Review: Magnum Double Peanut Butter

As a peanut butter fan I was happy to find that the Magnum Double Peanut Butter has finally been released in the UK. It's a gorgeous sounding offering of peanut butter flavoured ice cream with a chocolate flavour coating and peanut butter sauce. 

The first thing I noticed is just how small this new Magnum ice cream is. Unilever announced earlier this year that all it's British ice cream brands (Magnum, Cornetto, Feast) would be reduced in size by up to a third, to bring them under a 250 calories limit, and it's made a noticeable difference to the Magnum Double. 

It doesn't feel all that much bigger than a Mini Magnum but I'll have to buy a pack of those to do a proper size comparison. In terms of numbers a Magnum Classic is now 110ml, this Magnum Double Peanut Butter is 88ml, whilst a Magnum Mini is 60ml.

Inside, the Magnum Double Peanut Butter consists of twin layers of chocolate filled with a peanut butter 'sauce' It doesn't have the consistency of a peanut butter but instead is more like a smooth caramel. I would have preferred the texture to be thicker and more peanut butter-like. The flavour itself is nicely nutty but is much sweeter than a peanut butter and without the salty edge. The inner ice cream is super creamy, with a sweet peanut flavour that works well with the rich outer chocolate. Overall, The Magnum Double Peanut Butter is not exactly what I was expecting in terms of having a full-on peanut butter flavour. It's more of a chocolate & peanut offering but it's still an enjoyable and tasty ice cream. 

Grocery Gems Verdict: Magnum Double Peanut Butter

RATING: 8 out of 10.
Buy them again?: Yes.
Nutrition: 245 calories.
Purchased: Tesco
Price: £2.00p for a box of 4 ice creams. 

Review: Magnum Pink Raspberry & Black Espresso

I finally managed to track down the new Magnum Pink & Black ice creams to review and I was especially pleased to find them in this multipack Mini format. There are three mini ice creams of each variety, Magnum Pink Raspberry and Magnum Black Espresso, in the pack. It's always exciting when Magnum releases new flavours but even better when they're both so delicious sounding. Even the packaging is interesting with it's visually appealing constract of bright and dark colours.

I much prefer the Mini Magnum size as I sometimes find the bigger versions a bit too heavy. They are also lower in calories - there are 166 calories in the Mini Magnum Pink and 159 calories in the Mini Magnum Black, which I don't think is too bad for this type of ice cream. 

The Magnum Pink Raspberry is described as a raspberry ice cream with raspberry sauce (9%), coated in milk chocolate (28%) and an outer pink coating (6%). Whilst the Magnum Black Espresso has a vanilla flavoured ice cream, swirled with a coffee sauce (9%), and coated in dark chocolate (32%).

Magnum Pink Raspberry: I was most interested in trying this delicate perlescent pink ice cream as I have quite a sweet tooth when it comes to ice cream flavours. The inner ice cream here has a deliciously creamy and sweet raspberry flavour, with the swirls of raspberry sauce adding an extra hit of the fruity raspberry. It's covered in the distinctive Magnum milk chocolate, with it's strong cocoa flavour. The chocolate is slightly sweetened by the outer pink coating but there isn't any additional raspberry flavour here. 

I really enjoyed the combination of the raspberry (which is fast becoming one of my new favourite flavours) and delicious milk chocolate. It's much tastier than the disappointing Magnum Yogurt Fresh Raspberry from a few years ago, and also the far-too-sweet Magnum Strawberry & White which I've had on holiday in Portugal.

Magnum Black Espresso: Even though I love my coffee, I'm always a bit wary of coffee flavoured ice creams and chocolates - they always have the possibility of going hideously wrong, with either a cheap tasting coffee flavour or just being overly strong. Luckily the Magnum Black Espresso manages to strike the perfect balance between that first rush of espresso flavour, from within the inner swirls, and the creamy vanilla ice cream itself. It all combines to create a milkier and sweeter coffee flavour, but one that can still pack a punch with a great-tasting espresso hit. The overall flavour is not as intense as I was expecting and even the dark outer chocolate (which I thought would be very dark) tastes quite sweet against the lovely espresso flavour inside. 

I wasn't expecting to enjoy the Magnum Black Espresso as much as the Magnum Pink Raspberry but I'm actually finding it hard to choose a favourite between the two of them! 

If you've tried either of these new Magnum varieties then I'd love to hear from you in the comments below. 

Grocery Gems Review: Magnum Mini Pink & Black

RATING: 8 out of 10 (for both).
Buy them again?: Yes.
Nutrition: Magnum Pink: 166 calories; Magnum Black: 159 calories.
Purchased: Sainsburys.
Price: £2.00p for a box of 6 mini ice creams (special offer).

Food News: New Magnum Pink & Magnum Black

Magnum have unveiled two new flavours for 2015 - the Magnum Pink and Magnum Black. I couldn't resist sharing this news already even though I haven't spotted these instore yet. If you're the first to see them instore then please leave a comment below.

UPDATE!: Lucy W. emailed me to say she found them listed on the Tesco groceries website for £2.00p - HERE. Thanks Lucy, I know where I'm heading tomorrow!

