Review: Limited Edition Haribo Minions Gone Batty

After looking for these Haribo Minions Gone Batty for the past few weeks, I finally found them today. They're a fun looking Halloween edition of the popular Haribo Minions sweets. 

The back of the packaging lists three 'new spooky flavours'; Slimey Lime & Orange, Creepy Cherry & Apple and finally a Boo Blueberry & Lemon. Unfortunately the sweets are all the same colour so it's quite hard to differentiate all the flavours. Honestly, I think I have a dud packet with only Cherry & Apple flavour as that's all I can really taste in these. It's a nice flavour, with clearly flavoured cherry and apple sides but it's nothing special by itself. I have yet to find any that taste of lime, orange, blueberry or lemon and I don't really want to eat the whole packet by myself just to be able to try all three flavours! Ultimately these are disappointing and I wouldn't recommend them.

Grocery Gems Verdict: Haribo Minions Gone Batty

RATING: 4 out of 10.
Buy them again?: No.
Vegetarian: Not Suitable for Vegetarians.
Purchased: Tesco.
Price: £1.00p.

Review: The Co-Operative Trick or Treat Mallow Bones

A quick review for these Halloween themed marshmallows from The Co-Operative supermarket. The Trick or Treat Mallow Bones are strawberry jelly filled marshmallow sweets. 

Even though these are fairly simple marshmallows, they do look effective as spooky treats. The combination of the white marshmallow and red filling really does make me think of bloody bones. Thankfully they're not gruesome in terms of taste. I've had jelly filled marshmallows before and they tend to be a bit bland but that's not the case with these Mallow Bones. The strawberry filling is quite delicious and has a strong and fruity flavour, with a sweet and thick texture. It perks up the fairly standard fare of the light and fluffy outer marshmallow. Overall I really enjoyed these and I hope they're brought back next year.

Grocery Gems Verdict: Co-Op Mallow Bones

RATING: 8 out of 10.
Buy them again?: Yes.
Nutrition: 65 calories (per 20g serving).
Vegetarian: Not Suitable for Vegetarians.
Purchased: Co-Op.
Price: £1.00p.

Cadbury Craveyard - Vote to resurrect a Cadbury favourite!

Cadbury recently contacted me about their new Halloween campaign and competition #CadburyCraveyard. It looks like great fun and you can even be in with a chance of winning one of 100 special edition bars.

This Halloween choose between two delicious Cadbury bars from the past. Cadbury Marble and Cadbury Fuse bars are ready to claw their way back to life after a peaceful rest - but only one can return and that's up to you!

In what promises to be the most exclusive, supernatural and spook-tacular treat this Halloween, Cadbury is brewing its magical cauldron ready to conjure one of the delicious bars from the mix. Your vote will be thrown into the potion, and count towards which bar comes back and can be won for a limited time only. Voting closes on Halloween, the most ghoulish night of the year and the bar which receives the highest number of votes will then be given away to select winners. 

They won't be available in shops, so voting is the only way you get the chance to win one of the 100 special edition bars. Remember only one delicious treat can be resurrected, so put on your witchy hate and pick wisely!

Which bar do you mourn the return of most...

Cadbury Fuse packed with raisins, nuts and fudge for a texture sensation.

Cadbury Marble which is a perfect blend of praline, milk and white chocolate.

Even though I wish this was actually a vote to bring one of these bars back for good, rather than just a competition, I'm still voting for Cadbury Fuse! 

Click HERE to vote and choose whether to vote FUSE or MARBLE using the hashtag #CadburyCraveyard or visit the Cadbury UK Facebook page and leave a comment under one of the dedicated Craveyard posts. The winning bar will be revealed on the CadburyUK social media channels on All Hallows Eve. To view full terms and conditions visit http://bit.ly/1i0MVmN.         

 PR SAMPLES.

Review: New Warburtons Giant Crumpets

Warburtons have released a giant version of the classic crumpet. The Giant Crumpets are almost twice the size of regular crumpets but still have the same thick and fluffy texture. 

Each pack contains two large crumpets which are easily double the size of our usual crumpets - almost as big as the plate. I must admit I was expecting them to be quite thin, to make up for the larger size, but they're just as thick as regular crumpets. Even though they're twice the size, these crumpets still fit easily into a toaster. 

