Strawberry Lemonade Refresher and Canadian Maple Donut (Tim Horton) By @Cinabar

Our local retail park has a new arrival, a Tim Horton’s! It’s taken over the space where Pizza Hut used to be, and I’m glad it hasn’t been left sitting empty. Tim Horton’s is a big name in Canada, especially for coffee and doughnuts, so I had to go in and see what all the fuss was about.

It was a warm day, so I went for something chilled, the Strawberry Lemonade Refresher, and, because I’m me, I had to order a doughnut as well.

The drink came over ice, not blended, and had the prettiest light pink colour. First sip and… wow. The lemon was sharp, zingy, and just what I needed in the heat. The strawberry added a gentle sweetness, but it was definitely the lemon running the show. Tangy, fresh, and dangerously drinkable.

Then came the Canadian Maple Donut. This one’s topped with maple-flavoured icing and filled with cream, and it looked every bit the indulgent treat. The icing had that lovely crisp bite before you hit the soft, fluffy doughnut. The maple flavour was rich and sweet, and the filling was thick, creamy, and almost custard-like. Honestly, it was one of those “don’t speak to me while I’m eating this” moments. The pairing worked perfectly, sharp, refreshing drink meets sweet, fluffy doughnut. A little Canadian sunshine right here in the UK.

Wonder Woman Doughnut (Krispy Kreme) By @Cinabar

There’s a new Superman film out this week, and we’ve been catching up on some of the other superhero films we missed first time around. I have to admit I’m quite enjoying them, though maybe not all the Batman movies… sorry, Mr Clooney! On our way back from a Comic Con, we stopped at a service station and spotted a Krispy Kreme cabinet featuring their new superhero doughnuts. The timing seemed perfect, so we decided to treat ourselves.

I went for my favourite superhero, who I was even wearing on my T-shirt, and picked the Wonder Woman Doughnut.

It’s a ring doughnut that looks very striking, with bright red icing all around. It’s topped with the Wonder Woman logo and decorated with blue sprinkles, white stars, and a yellow stripe.

I took a bite and was really impressed with the flavour. It was lovely and fruity, with the red icing delivering a strong raspberry taste, not from jam like usual, but from the icing itself. The doughnut was sweet, soft, and fluffy, with the icing adding a fresh berry kick that worked perfectly. It was a genuinely enjoyable treat, both in taste and presentation. Just the pick-me-up we needed with a coffee, and it powered us through the drive home.

Hoppy Easter Krispy Kreme Marshmallow Bunny Doughnuts [@NLi10]

 We were in the supermarket looking for toddler snacks with friends when I spotted these exciting easter variations on Krispy Kreme's.  The one on the right is just a chocolate bunny but the one on the left is excitingly bowling ball themed!

Ah no - that's a bunny, and its filled with Mallow - perfect!

They seem quite innocent and happy on the plate

until they notice the knife anyway

Look at all that lovely fluffy mallow.  It's not as thick as I expected but does stick to the doughnut.  It's kind of like a tea-cake mixed with a doughnut though which works well.  As long as you like sugar.

We visited the Bear cafe in Evesham a few days later and they put a bear in my coffee - what is it with food and putting animals in it?!

Happy Easter to all.

Jaffa Cake - JoNuts - Jaffa Doughnuts Are Back! [@NLi10]

 4 years ago - at the height of the CroNut Craze the bods at Jaffa HQ decided to release their own version.

It's a bigg jaffa cake - or a doughnut with Jaffa inside and chocolate on the top.

And they come individually wrapped so they stay fresh.

The chocolate could be darker and thicker for my liking

And the Jaffa could be thicker - or more like a jelly - and have bits of peel in it like marmalade.

But - as it stands - instead of a luxury must have they have created a decent enough elevensies snack. And while one isn't quite satisfying enough for me, I suspect that these are more designed for a lunchbox.

Worth a try - especially if you didn't sample them on their first visit.

