lovely flavour. Inside, the whip is creamy and sweet, with a really nice layer of maple caramel that shines through. The caramel is dark and rich, with a subtle burnt edge that pairs beautifully with the sweet whip.

These are delightful, perfect as a stocking filler or for scoffing in front of the TV, which is exactly what will happen with these.

Kinder Surprise Father Christmas (Tesco) By @Cinabar

Kinder has gone full festive with these Father Christmas shaped Surprise chocolates, and I couldn’t resist picking one up. The wrapper looks brilliant, with Santa cheerfully holding a present, and the familiar Kinder Surprise branding hinting that there’s still a toy to build inside. I’m an adult on paper, but these things will always pull me in.

Once unwrapped, the chocolate itself was a bit of a let-down in terms of presentation. Under the Santa foil there was no detailed moulding, just a simple shape with the Kinder logo. It’s clearly the packaging doing the heavy lifting here. Still, the important part is the chocolate, and that was exactly as it should be. The classic mix of milk and white chocolate is ridiculously nostalgic, super sweet and creamy, and it instantly took me back to childhood.

Inside was the yellow capsule, and with it a little toy to assemble. Mine turned out to be a skiing reindeer that glows in the dark, and it even doubles as a Christmas tree ornament. Our tree isn’t up yet, but this might be the push I need.

A fun seasonal treat. Even if the chocolate isn’t as decorative as the wrapper suggests, the taste and the toy hit all the right notes for this time of year.

Chunk Belgian Chocolate with Popping Candy (Morrisons) By @Cinabar

This bar arrived as part of an online grocery order delivered last Friday, the day of the storm. All our groceries were very wet, and this bar, with its paper wrapper, got a bit damp. That’s why it doesn’t look perfect in the picture. Thankfully, apart from the heavy rain, we weren’t too badly affected at home. The chocolate itself is sealed in foil, so the main part stayed completely dry.

The bar doesn’t seem to have much branding, it’s simply called CHUNK. The size and bright, colourful wrapper give off a Tony’s Chocolonely vibe, and it looks like a nice, big chunky bar. The filling is playful: popping candy, rainbow sprinkles, and chocolate beans, which sounds really fun. I love popping candy, it always makes me smile. While it doesn’t add flavour, it’s a playful touch.

When I opened the bar, the chocolate had easy-to-share pieces that were still big and chunky. The sprinkles and chocolate beans added pops of colour and texture, making it crunchy and fun to eat. The chocolate itself is good quality Belgian chocolate, with the cocoa flavour shining through. The popping candy was mild, giving just a little tingle, but I’d have added more!

I’m looking forward to seeing what other flavours appear in this new CHUNK range, as this bar is a delightful addition.

Quality Street Green Triangle Chocolate Bar (Morrisons) By @Cinabar

I picked up the Quality Street Green Triangle chocolate bar recently, and the first thing I noticed was its shape. The bar itself is rectangular, and so are the individual pieces. Now, if you’re familiar with the original Green Triangle from the Quality Street tins, you’ll know they’re, well, triangles. A little ironic, then, that this bar went for rectangles. It would have been a nice touch if the pieces had diagonal lines to mimic the classic shape, but I suppose you can’t have everything.

Breaking a piece off was an interesting experience. The bar was surprisingly soft, almost bending as I pulled a piece away. Granted, I wasn’t keeping it in the fridge and the heating was on, but still, for a chocolate of this cost, it was impressively tender.

The chocolate itself is a treat. Inside, the classic soft, nutty praline melts beautifully. There are no bits, just smooth, silky chocolate with that satisfying nutty flavour. As a fan of nuts and chocolate, this really hit the mark. The flavour, if not the shape, stays true to the Green Triangle from the tins.

This bar works well as a snack, and it could even double as a festive stocking filler paired with a Christmas card. It’s a lovely format for enjoying this classic flavour, and I would happily buy it again.

Ritter Sport Pistachio - finally a decent 'Dubai Chocolate' [@NLi10]

 We love pistachios.   

We love Baklava - and the bird nest stuff is amazing.  

Dubai Chocolate combines the two, is confusingly expensive, and always disappointing - until now.

You see the one thing they never get right is that the chocolate still has to be the star.  So finally - the big brands are repackaging their Pistachio varieties and getting them into our hands for much cheaper.

I first fell in love with Ritter Sport in the 90s on trips to Germany.  There always seemed to be a new one to try and the variations all made sense.

The packaging is even fun to open properly, and it keeps everything where it belongs.  The ingredients are all here - except the lovely birds nest - but I have a shop that makes that fresh on my high-street so it's all good.

*snap* Luna approves of the smells here.

Like golden-era Cadbury's the chunks are a nice portion, always contain the novelty and the mix is always the same as there is only one size (Snickers - take note).

A lovely fragrant nutty undertone to classic Ritter Sport chocolate.

Lindt have nudged their Pistachio balls (which have been available for 5 years plus) into the limelight too - I wonder who else will join in.  First to make a legitimate chocolate version with the birds nest built in for non-import prices (and actually containing cocoa at decent rates) will win the market for sure!

 

TAKE 4 Chocolate Bar (Marks and Spencer) By @Cinabar

Very sadly our nearest Marks and Spencer closed this year, and my favourite part of that shop was always the food hall. On our way back from a road trip, we stopped at a service station and I was very pleased to spot a small M&S Food Hall inside. Naturally, I couldn’t resist having an impulsive look around to see what I could pick up.

This TAKE 4 chocolate bar immediately caught my eye with its striking packaging. The red and blue design is wonderfully retro and really stands out. I bought this along with a few other goodies, and when the assistant scanned it, he smiled and said, “Remember, this isn’t a Kit Kat,” before chuckling to himself.

It turns out this is a re-release of an old Marks and Spencer chocolate bar from the 1980s. I don’t quite remember it from the first time around, I would have been quite young and probably eating actual Kit Kats whenever I got the chance.

When I opened the wrapper (plastic, not foil and paper like a proper 1980s chocolate bar would have been), I found four sticks joined together, each designed to break into four smaller bite-sized pieces.

The sticks are thinner than a Kit Kat, if we’re comparing, but the flavour more than makes up for it. The chocolate is rich and smooth, with a lovely depth of cocoa that really shines through. The wafer has a satisfying snap, and I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed this bar. It’s one I’d happily pick up again, perfect as a little treat with an afternoon coffee, especially with that nostalgic retro look and full flavour.

Terry’s Chocolate Caramel (Tesco) By @Cinabar

It’s very hard to say the words Terry’s Chocolate without automatically adding Orange afterwards. Terry’s Chocolate Orange is such a classic, and it’s been around for ages. There have been a few different versions over the years, like ones with popping candy, but this is the first time I’ve seen Terry’s Chocolate Caramel.

It’s still orange-shaped, but the wrapper inside the box is cream rather than orange, which does make it stand out. It opens the same way too, a gentle tap on the table, then unwrap it and the slices neatly spread out (and yes, I still want to call it an Orange).

The first thing I noticed was the smell, a rich, slightly burnt caramel aroma. I tried a slice, and honestly, it didn’t grab me straight away. The flavour isn’t as sweet as I expected. After a second piece, though, I started to enjoy the more grown-up caramel flavour, and by the third I was completely hooked. It just took a moment to get used to it.