Once toasted, the flavour is really delicious, with a lovely soft texture with crunchy edges. A giant crumpet deserves a special topping and for me it could only be bananas and Nutella! Of course this was strictly a one-off treat (ahem) but there are lots of other ideas for how to enjoy these giant crumpets. 

Because the crumpets are so big they can be used as a quick and easy meal option. Warburtons sent me a few gorgeous ideas for their giant crumpets such as chicken breast & avocado or a sweet summer berries with marscaone. I especially liked their savoury idea (pictured above) that combines tomatoes, mushrooms and cheese. It's basically a crumpet pizza! I'll be making this one for sure.

Grocery Gems Review: Warburtons Giant Crumpets

RATING: 9 out of 10.

Buy it again?: Yes.
Nutrition: 187 calories per crumpet.
Purchased: Available at Asda, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and Iceland.
Price: £0.69p (pack of two).

PR Samples- I received a gorgeous Warburtons gift hamper.

Halloween Recipes with Betty Crocker

Betty Crocker recently shared three super simple and cute recipes for Halloween. These bakes are all really easy to make using Betty Crocker ready made cake and icing mixes. It's fun to get creative in the kitchen with the kids by baking some spooky Halloween treats like these!

TWEET OWL CUPCAKES

INGREDIENTS

Cake:

1 box Betty Crocker Devil's Food Cupcake Mix 60ml 

60ml water (4tbsp)

30ml vegetable oil (2 tbsp)

2 medium free range eggs

Topping:

1 tub Betty Crocker Chocolate Fudge Icing

9 large milk chocolate buttons

White Fondant Icing, cut into 1½cm rounds

Black Fondant Icing made into ½cm dots

9 yellow or orange chocolate beans.

METHOD:

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C for fan assisted ovens) Gas Mark 4. Place the cake cases into your muffin tin. 
2. Mix the cupcake mix, oil, water and eggs gently together and then whisk (by hand or electric mixer) for 2-3 minutes until completely blended. S
3. Spoon the mixture evenly into the cupcake cases. 
4. Bake in the centre of the oven for 16 minutes or until a rounded knife inserted into the centre of a cupcake comes out clean. Leave to cool on a wire rack. 
5. Ice the Betty Crocker Chocolate Fudge icing over the top of the cupcakes when cool. Place the chocolate button halves on top of the cupcakes to make the ears. Pipe over the chocolate fudge icing to make the feathers and tufts. 
6. Create by rolling out the white icing and cutting large circles for the eyes to place on the cupcake. Then add the milk chocolate button by putting a small dot of icing on one side of the button to stick it to the white icing for the pupils. Add the chocolate beans for the beaks under the eyes. Wonderful! 

CREEPY CAULDRON CAKE

INGREDIENTS

Cake:

1 box Betty Crocker Red Velvet Cake Mix 

65 ml vegetable oil (4 ½ tbsp) 

205 ml water 

3 medium free range eggs 

Topping:

1 tub Betty Crocker Chocolate Fudge Icing 

½ tub Betty Crocker Vanilla Icing 

Green, Orange and Red Food Colouring 

1 packet milk chocolate fingers, halved (125g) 

Handful of jelly snakes cut in half 

Handful white chocolate balls.

METHOD:

1. Preheat your oven to 180C (160 C for fan assisted)/Gas Mark 4. Grease two 20cm cake tins. 
2. Mix the cake mix, oil, water and eggs gently together and whisk (by hand or electric mixer) for 2-3 minutes until smooth and creamy. 
3. Pour the cake mix evenly into your two greased cake tins. 
4. Bake in the centre of the oven for 23-28 minutes or until a rounded knife inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean, then allow to cool on a cooling rack. 
5. Ice by sandwiching the cake together with half of the chocolate fudge icing and spread the rest around the top and sides, reserving a little for the rim of the cauldron. Put this into a piping bag with a large nozzle and pipe around the top edge of the cake. Any leftover icing you can use to make the pupils of the eyeballs. 
6. Decorate by colouring ⅔ of the vanilla icing with green and pipe loosely over the top of the cake, using a large nozzle to form the bubbling potion. Colour the rest of the icing with orange, reserving a little to colour red. Decorate the bottom of the cake with the chocolate finger halves for logs. Pipe orange flames around the bottom of the cauldron and then add red centres to the flames. Push the jelly snakes into the top of the cake so that they give the effect that they are crawling out of the bubbling potion. Add chocolate balls as eyes and 'Hey Presto' a Halloween Cauldron to spook your friends.