Christmas Flavour Doughnuts (Asda) By @Cinabar

Let’s take a moment to think about what the phrase ‘Christmas flavour’ means. What are your top three Christmas flavours? For me, it’s easy: cinnamon, peppermint, and orange. If I had to go further, I’d include warming spice blends (nutmeg, for example) and even black forest gateau—I adore that flavour in hot chocolate during this season.

So, when I saw Christmas Flavour Ring Doughnuts from Asda, I was curious to see which festive flavour they’d chosen.

First impressions: these doughnuts look gorgeous. They’re decorated with iced holly, sparkles, and chocolate icing, very festive. I couldn’t wait to try one. The verdict? Lovely, but sadly, no ‘Christmas flavour’ to be found.

A glance at the back of the packet revealed they’re simply described as decorated chocolate doughnuts. Oh. That’s a little disappointing. Don’t get me wrong, I like chocolate doughnuts, but I was hoping for something different, some spice, perhaps?

To be fair, they’re tasty. The chocolate icing is nice, and the iced decorations add a delightful crunch and texture. But for something branded as Christmas Flavour Doughnuts, I was expecting a more adventurous, festive twist.

Ghostbusters Doughnuts (Krispy Kreme) By @Cinabar

Halloween is very definitely on the horizon. There are a few interesting Halloween products around; there are tins of sweets for sale, and one of our neighbours has already decorated their front door and garden. I did buy some Halloween light-up plastic ghosts for the window and a tub of sweets for any callers. This is probably as far as I’ll go.

We were on our way back from a Comic Con and stopped at a service station and spotted the Krispy Kreme kiosk and these wonderful-looking Ghostbusters Doughnuts, so obviously we picked up a couple. 

We bought the Slimer and the Ghostbusters Chocolate Icing. The Slimer is a wonderful, rich, sweet, and fresh flavour. The taste is lemon, which always works well; even the filling is green in colour. I would have thought they would choose lime instead of lemon, as it is green and is part of the word slime. Oh well, either way, I love the funky purple icing and the gorgeous flavour. The chocolate one starts with an original doughnut, but it is covered with chocolate icing, cookie crumb, and of course a rather nice Ghostbuster logo. It was sweet, and there was loads of chocolate; the crumb gave it a crunch too, which gave it a bit of texture. Another yummy doughnut. 

Both of these doughnuts were just perfect after a busy day after Comic Con, but get them while you can as they are a limited edition for Halloween. 

Krispy Kreme Reese's Peanut Butter Doughnut (Tesco) By @Cinabar

Peanut butter and chocolate are a fantastic combo and one that is overlooked here in the UK. It feels very American, and despite being British, I just love the mix. In recent years, Reese’s has become more available here in the UK; you can even buy peanut butter Kit Kats, which are a joy. Krispy Kreme's new doughnut is up my street, introducing the Krispy Kreme Reese's Peanut Butter Doughnut.

 

So we have a soft doughnut, topped with dark chocolate and Reese's flavoured drops, and filled with peanut butter. I eagerly gave it a try. The first bite didn’t catch the filling but still tasted like chocolate and peanuts due to the peanut butter flavour drops on top. It was a delight. When I did hit the filling, my tastebuds were in heaven. The peanut butter inside was wonderfully nutty and salty, and mixed with the chocolate, it was just such a delight. Wow, these are super good. In fact, I am currently living the dream. The only problem is that these are a limited edition and available for August only, so yes, I need to get more before the month is out. Does anyone know if they freeze?

The most Southernly Snacks in the most Southernly Café in Britain! (@NLi10)

We have reached the end of the Cornwall portion of our holiday - but not without a trip down to Lizard point - which was walkable from our cottage (but would have taken 2 hours due to all the ups and downs that coastal paths are known for). 

Fortunately all tourist hot-spots are well catered for (even in Feb) and are a lot quieter at this time of year - it really is ideal.

Still pretty too!

And the seals don't mind the cold.  They are a little hard to see without zooming in, but they are just snoozing in the bays and if you know where to look they will pop up every now and then.

