Alpro Vanilla Soya Dessert review

I have previously reviewed the caramel version of this dessert and really enjoyed it and so I thought I would give this vanilla version a go. These were found in the free from isle in packs of 4 and have a ridiculously long best before date.

 

 

I lifted back the lid but there wasn't much of a smell but it revealed a thick creamy- yellowy dessert. I tasted it and it reminded me a lot of custard. I am not usually the type of person who would choose to sit with a pot of custard, however I really enjoyed this. I think this is because I like the taste of soya products so much but to me the vanilla flavour was really noticeable and there was a subtle soya aftertaste.

 

 

 

Most of my family and friends despise the taste of anything soya but I did make those of them who love custard give this a try. Now they did all say that they would rather have a pot of normal custard but they all finished them which to me says they cant be too bad even if you don't usually like soy. Basically for anyone with a lactose intolerance these are probably a real treat and for any soya lovers like myself you will probably really enjoy these. For those people who don't usually like soya products then I can't say I would suggest you try these as the soya flavour is certainly noticeable however if you do enjoy custard then you shouldn't find it unpleasant and it maybe worth a try if you fancy being adventurous and trying something new. 



Greggs Vanilla Doughnut review

I am usually left disappointed when I have a cream doughnut as they are so light but I have been recommended these Vanilla Doughnuts from Greggs which are made with synthetic cream, so I thought I would give them a try.

 

The doughnut itself was lovely with a sweet sugary coating. It was quite heavy which I liked as I found it filling. The vanilla cream was very thick and much more substantial than fresh cream. There was also a lot more flavour in my opinion and the vanilla was certainly noticeable. I have to admit that I really enjoyed this doughnut. It was fairly big in size and the raspberry jam dollop on top added an extra sweetness. I much preferred this to a fresh cream doughnut and loved the cream taste and texture of the vanilla filling. I have been very impressed with Greggs range of doughnuts so the rest of this range will be reviewed shortly!

Tesco Finest Caramelised Onion & Cheddar Quiche review

I wouldn't normally choose a cheese and onion quiche but when I saw this version with caramelised onions I was too intrigued to walk past it. All of the caramelised onions were gathered in the centre in a deep purple colour and there were flecks of chives throughout.

I cooked the quiche in the oven as instructed and it came out with a brown, crisp crust. I cut through it to reveal a soft and creamy cheesy centre. The cheese was certainly noticeable and came across quite strongly but without a doubt the caramelised onions were the star of the show. Sweet and sharp just as they should be, there were quite a thick layer revealed when cutting through the middle and the chives just added a little extra flavour.

I was really impressed with this quiche and have picked it up again since already! This is nothing like a traditional (boring) cheese & onion quiche and felt much more luxurious. This tasted really indulgent and made for an indulgent meal. This was without a doubt the best quiche that I have ever had so for anyone looking for a tasty meal, especially if you are a fan of caramelised onions, then this is something that you should definitely add to your shopping trolley!

Magnum Mini Baileys Ice Cream review

Baileys is one of the ultimate Christmas time treats in my house and I absolutely love it. It does however seem to disappear slightly once the festive period is over so putting it into Magnums seemed like a perfect excuse to indulge all year round. These are only available in the mini version and the pack contained 3 milk chocolate and 3 white chocolate magnums.

I tried the milk chocolate version first. Now because they were mini I was worried that they would be tiny and I would be disappointed but although noticeably smaller than the original sized version, they were still a reasonably sized treat. The chocolate was the usual high quality that I have come to expect from Magnum and the ice cream incredibly luxurious. The Baileys flavour was instantly noticeable but the creaminess of the ice cream stopped this from being too strong or overpowering. There was also a Baileys swirl throughout the ice cream.

White chocolate Magnums are my personal favourite so after thoroughly enjoying the milk chocolate version I knew that these would be a hit. The white chocolate added a sweetness which for me made these even better and I thought that these were even more delicious. These Baileys Magnums were quite small but due to the richness of the ice cream with the sweet chocolate this wasn't a problem In fact if they were any bigger I think I would have felt quite sick by the time I had finished. I will be recommending these to a lot of friends who I know enjoy a little tipple of Baileys and so if this applies to you, then these are definitely worth having in the freezer.