SPOOKY SPIDER CUPCAKES

INGREDIENTS

Cupcakes:

1 box Betty Crocker Devil's Food Cake Mix 

90 ml vegetable oil (6 tbsp) 

250 ml water 

3 medium free range eggs 

Decoration:

 1 tub Betty Crocker Rich and Creamy Vanilla Icing 

Red food colouring & Yellow food colouring 

Decoration Tube of black decorating icing 

48 black fruit pastilles

METHOD

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C for fan assisted ovens) / Gas Mark 4. 
2. Mix the eggs, oil, water and cake mix gently together and whisk (by hand or electric mixer) for 2-3 minutes until smooth and creamy. 
3. Pour the mixture evenly into the cupcake cases. 
4. Bake in the centre of the oven for 16 minutes or until a rounded knife inserted into the deepest part of a cupcake comes out clean. Leave to cool on your cooling rack. 
5. Stir 3 drops of red colouring and 4 drops of yellow food colouring into Betty’s Vanilla Rich and Creamy Icing in a small bowl, and mix to create orange icing. Spread this over the cooled cupcakes.
6.  Create four black circles on each cupcake using the black decorating icing. Use a knife to draw through the circles from the centre of each cupcake to create the web effect. 
7. Roll out one fruit pastille and cut out eight strips for legs and then place a whole fruit pastille in the middle to create your spider. Do this for each cupcake to create your beastly batch…Scarily splendid!

There are lots more Halloween recipes on the Betty Crocker website including the adorable Halloween Cat Cake above! Check them out here: www.bettycrocker.co.uk.

Review: Three Little Pigs Rare Breed Spicy Chorizo from Yorkshire

Chorizo is one of the those ingredients that I always have to keep stocked in my fridge. Growing up in a Portuguese household, it's always been an essential part of many of my favourite recipes. As a result, I'm a more than a bit fussy when it comes to chorizo and I dislike much of the grizzly and fatty stuff that's available on the supermarket shelves! 

I was intrigued to try this Rare Breed Spicy Chorizo from Three Little Pigs - an award winning charcuterie producer from Yorkshire. All their products are made in Yorkshire from only the most flavoursome ingredients, such as La Vera Smoked Pimenton and carefully selected rare breed pork. They also give it a 'Yorkshire Twist' by trimming the pork more finely so it doesn't have any chewy bits.

My first impressions of the Three Little Pigs chorizo are excellent. The chorizo is meaty, without too many fatty pockets, and certainly no grizzly bits at all. The flavour is just delicious too. I usually avoid spicy chorizo as I often find that the spice is too overpowering, but that's certainly not the case here. The flavour is deliciously meaty and well seasoned, with a lovely balance of the smoky pimenton and spices. The texture is incredibly smooth and tender for a chorizo making it ideal as a snacking chorizo. We enjoyed it just with some fresh crusty bread - perfection!

I decided to also try cooking with the Three Little Pigs Rare Breed chorizo and I made a simple chicken, chorizo and chick pea stew. The results were very successful, the chorizo immediately turned the oil a gorgeous orangey colour and added plenty of deliciously smoky flavour to the dish.

Grocery Gems Review: Three Little Pigs Rare Breed Spicy Chorizo

RATING: 10 out of 10.

Buy it again?: Yes.
Nutrition: Gluten Free.
Available: See below.

Three Little Pigs products are available at Co-Op, Selfridges, Whole Foods Market, Partridges, farmshops, specialist cheese shops and via Aga Foodhalls online. For further information check out www.threelittlepigschorizo.co.uk. 

New Instore: Tesco Raspberry Doughnut Flavour Yogurt (UPDATED!)