Here's a description of both flavours from the press release:

The Magnum Black contains intense black espresso swirled through a smooth vanilla flavour ice cream, covered in cracking dark Magnum chocolate. For when you are feeling more refined, Magnum Black reflects the sophisticated aspects of your personality.

The Magnum Pink combines delicate raspberry flavoured ice cream and sauce, and coated in cracking Magnum chocolate with premium, perlescent pink coating. Magnum Pink reflects your fun, cheeky and exuberant side, helping you express your playful persona.

Magnum Pink and Magnum Black: two contrasting, sophisticated and stylish ice creams that reflect the different sides to out personalities. Different ice creams, for different moments.

What do you think of these new flavours from Magnum? Personally, I can't wait to try the Magnum Pink!

Limited Edition Magnum No. 4 Flirty Kiss Gateau Au Chocolat

I was pleased to finally find a few more varieties of the Magnum Kisses range at Sainsbury's, where they are on special offer at the moment. They had the No. 3 Passionate Kiss Tiramisu and this No. 4 Flirty Kiss Gateau Au Chocolat. These are available in packets of three individually boxed ice creams. I've previously reviewed the No. 1 First Kiss Crème Brûlée, in a mini format, and the No. 5 Stolen Kiss Tarte Aux Pommes, which I've only seen for sale individually.

The prospect of this Limited Edition Gateau Au Chocolat Magnum is perhaps not as exciting compared to the other flavours in the range. It's described as chocolate ice cream, with chocolate sauce and chocolate brownie pieces. The result is undoubtedly a real treat for chocolate lovers! The outer milk chocolate is delicious, and extremely satisfying, as is usual for most Magnum stick ice creams. The inner chocolate ice cream is richly creamy and full of indulgent cocoa flavour, but it's the brownie pieces which make this an extra special delight. They're dense, but still cakey and slightly squidgey at the same time. Their inclusion reminds me of the recent Ben & Jerry's Blondie Brownie tub, which is half chocolate ice cream with chocolate brownie pieces. This Magnum provides a similar flavour experience but is also covered in extra chocolate!

Check out my No. 1 First Kiss Crème Brûlée review for full details of the Magnum Kisses range.

Grocery Gems Verdict: Magnum Flirty Kiss Gateau Au Chocolat

RATING: 9 out of 10.
Buy them again?: Yes, our favourite of the range so far.
Nutrition: 210 calories.
Purchased: Sainsburys.
Price: £2.50p for 3 pack.

Limited Edition Magnum No. 5 Stolen Kiss Tarte Aux Pommes

I previously reviewed the new Magnum First Kiss Crème Brûlée here and I've been eager to try the other flavours in the Five Kisses range - the Magnum No.5 Stolen Kiss especially! It's described as a "vanilla ice cream, with apple sauce, nutmeg pastry pieces, coated in white chocolate with cinnamon". So far I've only seen the Magnum Stolen Kiss for sale in individual boxes, which means you'll need to look for it in smaller freezer cabinets in local shops or supermarkets.

The Magnum itself was slightly smaller than I was expecting, only 68g. Considering it cost £1.99 I was expecting a regular size Magnum. However, the white chocolate looked gorgeous, with generous amounts of fragrant cinnamon speckled throughout.The taste fully lived up to my high expectations for a cinnamon white chocolate, it's simply delicious - rich and creamy chocolate with lots of cinnamon spicy flavour. I could eat a whole bar of chocolate just like this!

The pastry pieces are doughy and delicious, with a little bit of spiced flavour too. They work well with the creamy vanilla ice cream that Magnum is so good at. The apple sauce and pieces were slightly less appetising, it's the kind of apple flavour you would find in something like a McDonald's or a Mr. Kipling Apple Pie. It's a little too artificial and sweet for my liking. However, I still preferred the overall flavours in this Tarte Aux Pommes to the previous Crème Brûlée version I reviewed, and I would buy it again just for the cinnamon white chocolate coating! It's very expensive for such a small ice cream but still worth a try at least once - I'd like to see this available in a multipack format too.

Grocery Gems Verdict: Magnum Stolen Kiss Tarte Aux Pommes

RATING: 7 out of 10.
Buy them again?: Yes, I loved the outer chocolate.
Nutrition: 210 calories.
Purchased: Tesco Express.
Price: £1.99p each.

Limited Edition Magnum Mini First Kiss Crème Brûlée

There are five different flavours (and types of kiss!) in this Limited Edition numerically themed range from Magnum - full descriptions below. They are all inspired by classic desserts. I picked up a pack of the No. 1 First Kiss which only seems to be available in the Magnum Mini format.

It's described as "a custard flavour ice cream with caramel sauce and caramelised sugar pieces, all coated with a layer of chocolate".