Caffe Nero Brownie review

I'm not normally the type of person who chooses a brownie for a little pick me up as I have found that they are often very dry and too rich without a little cream or ice cream. Despite this, when I made a little trip to Caffe Nero the other day, I had a mega craving for something chocolaty and their brownie took my fancy. I touched the outside of the brownie and parts of it instantly flaked off. It was also quite hard so my expectations were that I was about to have the same disappointing brownie experience that I have had many times before.

 

Thankfully, all was not what it seemed and cutting through the brownie revealed a dense, gooey and chewy centre. There was a delicious strong chocolaty flavour that wasn't too overwhelming or heavy in the slightest. Although quite small, I think if it was any bigger it may have become too rich so I wont let my greed cloud my judgement here. There are not many places that I would happily have a brownie more than once but Caffe Nero is one of them. I left the café very impressed and this brownie will definitely be a winner for any chocolate lovers out there. 

Kellogg's Crunchy Nut Porridge review

I have seen this porridge about for a few months now but haven't gotten around to trying it so when I saw that it was on offer, it seemed like the perfect opportunity. Purely for convenience, I chose to try the potted version that only requires that you add boiling water to the marked line, stir and leave it to stand for 2 minutes with the lid on.

 

 

I followed the instructions and then gave it a go. Now as silly as this may sound, I didn't actually think about what this would taste like. All I knew is that I had seen it on shelves with a big "new" sign on it which made we want to pick it up. It tasted exactly like the cereal! I couldn't believe how well Kellogg's have managed to maintain the flavour of the traditional cereal in this porridge form. There was a strong taste of honey with a nutty flavour to follow.

 

 

 

The texture of the oats was smooth which made the contrasting small chunks of nut even more noticeable. Although the picture isn't great (because I forgot to stir the porridge before it was taken), I would never have known that it had only been made up using water as it had a lovely creamy feel to it. These porridge pots are great for anyone who needs a breakfast on the go or for those who cant be dealing with measuring out milk and oats first thing in the morning. This Kellogg's crunchy nut porridge is delicious and if you like the cereal then I can highly recommend that you give this a go as a tasty alternative for these chilly mornings.



Greggs Glazed Donut review

After enjoying the infamous Krispy Kreme donut recently, I was only too tempted to try Greggs version so that I could compare the two . I hadn't heard anything about these donuts to know what to expect but I did notice a "new" sign on them so I can only assume that not a lot of people have tried them yet.

 

 

The first thing that I noticed was how thick the glaze was, much thicker than Krispy Kreme's version and it seemed to stay on the donut a lot better rather than flake off. The glaze was very similar in taste meaning that it was sweet and tasty. The actual donut seemed larger in size and the dough felt a lot heavier. This is probably more of a reflection on just how light Krispy Kreme's donuts are but in all honesty I didn't mind that Greggs version was a bit stodgier. In fact it made it feel a bit more indulgent and naughty in a way.

 

 

 

I was really impressed with this new product from Greggs and in fact as much as I enjoy a Krispy Kreme, I think I actually preferred these! The donut felt a lot more substantial and I loved how thick the glaze was. The fact that these donuts are a fraction of the price just makes them even better so they are well worth a try next time that donut craving hits. 

 

ASDA Extra Special White Chocolate & Raspberry Cheesecakes review

I have heard great things about ASDA's white chocolate and raspberry cheesecakes from friends of mine so have been on the look out for them for a while. Unfortunately every time I have gone to buy them, they have already been sold out so when I did finally get my hands on them I couldn't wait to try them! White chocolate is one of my favourite treats and I love the flavour of raspberry with it so I had very high expectations.

 

 

There are two individual sized cheesecakes in the pack which means you don't have to mess around with cutting "appropriate" sized slices. There were six raspberries on top of both cheesecakes and the base was the perfect thickness and was quite soft but had enough firmness to hold together well and give a nice bite when chewing through it.