In a recent New Instore round up post I featured the new Tesco Carrot Cake Flavour Yogurt and mentioned that there was also a doughnut flavoured yogurt available in the range. A big thank you to Luci J. who emailed me a photo of this new flavour!

Tesco Raspberry Doughnut Flavour Yogurt: Luci described this one as tasting like a normal raspberry yogurt when eating it but it does have a lovely jam doughnut aftertaste. She still really enjoyed it! I love raspberry so this sounds really good. £0.60p at Tesco.

UPDATE:

Tesco Marmalade On Toast Flavour Yogurt (bottom of photo): Thanks to Bronagh who sent me a photo of the final yogurt in this range - the Tesco Marmalade On Toast Flavour Yogurt. In fact she's bought the whole trio of yogurts in this range. Has there ever been such a unique range of yogurt flavours? If you've tried a wackier one then I'd love to know what flavour it was! £0.60p at Tesco.

Many thanks again to Luci, and Bronagh, for the great photos and description! Also thank you again to Lucy W. who first told me about this range. If you've spotted any new products instore then I'd love to hear from you - email grocerygems@gmail.com or tweet me @grocerygems. 

New Instore: Müller Light Apple Strudel Yogurt & Müller Rice Maple Syrup

Many thanks to Richard W for sending me photos of these fab new flavours from Müller.

Müller Light Apple Strudel Flavour Yogurt: I believe this is the latest limited edition from Müller Light. It sounds like a lovely autumnal flavour for a yogurt. I'm really looking forward to giving this one a try! £0.70p at Salisbury's (on offer for 6 for £3.00p).

Müller Rice Maple Flavour Syrup: This limited edition flavour sounds gorgeous too. I like the idea of the creamy rice with a maple flavoured syrup. £0.70p at Salisbury's (also on offer for 6 for £3.00p).

If you've spotted any new products instore then I'd love to hear from you - email grocerygems@gmail.com or tweet me @grocerygems. Thank you!

Competition! Win a copy of Reole What's Cookin'? CD with Recipe Leaflet

Something a little different today! I was recently sent the latest album by 'Funkmaster general' Reole. The album What's Cookin'? is influenced by cooking food and even comes with a little leaflet packed full of recipes. It's suggested that you turn up the music to full volume whilst cooking up a storm!

Reole started his musical life playing brass in Mardi Gras parades and his What's Cookin'? album features a blend of instrumental funk, jazz and classical rock.

Take a listen to one of the tracks, 'Got Your Back Girl' here:  https://soundcloud.com/reole/got-your-back-girl-feat-sophie-mendoza

Recipes in the leaflet include; Gris Gris Jerk Chicken with Beans and Coconut Rice, Mean Muffuletta, and a Jambalaya Fire.

Competition!

The album is released on 4th December but to win 1 of 2 copies of What's Cookin'? by Reole now, simply Retweet the competition Tweet HERE:
https://twitter.com/grocerygems/status/654618644350111744

HOW TO ENTER

• Competition open to UK residents only
• Closing date 26th October 2015.
• Winner must reply within 5 days or a new winner will be chosen.

New Instore: Ben & Jerry's Pumpkin Cheesecake, Gingerbread Yogurt & More

Thanks to Lucy W. for the first three photos!

Ben & Jerry's Pumpkin Cheesecake: I was so surprised when I heard that this had been released in the UK. It feels like I've been banging on about the lack of pumpkin and cinnamon flavours in the UK and then Ben & Jerry's brings out two at once - Cinnamon Bun and now Pumpkin Cheesecake. Häagen Dasz who? £4.49p at Tesco.

The Collective Gingerbread Yogurt: I love the limited edition yogurts from The Collective. They always release such interesting seasonal flavours. This Gingerbread is really appealing to me and I'm sure I will enjoy it more than the Xmas Pud yogurt last year. £2.00p at Tesco.

Tesco Carrot Cake Yogurt: This is such a unique yogurt flavour from Tesco. Lucy tells me there was also a Marmalade Toast flavour and a Raspberry Doughnut flavour! Let me know if you've tried any of these. £0.60p at Tesco. UPDATE: I've hear from Sophie who says that this yogurt was  a little disappointing, it had only two sultanas and needed more cinnamon flavour, and perhaps some grated carrot too. However, she did say the mascarpone part was tasty. If you've had a similar experience let me know in the comments below.