Easier to see them on the murals in the cafe to be fair!

But look at that view!

We had a teacake, and I chose a doughnut as I'd had scones the day before (see below as a bonus) and it looked pretty home-made which was a surprise and super cool.  When you have the 'Most Southern Cafe In England' you don't really need to serve top-notch food, but they clearly have done and had I known about this place I'd have got the bus down for lunch earlier in the week too.  Just have to go back to Cornwall soon!

I picked up fresh scones on day 1 of the holiday but it was the last but one day when I found a suitable Jam in the local supermarket

And I finished the final evening with Cornish Style scones.  I did mean to do the reverse in Devon when we got there but it's a bit harder in a hotel.

Krispy Kreme Valentine’s Doughnuts (Tesco) By @cinabar

We don’t get as many limited-edition Valentine’s Day products as we should, but I spotted this funky pink box in Tesco and couldn’t resist. These are the limited edition Krispy Kreme Valentine’s Doughnuts, and there are four in the box.

We had a heart-shaped Strawberry Kreme Delight, a heart-shaped Choc Raspberry Escape, a round Sprinkled with Love and a heart-shaped Salted Caramel Temptation. All the doughnuts looked stunning, and there was a good mix of flavours. I hadn't had a Krispy Kreme in far too long, but these were the perfect after-dinner treat.

My favourite was the Salted Caramel Temptation, not only because it was nicely decorated but also because it was a divine caramel overload. The filling was fantastic, just the right amount of rich buttery caramel. Seriously, I could have spooned that on toast! I really must keep an eye on the Krispy Kreme doughnut editions going forward and not leave it so long next time.

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! Wishing you all a wonderful day. 

McVities Jaffa Nut (Krispy Kreme) By @Cinabar

Is a Jaffa cake a cake or a biscuit? Cake surely as there is sponge? Is a Jaffa Nut a Cake or a Donut? Donut? Snacking can be a complex business when snacks collide. This is the latest of the hybrid snacks with McVities in conjunction with Krispy Kreme turning Jaffa Cakes and Donuts into Jaffa Nuts.

The chocolate coating these Krispy Kreme McVities Jaffa Nuts is quite dark, and a little sticky. I was just trying to turn the donut to take a look and my fingers were getting chocolate on them. I do like the look, the icing looks very similar to Jaffa Cakes. I assumed from looking at that the central part, the bit that looks like the top of a Jaffa Cake, would be where all the orange jam would be loaded. I bit in and didn’t get any filling once I hit the middle, just a nice soft donut and the darker chocolate topping. A couple more bites was sadly the same. At this point, there was no orange taste, I thought my donut was broken.

Then I tucked in around the edge and found the jam, off centre at the edge but present at least. It was a lovely filling, it had a good zesty sweet orange taste, and was a bit more runny than you’d find the traditional Jaffa cake. I think it was a bit more zesty and sour too, but I liked that contrast with the rest of the sweetness. The orange jam filling made it, so it was a shame I had a few bites without it, but once discovered, I was thoroughly enjoying the flavour.

I think they have done a good job of combining the two snacks and I would gladly pick up more of these Krispy Kreme McVities Jaffa Nuts while they are available. What is next? I’m hoping for a Hob Nut (HobNob Donut). Yes, maybe don’t leave me in charge of picking the names, that sounds more like a spare part for an oven!

Planet Donut - GIANT Jammy Dodger Doughnut from Tuffins (@NLi10)

 Driving back from Wales we needed a refreshment break, so ducked in to a services just outside of Shrewsbury and found this gem!

I have to put the best picture at the top for Instagram & Twitter previews spoiling the surprise, but it’s still quite a find.

The services was Tiffins, which appears to be a chain, but in the same way that Co-op is a chain. Lots of local brands and surprises inside.

Like this - 4 cakes - but one cake - and already cut for sharing! Perfect for any office or meeting. But declined because I’d already seen this.