 

 

 

I can't say that I have ever had white chocolate in a cheesecake so didn't think that it would be that noticeable and more of a background flavour but I was wrong. The white chocolate flavour shone through making these cheesecakes incredibly sweet, however the raspberries added a sharpness which stopped these desserts from being too sickly. The cream cheese filling was thick, creamy and absolutely delicious! I can highly recommend these cheesecakes, especially for anyone who is as obsessed with white chocolate as myself but even for those who don't, I think that these are worth a try if you fancy an easy but impressive dessert. 



Starbucks UK Strawberry & Champagne Bircher review

Champagne for breakfast? Yes please! Thanks to Starbucks this is now acceptable (and actually nutritious) due to their new strawberry and champagne Bircher made of  a strawberry & champagne compote mixed with Greek yogurt with apple, pomegranate, oats and apple juice.

I took my first bite and was surprised that I could actually taste champagne. It was really subtle and I don't know how easy it would be to detect if you didn't know what the ingredients were but it was certainly a nice flavour. This had the same thick and oaty texture as the other Birchers with a nice added crunch from both the pomegranate and shredded apple which made up a large part of this pot.

This was a really refreshing breakfast that I really enjoyed when I fancied something healthy that wasn't just porridge. It was surprisingly filling and kept me satisfied for the whole morning. I would definitely buy this again and it was a great treat for a cold dull morning so hope it stays around for while.

Cornetto Peanut Butter Love review

Peanut butter and ice cream are two foods that go perfectly together and so this peanut butter lover cornetto was a must buy on my recent shopping trip.

There were four Cornetto's in the packet with a thick dark chocolate layer with nuts on top and a caramel core- even better! The box was quite small which made me curious of how big these ice creams would be, especially as they were only 197 calories.

I was right about the size of the Cornetto's as they were pretty small but then peanut butter is quite a rich flavour so I can't honestly say that I felt that it needed to be bigger when I was eating it ( although I wouldn't have minded). The chocolate on top was thick and broke with a nice crack when I bit into it. The nuts on top were all one sided but again this was something that didn't really bother me.

 

 

 

The ice cream was delicious. A smooth creamy peanut butter flavour. It wasn't overwhelming or artificial tasting as a lot of peanut butter products are. As I got further into the ice cream the caramel centre was revealed. I haven't tasted caramel and peanut butter flavours together before so didn't know how this would go but it was a lovely addition to the Cornetto. The cone itself wasn't amazing, it had a decent taste but was very soft and not crispy like I expected. This was a really nice treat for any peanut butter lovers like myself out there, my only complaints would be the softness of the cone and the size but it these certainly wont put me off buying these again. 

Krispy Kreme Original Glazed review

Krispy Kreme's are probably the most popular brand of donuts in the US and they have slowly made their way to the UK with massive success. This was the infamous original glazed donut so I was expecting it to be sweet and simple. I bit into it and the thin layer of glaze almost cracked. It was ... for a lack of a better word perfectly "crisp" and I was surprised at how delicious I found the sweet glaze. The donut itself was the lightest that I have ever had which made the flavour of the glaze even more prominent and this made it almost delicate which is a word that I never thought that I would use to describe a donut. I can totally see why these donuts are so popular internationally and after enjoying this original version so much I am eager to try some of the more interesting flavours of the range.

Weight Watchers Salmon & Broccoli Wedge Melt review

Now, I will start by saying that I am not actually trying to loose weight, so the reason I picked this meal was because I genuinely quite fancied it and it looked like an easy and convenient meal. I am a fish fanatic! (so living with me can be quite difficult- the kitchen often smells a little), so this picture of salmon pieces in a creamy savoury sauce with broccoli and potato wedges appeared very promising.

 

This meal contained only 282 calories and could be cooked in the oven taking 45 minutes or in the microwave in 8-9 minutes, I chose to heat mine in the oven. The portion was very small so it wasn't difficult to see why the calorie count was so low and so I think that if I was dieting this wouldn't do me much good as I would just snack like a demon afterwards because I would still be hungry!