Nescafé Mint Mocha Café Menu: Nescafé often releases seasonal varieties in their Cafe Menu instant coffee drink range. This limited edition Mint Mocha is joined by their retruning Gingerbread flavour. £1.89p at Tesco.

Tesco Red Velvet Cake Dessert (frozen): There were absolutely loads of new frozen desserts at Tesco today, far too many to mention. I was drawn to this Tesco Red Velvet Cake which seems to be a cross between a cake and a cheesecake. There was also a new (long list alert!) Salted Caramel Cheesecake, Toffee Apple Cheesecake, S'mores Cheesecake, Sicilian Lemon Roulade, Black Forest Roulade, and a White Chocolate & Cranberry Cheesecake. £2.00p at Tesco.

Oreo Cheesecake; I'm definitely tempted by this one. If you've tried it then let me know if it's any good in the comments below! £3.00p at Tesco.

Cadbury Snowy Delight Pots of Joy: This limited edition Pots of Joy chocolate dessert from Cadbury is a simple combination of white and milk chocolate layers. It's a nice enough looking winter edition but I'd like to see something more autumnal from Cadbury at this time of year. £2.58p at Tesco.

Thorntons Fudge Pots: There was also a new range of Thorntons Fudge Pots in the yogurt section. I spotted three different varieties; Toffee, Vanilla and Chocolate. £1.50p at Tesco.

The Collective Dairy Duples: The Collective have also released a new range of duo pot yogurts called Duples. Lucy told me about these and I managed to spot one flavour instore, a 'black cherry gourmet yogurt with dark choccy curls'. £1.19p at Tesco.

Bonne Maman: Also in the yogurt section, a new range of Bonne Maman dessert pots. There were three flavours; Strawberries & Cream, Vanilla Creme, and Strawberry Mousse. £1.80p at Tesco.

Tassimo Kenco Americano Grande: I must admit that I haven't used my Tassimo machine in months. It's currently gathering dust in the back of a cupboard somewhere. I'm almost tempted to give it another go and try these new Kenco Americano Grande capsules. If anyone  has tried these then I'd love to know if you enjoyed them. £4.59p at Tesco.

If you've spotted any new products instore then I'd love to hear from you - email grocerygems@gmail.com or tweet me @grocerygems. Thank you!

Review: Barleycup - Instant Cereal Drink

Barleycup is an instant hot drink that is gluten and caffeine free. It's made with a combination of barley, rye and chicory, and is described as being a great natural alternative to tea and coffee. Barleycup is also free of any added sugars and contains only 10 calories per cup. I've been a fan of barley and chicory hot drinks for a while now (they're very popular in continental countries) so I was delighted to be asked to try out Barleycup.

The powdered drink is very simple to make. It just needs two teaspoonfuls of powder per cup. The powder dissolves instantly and leaves a slightly frothy top. I then added a little soya milk to my Barleycup. It all looks very much like coffee, although the aroma is much milder and less intense.

The flavour is also very smooth and mild. It's hard to describe but it's definitely nearer to a coffee drink than anything else. It's very mild at first but the flavour does build nicely. It would be a lovely coffee substitute for anyone who needs or wants to give up caffeine. This is also a drink that older kids can enjoy too as an alternative to sugary hot drinks. I love the fact that Barleycup tastes so smooth and mild without having any added sugar or other horrible ingredients. I would drink this as more of an evening drink as an alternative to hot drinks such as Ovaltine (which is full of glucose syrup and other nasties). 

Overall, I think Barleycup makes a wonderful alternative to coffee or other hot drinks. It's great for anyone who wants to give up caffeine or who just wants a naturally sugar free evening drink. The all natural ingredients and low calorie content make is a good choice for a family drink that everyone can enjoy. 

Barleycup is available at Holland & Barrett, Amazon and independent health shops. Check out www.barleycup.co.uk for more informarion.

Grocery Gems Review: Barleycup

RATING: 8 out of 10.

Buy them again?: Yes.
Nutrition: 10 calories per portion.

PR Samples.

