Lotus Biscoff White Chocolate Bar (Morrisons) By @SpectreUK

I am going to be really naughty tonight. No, not like that, unfortunately, but I am going to have this new Lotus Biscoff White Chocolate bar, as it states on the packet as, "a more-ish taste sensation you simply can't resist." The reason why I'm being naughty you may wonder, well, I've shuffled around my calories and made sure they were low enough from my two meals a day, in order to cheat a bit and eat the whole bar, yes, the whole bar in one go with a tub of low calorie vanilla ice cream.

This Lotus Biscoff White Chocolate bar looks way too good to share, and for another reason I rarely do things by halves and do everything to access, and I always try my best to pick the naughtiest option. A caveat to this is the fact that I have made sure that I have had all of my protein, carbs, fruit and veg for the day, and that I also workout for three and a half hours a day. Still, I reckon I'll feel awful and greedy tomorrow, but I reckon it's going to be worth it.

As you can see from the photograph this bar is white chocolate coating a creamy caramelised Lotus Biscoff centre. Good start. I love both ingredients, so I can't see any reason not to start chomping and not stop until it's all gone. On first taste there was creaminess from the white chocolate coating, which mixed perfectly with the caramelised soft yet slightly crunchy Lotus Biscoff centre. I could easily see why they said that this bar was moreish, as it didn't last long and went perfectly well with the ice cream. Gosh, this Lotus Biscoff White Chocolate bar was sumptuously tasty and pure luxury, I was so glad I'd saved up my calories for this evening's treat. Yum.

Information on the packet; The 180g bar contained 566 calories per 100g, with 20g of fat, 49g of sugar, and 0.4g of salt. Please see photograph for the ingredients.

Hot Cross Bun Ratings 2023 By @Cinabar

We are very much in Hot Cross Bun season, and I have been writing about a few of the fun limited edition flavours that have been out this year already. This article is for the traditionalists, those of us who like the original recipe and simply want to know which ones are the best. I went to a selection of supermarkets , picked up Hot Cross Buns and completed a taste test with a panel to rate them for 2023. And the results are in:

 

5) Co-Op Hot Cross Buns 4 Pack: Average Rating: 60%

In fifth place, we have these Co-Op Hot Cross Buns. Admittedly, they are good value and did make a tasty snack. The taste was nice, but they felt small and didn’t seem to have as much fruit as some of the others that we tried. 

4) Aldi Hot Cross Buns 4 Pack: Average Rating: 70%

These Aldi Hot Cross Buns 4 Pack are a decent size but don’t feel as fluffy as they could. The spice is also quite mild, and we felt it needed a little more. There was a decent amount of fruit.

3) M&S Hot Cross Buns 4 Pack: Average Rating: 81%

The M&S Hot Cross Buns  were very good, they had plenty of fruit, good spice, and a nice feel. They did seem delicate though, and they fell apart a bit when buttering, but generally, these were very good.

2) Asda Hot Cross Buns 4 Pack: Average Rating: 85%

It was very close with these Asda Hot Cross Buns and first place. There was plenty of fruit and good spice, and they were pretty spot on. They were nice, fluffy buns too. The fruit itself was a little tart, and I think that's what pushed these into second place.

1) Morrisons Hot Cross Buns 4 Pack: Average Rating: 87%

These Morrisons Hot Cross Buns were the favourites and do claim first prize in this year's taste test. We loved the fact there was lots of fruit packed in, the texture was right, and the spice was well balanced. They were sweet and indulgent, and they won us over.

Bramley Apple Hot Cross Buns (Aldi) By @cinabar

I do love Hot Cross Bun season, and I have been trying out some of the flavoured ones this year. The truth is, I quite like the classic recipe, so these new Bramley Apple Hot Cross Buns from Aldi appealed as they didn’t seem too crazy or different. The cheese ones we tried were nice, but so far from being an actual Hot Cross Bun they sort of missed the point.

I opened up the pack, and there was a lovely apple aroma that was sharp. We chopped them in half and popped them in the toaster, and again, there were nice aromas while they were heated up. We served them with butter and gave them the taste test. The best thing about these Bramley Apple Hot Cross Buns is that the spices in them very much give them the feel of a classic bun. They have lovely warming spices, and they tasted spot on that way. The apple is a little sharp, but with the rest of the sweetness from the bun, there is balance, and these worked really well. The bread is fluffy, the fruit is plentiful, and the flavours were lovely. I really liked these, I think they are my favourite variation on a Hot Cross Bun so far. They are a twist, but they keep one foot in the traditional camp too. Perfect for people who want the Hot Cross Bun experience but may not be partial to raisins. 

TRIP - CBD infused social drinks at Battle Bar Birmingham (@NLi10)

 For our annual 'work day out doing fun things' we went to Battle Bar in Birmingham on Broad Street.  They have load of little activities to do like shuffle board & darts, but we chose axe throwing and mini golf.

And as it was still early in the day I chose an unusual soft drink to get me through the morning. TRIP cbd drinks have been around a little while.  I chose the lemon & basil version first.

This doesn't actually have that much CDB in, not enough to make it taste bad - and there is only a mild effect but I think it helped with the axe throwing.

The flavour was great - I enjoyed this so much I abandoned my original choice of a nice light bear to try the 2nd flavour.

This was a lovely idea - elderflower with a hint of mint sounds great - but it really wasn't my cup of tea.  It was just too much like an old lady cocktail.  Neither a mojito or a delicate elderflower, but a strong version of both flavours to cover up the CBD.

I'll not be trying that one again - but the lemon and basil was a hit.

And after the axes we played on the mini golf which has a hole where a bike defends the shortcut, fun!

Northern Monk’s Syrup Stack Stout (Wee Beer Shop @WeeBeerShop) By @SpectreUK

We have just received a big box of a variety of different beers we ordered from our friend in Scotland, Wee Beer Shop. So, hot off the press comes Monk's Syrup Stack. Monk's Syrup Stack is a Canadian breakfast stout from Northern Monk Brew Company. At 6% in volume with hints of smoky bacon and syrup, and with maple syrup and maltodextrin added in the brewing, this stout should have the sweetness of caramel and a pancake flavour to it.

This Monk's Syrup Stack will be a new flavour of stout for me, and many others I'd expect, so I'm rather exited to try it. However, I'm not going to have it for breakfast, I'm afraid, as I'm out and about in my car today, so I'm going to drink this stout as a pudding beer after my fish and chips takeaway.

On opening the can there was a syrupy sweet aroma from the almost black liquid inside. This Monk's Syrup Stack stout had a definite smell of caramel sweet maple syrup. There was a big creamy head once this pancake stout was poured. I had a good feeling that this was going to make the perfect pudding beer.

On taste there was a silky smooth flavour of malted barley with hints of chocolate, and the thickness of oats, I couldn't detect a smoky flavour though. After the chocolate came a mild herbal bitterness from the hops that was snapped almost immediately away from my tastebuds to be replaced by a pancake flavour and then almost syrupy sweet caramel that massaged my palate all the way into the aftertaste. Simply gorgeous. Once I had finished my pint of Monk's Syrup Stack, I immediately fancied another and then another.