 

 

It didn't look too appetising on the plate if truth be told but I've learnt not to judge a meal by it appearance so sat down and tucked in. It was fine. That's about all I can say about it though. It wasn't unpleasant and the creamy sauce was tasty and went really well with the broccoli which was more like mush but this didn't really bother me as my mum has always overcooked broccoli like this. The wedges pleasantly surprised me as they are something that I wouldn't usually choose to have but they had a really good crisp and were my favourite part of the meal. The salmon was disappointing and chewy and this made it feel almost artificial but I can't understand why it turned out like this. This isn't a meal I would rush out and buy again because of the size and poor quality salmon but if you are watching your waistline, then for a meal with a creamy sauce and potato wedges all under 300 calories, it's not half bad. 

Costa Coffee and Walnut Mini Cake review

When browsing the cake display in Costa when I was in dire need of a mid afternoon treat, I caught sight of this cake with the label " Back by popular demand" on it. Naturally, I felt the need to see why this cake was so popular and so decided that it was a necessity to try this coffee and walnut mini cake.

 

I sat down and pressed my finger into the cake and there was nothing soft or squidgy about it... in fact it felt tough and hard. I suddenly regretted my choice but even so stuck my fork in and took a bite. I don't know how but the inside was the total opposite! It was heavy but moist and the filling and icing on top added to this even more. The hardness of the outside actually added to the end result as it felt almost like a slightly crunchy coating before breaking into the softness. The flavour itself was fairly mild, a subtle coffee taste with a background of  walnut that was just about detectable. The filling an icing were delicious and although there didn't look like a lot, once into the cake there was the perfect proportion. Overall this cake felt very indulgent and I can totally understand why it was such a popular choice. 

Magnum Ice Cream Strawberry & White review

Being a massive lover of white chocolate magnums, I was surprised that I had never tried, or even heard of these strawberry and white chocolate version. I saw them when online shopping and knew that I had to try them.

They came in a pink and cream colour box and wrapper but when opened it just looked like the traditional white chocolate magnum filled with the high quality vanilla ice cream. I took a bite and the white chocolate was as thick and creamy as usual. Now a little warning, these ice creams are for those for a very sweet tooth.

Inside of the chocolate coating revealed the pink strawberry ice cream. There was a strawberry swirl through this ice cream which is not visible in this picture. The ice cream had an incredibly full on strawberry flavour which was much stronger than I expected and it shocked me a little. By the second bite I was prepared for the intensity of the flavour and really started to enjoy it. This magnum was actually a very rich nice treat but was one of the sweetest ice creams I have ever had so be prepared for a massive sugar rush. I'm don't know if I would choose this over the traditional white chocolate version purely because the flavour of strawberry was so strong, however I did still really enjoy it and think I may enjoy a few more of these when the summer weather come in.

Marks & Spencer's St Clements Hot Cross Buns review

Firstly I apologize about the pictures (or lack of ) in this post but I was so excited to try these hot cross buns with orange infused sultanas, orange peel, candied orange, orange puree and orange & lemon peel that I ate my first bun without taking a picture of it.

The bus had a slight orange tinge and glaze and felt soft and sticky. I have only tasted these untoasted and am disappointed to admit that I wasn't blown away. They basically just tasted like ordinary hot cross buns but with small chunks of chewy candied orange throughout which just added a strange texture that I didn't personally enjoy. I did like the slight orange glaze to the top of the bun and although they weren't unpleasant I have had much tastier and in all honesty I don't think I will be buying these again.

Pukka Pie Chicken and Mushroom review

Chicken and mushroom pie is a childhood favourite of mine but I realised this week that I haven't had one in years so decided it was time to put this right. Pukka Pies are a well known brand trusted by many so this seemed like the perfect company to put my trust in.

The pie was oven cooked and puffed up perfectly. There was flaky pastry on top and was a decent size. Once I cut into the pie, there was no oozing of a mushroom sauce as I would have liked and if I'm totally honest not a whole lot of filling. There were only about 4 chunks of chicken throughout this pie and about the same amount of mushrooms. There was enough sauce to prevent it from being dry and to add a nice flavour but not a noticeably decent amount.

Despite the serious lack of filling, the taste of this pie was pretty good. The pastry was light, thin and flaky and there was a creamy mushroom taste to what little filling there was. I wouldn't rush out to get this pie again but I would certainly eat it again and it was fairly tasty but in all honestly, the lack of filling did seriously disappoint me.