Competition! Win a Box of Walkers Bring It Back Crisps

Walkers recently revived five retro crisp flavours in their Bring It Back Campaign. Crisp fans can vote for which of the following crisp flavours they'd like to see brought back: Cheese & Chive, Barbecue, Lamb & Mint, Toasted Cheese, and Beef & Onion.

Competition!

These retro flavours are only available instore for a limited time but you can win a whole box thanks to Walkers! They've kindly offered my readers the chance to WIN a box of Bring it Back Crisps. To win simply enter via the Rafflecopter form below.

WIN A BOX OF WALKERS BRING IT BACK CRISPS

HOW TO ENTER

• Simply fill in the Rafflecopter entry form below to verify your entries (you can choose as many or as few options to fill in as you like)
• Competition open to UK residents only
• Closing date 22nd October 2015.
• Winner must reply within 5 days or a new winner will be chosen.
• Prize will be sent by Walkers.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don't forget you can still vote in the Walkers Bring It Back Campaign until 1st November 2015 with a chance to win £100,000! Enter by voting via the Walker website at www.walkers.co.uk or on Facebook and Twitter using the following flavour hashtags:

#VoteLambMint

#VoteBeefOnion

#VoteToastedCheese

#VoteBarbecue

#VoteCheeseChive

New Instore: Cadbury Amaze Bites - Chocolate Covered Brownie Cake Bites

A quick post about these new Cadbury Amaze Bites - many thanks to James M. who sent me the photo via Facebook. 

Cadbury Amaze Bites: These new tubs of chocolate covered brownie bites are available in three flavours: Double Chocolate, Chocolate & Mint, and Chocolate & Orange. Each mini brownie contains chocolate chips and is covered in Cadbury milk chocolate. Spotted at Asda - RRP is £1.99p but I think they're on special offer for £1.20p at the moment.

Don't forget if you spot any new products in store please let me know via email - grocerygems@gmail.com or Twitter etc. Thank you!

Review: Kellogg's All-Bran High Fibre Muesli

Kellogg's have launched a range of high-fibre All-Bran Mueslis which are available in two flavours; Cranberry & Sultanas with pumpkin seeds, and Fruit & Nut with banana, coconut, sultanas and hazelnuts. They both have 30% more fibre than the average muesli, and are made with a blend of wholegrain oats, wheat bran shreds and fruit pieces.

All-Bran Fruit & Nut: It's probably no surprise to regular readers of this blog that I absolutely loved the Fruit & Nut variety. The combination of banana and coconut is just delicious. The fruity banana chips and juicy sultanas add plenty of sweetness to the muesli whilst the coconut curls and crunchy hazelnuts are packed full of flavour. I've been obsessed with this muesli since I first tried it and it's going to be a permanent addition to my shopping list from now on.

All-Bran Cranberry & Sultanas: This is a mix of cranberry fruit pieces, pumpkin seeds and sultanas. The mix of flavour is not as sweet as the Fruit & Nut variety above. The pumpkin seeds in particular dominate the other fruity flavours.  However, it's still a very tasty muesli and I really enjoyed the unusual addition of cranberry pieces. 

Overall, these are both excellent muesli cereals from Kellogg's All Bran. I liked the addition of the high fibre bran shreds with the more traditional ingredients of a muesli. Both varieties were delicious but I especially enjoyed the sweeter Fruit & Nut and I'll certainly be buying it again in future.

Grocery Gems Review: Kellogg's All-Bran High Fibre Muesli

RATING: 9 out of 10,
Buy them again?: Yes - especially the Fruit & Nut.
Nutrition:  158 calories (per 45g serving).

Vegetarian: Yes.
Purchased: Available at most supermarkets.
Price: RRP - £2.99p (550g bag).

Recent Kellogg's reviews:

Kellogg's Star Wars & Frozen Breakfast Biscuits
Kellogg's Disney Frozen Cereal Review

Kellogg's Star Wars Cereal Review

PR Samples.

Review: Kellogg's Star Wars & Frozen Multi-Grain Biscuits

The recent Star Wars and Frozen cereals have obviously been a hit with kids and film fans alike, with September seeing the launch of another Disney themed product from Kellogg's. The new Kellogg's Frozen and Star Wars Multi-Grain Biscuits feature fun Disney designs and are high in fibre with no artificial colours, flavouring or preservatives.