These doughnuts are awesome in appearance and can compete with the Kings of Krispy Kreme by just being twice as big! Not only does this make them meal sized doughnuts (or like a cake you could share as quarters) but it opens up so many new possibilities.

Whole biscuit on a doughnut? Sure - why not. And not a look-a-like either, a real Jammy Dodger!

It’s also covered in Rice Krispies (possibly not Kellogs brand) covered in white chocolate which were awesome, and filled with rich rich jam.

Amazing. At £2.75 a pop (or 2 for £5 which I totally should have got) it’s not a daily thing, but as a post holiday treat it was certainly the correct choice.

Lovely shop too - would happily deliberately time breaks to visit this chain again.

Doughnut Ice Creams (Aldi) By @Cinabar

How cute are these ice creams? I am the person that falls for novelty every time and I don’t care. These new Doughnut Ice Creams from Iceland form a round ice cream on a stick. There are two flavours in the pack, milk chocolate and white chocolate; the latter is pink in colour but not strawberry flavoured. They also have sugar sprinkles in the chocolate.

When I opened the box I found they were smaller than I expected. I gave a chocolate one a try and was impressed. The chocolate coating has a nice flavour and has a decent thickness. It cracked nicely when I bit in. The sprinkles do actually add quite a lot of extra sweetness to the taste, while also looking the part. The vanilla ice cream is creamy and has a good flavour. The most fun part is eating it and then navigating around the doughnut shape while trying not to drip ice cream.

I think they missed a treat by not flavouring the ice cream with a doughnut taste, just to that extra mile. Even so, these are a lovely cute ice cream, with good flavours and they passed the novelty test because they certainly made me smile.

Dots Donuts - Forest Fruits - Ethical Delights! (@NLi10)

 The Junk Food Place at work (discarded food, not high-calorie food) has recently had a series of sweet treats for me to pick up. These are food that is out of date so the supermarket cannot sell it - but that is absolutely fine to eat.  If they didn't go to this charity then they would be disposed of - and that's wasteful!  These were £1.50 - then 64p then free for a donation for me!

For this you get 2 lovely doughnuts, sealed in a presentation box - and looking very luxurious.

I think the coverings are why they are called Dots (the other flavour I had later also had Dots on top).

And inside is a twin filling too! Yum.

For the first lot I just ate as is - for the Boston Cream flavour I microwaved it and it became a lush pudding.

My assumption is that this is a new brand that people haven't been brave enough to try rather than something that people haven't wanted - these are well worth £1.50 for two!  Not quite at Krispy Kreme level for the body, but the fillings are awesome and the toppings are interesting too.

I look forwards to eating more of these - whether for a donation or a trip to the Co-Op.

 

Chiquito Churros (Iceland) By @Cinabar

It is time for dessert. This is all about having the restaurant treat of Chiquito’s Churros at home, not from some delivery service but straight from the freezer and ready to go. I have a thing for cinnamon, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that I’m a fan of Churros. I couldn’t resist picking up this box of goodies.

Inside the box of Chiquito Churros we have the Churros themselves, some cinnamon sugar and a pot of chocolate sauce. The sauce is warmed through by putting it into some hot water to defrost. The Churros are baked in the oven for 10mins and then dusted with sugar. I checked on the Churros after 8mins and they looked okay to last a couple more but they were sizzling when they came out at 10 mins.

I let them cool a little, then we are ready to dip them into the sauce. I gave the first Chiquito Churro and a generous plunge into the chocolate sauce and the sauce was all I could taste. Unfortunately, it turns out the sauce isn’t the best thing in this kit, it was syrupy, overly concentrated, and reminiscent of a 1990s milkshake mix. It almost took on the flavour of liquorice. The next bite I had was the Chiquito Churro just on its own, and it was a lovely, warm, sweet, sugary, spicey dough taste, and an absolute delight. I tried the dip again, less is more and once I got used to the flavour a bit I could handle it. Sadly though for me the sauce is the reason I wouldn’t buy them again, as good as the doughnut part actually are they needed a better dip.