Sainsbury's Cream & Strawberry Jam Horn review

Cream horns are not something that I regularly pick up as I'm not a massive lover of fresh cream. However, I fancied a sweet treat that wouldn't be too stodgy and as these were reduced it seemed like the perfect opportunity to give them a go.

They looked very appetising when pulled out of the box and were covered with sugar crystals and appeared to have a generous amount of cream inside of the horn. I wasn't really sure where to start with eating this without making a mess so cut into it so I could determine what the filling was like inside.

 

 

For anyone looking forward to the jam element of these horns, you may be disappointed. As this picture shows, throughout most of this pastry the strawberry jam was non existent. I won't lie, this didn't really bother me too much as I only like a little jam with my desserts and I actually found the cream very tasty, so this combined with the light, sweet and sugar covered pastry was enough to please me. 

This picture shows the second horn in the pack. It was very much the same with the lack of jam throughout, however this one contained a large amount of jam and not much else towards the bottom of the cone which I didn't enjoy so much. These horns were not a described so I can understand why people might not be impressed with these but for anyone like myself who isn't looking for a lot of jam and is happy with a sweet and creamy light dessert then you should be pleasantly surprised by these.

Propercorn Lightly Sea Salted review

I have previously reviewed the Sour Cream & Black Pepper variety of Propercorn and really enjoyed it. I was hesitant to buy this variety as it says "lightly" salted and I like my savoury snacks to have a lot of flavour, however due I have heard good things about this brand so decided to risk it.

 

 

It had the same crispy texture as the other flavours that I have tasted but there wasn't much smell. I bit into the first piece and am pleased to say I needn't have worried. Now for those who don't like the taste of salt, then this may be a little too salty for you but for me this was perfect. The individual pieces held together very well and the labelling of lightly salted isn't exactly accurate as the taste of salt was quite powerful. I will definitely be picking these up again as an alternative savoury snack. 

Ritz Breaks Crunchy Grains review

I previously had a slight obsession with Ritz rosemary & olive oil breaks but after months of searching I am devastated to finally admit that I think that they have been discontinued. Despite being in a bit of a strop about this, I bought the crunchy grain variety to see if these could replace my old favourite.

These come in individual packets so are perfect to eat on the go or to take for a mid-morning/ lunchtime snack. There are five biscuits in the packet with each being made up of three small crackers. I find that original Ritz can often be a bit bland for my liking so was hoping that I wouldn't find these too plain.

 

 

Thankfully I really enjoyed these! I can't explain why but the addition of the grains seemed to add a lot of flavour. They were quite salty which I personally like yet there seemed to be a slight sweetness in the background flavour. The small grain pieces on top added a little extra crunch to the texture and I think these are where the slight sweetness came from. Overall I have to admit that I was impressed with these crackers and think that they will replace the rosemary & olive oil variety as my new favourite with a cup of tea. HOWEVER, I have recently seen that a bacon variety seem to be replacing these on shelves and so if these disappear as well, I will not be impressed with the makers at Ritz.

Asda Maple Syrup and Waffle Cheesecake review

I picked up this individual cheesecake from Asda and it is described as layered vanilla and toffee cheesecakes with a digestive base with a waffle and maple syrup sauce on top. The base was very thin and quite soft with almost a cakey texture rather than a crumbly digestive one. I couldn't detect layers in the cheesecake flavours but none the less, it was sweet with a subtle toffee flavour. The waffle on top was also quite soft and didn't add much in terms of flavour but there was an added texture which was enjoyable. The sauce on top was thick and had a tasty maple flavour. Overall this was a dessert that I did enjoy. It wasn't as luxurious as a higher quality cheesecake such as GU but was sweet and tasty and a dessert that maple and toffee lovers are sure to enjoy.

Costa Goats Cheese & Sweet Chilli Chutney Panini review

After Previously enjoying the goats cheese and balsamic onion chutney from Costa's festive range, I knew I had to try the sweet chilli version. This Panini comes with spinach on a seeded sourdough ciabatta with sweet chilli pepper chutney and soignon goats cheese. As much as I love sweet chilli I don't like red pepper so this was my only hesitation about buying this Panini

There seemed to be less filling in this Panini than the festive balsamic version in terms of both chutney and cheese but there was quite a lot of spinach. The taste however was delicious. There was a nice heat from the sweet chilli but it wasn't spicy as such and although it did contain very few tiny pieces of pepper these weren't noticeable enough to put me off. The Goats cheese was creamy and smooth which worked perfectly with the warming sweet chilli flavour. Even the seeded ciabatta bread had a lovely crunchy texture and I will without a doubt enjoy this Panini in future.