Each box contains 6 individually sealed packets of 4 biscuits. The Star Wars Multi-Grain Biscuits are chocolate flavoured biscuits with added chocolate pieces.

The Kellogg's Star Wars Biscuits all feature either a TIE Fighter or X-Wing design (totally didn't need to look that up on google...). The flavour here was not the simple chocolate and oaty combination that I was expecting. The chocolate has more of a cocoa flavour that is quite milky. It's hard to describe but my son said it was like a creamy hot chocolate in a biscuit. The cereal base is not too sweet and the added chocolate pieces provide an extra pop of chocolatey flavour.

The Kellogg's Frozen Multi-Grain Biscuits are described as cereal and milk flavoured. The designs featured are Olaf the snowman and Sven the reindeer which are both really cute. The flavour here is sweeter than the chocolate version, with a lovely vanilla aroma and taste, against a wheaty and oaty background. This was my kids' favourite of the two biscuits, although I wasn't surprised as they usually favour vanilla flavour over chocolate.

I love how the boxes have images on both sides and can be displayed either way. The Star Wars boxes have Darth Vader/Yoda sides, whilst the Frozen boxes have Elsa & Anna/Olaf sides. I'm sure these Multi-Grain biscuits will be very popular with fans young and old, especially with the upcoming release of the new Star Wars movie, The Force Awakens, in December.

Grocery Gems Review: Kellogg's Star Wars Cereal

RATING: 8 out of 10,
Buy them again?: Yes - especially the Frozen biscuits.
Nutrition:  96 calories (per 2 biscuits).

Vegetarian: Yes.
Purchased: Available at most supermarkets.
Price: RRP - £2.49p (box of six packs x 4 biscuits).

Check out my previous reviews:

Kellogg's Disney Frozen Cereal Review

Kellogg's Star Wars Cereal Review

PR Samples.

Retro Baking & Walker's Bring It Back Campaign!

If you're watching the Great British Bake Off final tonight then I hope you've got some cakes or sweet treats in! Walker's recently invited me to take part in sharing a retro baking recipe. It's to celebrate their Bring It Back campaign which relaunched five retro crisp flavours for a limited time. I've reviewed all of the flavours HERE.

When I saw the words 'retro baking' I immediately thought of making either a Black Forest Gateau or a Pineapple Upside Down Cake. In the end I decided to make a Pineapple Upside Cake as I have vivid memories of loving this cake as a child. In fact I'm pretty sure I had it as my birthday cake for a few years in a row! And I realised that my kids have never tried one, and bonus, it's such an easy recipe that they could get involved with making it too. 

Of course I had to add a little twist to the original so this is a Pineapple & Coconut Upside Down Cake! 

Pineapple & Coconut Upside Down Cake

Ingredients

8 pineapple rings

1-2 tbsp golden syrup

150g soft butter/margarine

150g caster sugar

150g self raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

3 eggs

8 glace cherries

25g dessicated coconut (plus more for decorating).

METHOD

• Grease a large tin. 
• Arrange pineapple rings in a circular pattern in the tin.
• Place a glace cherry or other small fruit in centre of each pineapple ring (I used a mix of glace. cherries and mango pieces).
• Drizzle golden syrup over the pineapple rings.
• In a large bowl, mix butter, sugar and eggs. 
• Sift in the flour and mix until creamy.
• Pour cake mixture over pineapples and smooth down.
• Bake in oven for 30-40 minutes until golden brown.
• Once cooled drizzle a little more golden syrup on top (I used a brush to dab some on each pineapple ring).
• Sprinkle with dessicated coconut to decorate.

It's quite easy to make and the result is a fruity and super sweet cake that was a winner with the family! 

Thanks to Walkers for inviting me to bake a retro recipe. Don't forget you can still vote in the Walkers Bring It Back Campaign until 1st November 2015 with a chance to win £100,000! Enter by voting via the Walker website at www.walkers.co.uk or on Facebook and Twitter using the flavour hashtags:

#VoteLambMint

#VoteBeefOnion

#VoteToastedCheese

#VoteBarbecue

#VoteCheeseChive

Which flavour will you be voting for?