Kettle Baked Chips Sweet Chilli review

 

I haven't seen these baked Kettle Chips before so thought that these would be worth a try since I usually enjoy sweet chilli products and am always willing to try healthier versions of crisps. They are only 99 calories per packet and also come in a Sour Cream and Chive flavour.

 

 

There wasn't the strong hit of sweet chilli that you often get when opening the bag but I didn't let this put me off. However in all honesty, I should have. These crisps really disappointed me as I found them really bland. They were more like traditional crisps in terms of texture than most reduced fat versions so if this is something that you're looking for then you might enjoy these. For anyone who likes a fair kick of heat from their crisps though, I suggest that you avoid these as they pretty much just tasted of potato with an extremely mild sweet chilli aftertaste. 

Alpro Caramel Soya Dessert review

I have previously mentioned that despite having no intolerance to lactose I sometimes use soya milk purely because I like the taste. This is what tempted me to buy these caramel soya desserts that I passed in the Free from isle.

These came in 4 individual portions which were a fair size. There were other flavours available but being a caramel lover the choice was easy. Now as I am used to soya milk I am not sure how much these tasted of soya as I am so used to the taste. I could detect the slight vanilla flavour that you get with soya milk but I am not convinced that if you didn't know that these were free from that you would be able to tell.

When I lifted the lid there was a thick caramel pudding type texture. I thought that these were a really good dessert. The caramel was subtle and mild and I'm sure that for those who do require dairy free products, these would be a welcomed treat. I would even recommend these to those who are able to eat dairy, especially if they are a fan of soya milk. I liked that they were slightly gooey as this made them feel quite indulgent. I will probably pick se up again and possibly try some of the other flavours available.

Tesco Sweet Potato & Goats Cheese Lattice Pie review

This is a product that I have been trying to find for months so got ridiculously excited when I spotted it in a tiny Tesco Extra in a little town when visiting family. It contained goats cheese, spinach and sweet potato in a short crust pastry pie with a lattice top. There were seeds on top which added to the texture and gave it a little extra crunch.

As you can see the sweet potato was in large chunks and made up the majority of this pie. It was a little too soft for my liking and lacked any real flavour but wasn't unpleasant at all. There was very little goats cheese or spinach however so I was slightly disappointed. There was enough cheese to prevent it from being dry but no real taste and as I love goats cheese I wasn't too impressed and there were small strands of spinach that weren't really detectable without looking. The pastry however was delicious. Crispy and flavoursome and is what saved this pie from being a total let down. Basically this pie left me feeling a bit blah. It wasn't bad, just quite bland and I think my expectations were so high that I was left disappointed but it wont put me off trying other Pies from Tesco's range as the pastry was absolutely perfect.

Coco Pops Porridge review

Coco pops cereal is something I've never really taken to, however I have recently tasted a few different versions of chocolate porridge and have been pretty impressed. I saw this coco pops version in a pot for those on the go and thought it would be convenient. I was also interested to see how this would taste as coco pops are generally aimed at kids.

 

 

All that is required for this porridge is boiling water and a spoon to stir, then it can be left to stand for 2 minutes. It was quick and easy and so I can imagine would be great for kids in a rush on a school morning- especially as it has the promise of chocolate without being too unhealthy.

 

 

 

There wasn't as much in these pots as other varieties that I have tried but this is probably because it is aimed at children with a smaller appetite, however it was still a sufficient amount for an adult. The taste was a strange experience as it tasted exactly like coco pops! Just in a porridge form. The flavour wasn't strong of chocolate but just enough to satisfy any cravings. The texture was very smooth and the oats throughout quite small. I think you would have to enjoy regular coco pops to be a big fan of this but it was a nice change from regular porridge that I'm sure kids or coco pops fan will love.