The ice cream and chocolate are delicious in their familiar Magnum flavours. If you've had a classic Magnum before you'll know what these taste like. The milk chocolate is thick and packed full of rich and sweet cocoa flavour. The ice cream has a slightly richer vanilla flavour to it. There are lots of caramelised sugar pieces within the ice cream and occasional swirls of caramel too. The caramelised pieces have a nice crunchy texture that becomes quite chewy and sticky on the teeth. They have a slight burnt flavour to them that is reminiscent of a Crème Brûlée dessert, however they were slightly too bitter for me to enjoy the taste.

Image: Magnum

The other flavours in this range are:

No. 2 Loving Kiss - Meringue Et Fruits Rouges - Cream flavour ice cream, red fruit sauce, cranberry & meringue pieces, covered in milk chocolate.

No. 3 Passionate Kiss - Tiramisu - Mascarpone ice cream, coffee sauce, chocolate chunks & sponge pieces, covered in milk chocolate.

No. 4 Flirty Kiss - Gateau Aux Chocolate - Chocolate ice cream, chocolate sauce, chocolate brownie pieces, covered in milk chocolate.

No. 5 Stolen Kiss - Tarte Aux Pommes - Vanilla ice cream, apple sauce and pastry pieces, covered in a cinnamon dusted white chocolate.

Personally I can't wait to try No.5!

Grocery Gems Verdict: Magnum Mini First Kiss Crème Brûlée

RATING: 6.5 out of 10.
Buy them again?: Not this flavour but I hope to try the other flavours.
Nutrition: 140 calories, 1.5g protein, 16g Carb, 15g sugars, 8g fat.
Purchased: Sainsburys.
Price: £3.99p for a box of 6 mini ice creams.

New! Walls Chocolate Range - Cornetto, Magnum & Mini Milk (not real ice cream!) Review

I was so excited to hear about this range of ice cream inspired chocolates. They may look like regular ice creams in the photo above but these are all chocolate mini versions that do NOT contain any ice cream! In fact you'll find these little cuties in the chocolate aisle of Asda (or next to the checkouts). Don't go looking in the freezer section! There are three varieties available; Cornetto Vanilla & Chocolate Cones, Magnum Chocolates, and Mini Milk Chocolate Lollipops.

I'm going to start with my favourite of the bunch - these Cornetto Vanilla Chocolate Cones. The detail on these is fantastic, from the wrapper to the chocolate itself. The packaging is almost identical and it unwraps in the same way as the ice cream version!

Just for size comparison here is the new Cornetto chocolate next to a standard supermarket ice cream cone. See just how cute and diddly it is??

Under the wrapper it looks like a perfect mini Cornetto and it's hard to believe that it's not really an ice cream! It's a familiar Cornetto cone filled with a vanilla flavour white chocolate truffle topped with caramelised hazelnuts pieces. The nuts were really delicious because unlike nuts on an ice cream which tend to go soft, these were crunchy and full of hazelnut flavour. 

The white chocolate truffle centre is soft and smooth, with a very sweet vanilla flavour. It compliments the crunchy outer wafer very well. As a Cornetto made into a chocolate goes, you can't get any closer to perfection than this! 

The Magnum Chocolates are also fantastically well presented, and very similar to it's big brother - the Magnum Ice Cream. Of course, in reality it's much smaller than a Magnum Ice cream, the wrapper is about the size of a regular Dairy Milk chocolate bar. 

Inside there are three Magnum chocolates which look just like miniature Magnum Ice Creams - but without the sticks! 

This is filled with a vanilla flavoured white chocolate truffle. It's not like a regular white chocolate truffle, it's much softer and so creamy that it's hard to believe that it isn't ice cream. The outer milk chocolate is standard Magnum chocolate which contains 38% minimum cocoa solids and has a lovely rich quality.

Overall these Magnum chocolates are quite simple in terms of flavour, but they're also a very successful reproduction of the ice cream that they're based on. I'd love to see other flavours from the Magnum range made into miniature chocolates too! Kev's Snack Review has also reviewed these Magnum Chocolates here.

Lastly it's the kids' chocolate of the bunch - chocolate lollipops based on Mini Milks! These were available in both a white chocolate and a milk chocolate version. As far as my children are concerned, Mini Milks have to be vanilla so I only bought the white ones!

Inside is a fantastic chocolate replica of a Mini Milk ice cream. Making this a lollipop on a stick is very fitting for a Mini Milk chocolate and one that I'm sure kids will love - mine certainly did.

The white chocolate lollipop is described as having a "soft milky centre".The inner chocolate is indeed slightly softer than the outer layer but it all has the same flavour. It's a VERY sweet white chocolate, even sweeter than a kids white chocolate like Milky Bar. It has a strong vanilla flavour alongside the white chocolate, that for me was slightly cloying. However this chocolate is quite clearly aimed at kids and it was very popular with my taste testers! Each lollipop contains 30% of recommended daily calcium, with no artificial colours, flavours or hydrogenated fat. 

What do you think of this new range of chocolates inspired by ice creams? 

Grocery Gems Verdict: Cornetto Vanilla Chocolate Cone, Magnum Chocolates & Mini Milk Chocolate Lollipops:

Rating: Cornetto - 8.5/10, Magnum - 8/10, Mini Milk Lollipop - 7/10

Buy Again: Yes - superb fun range, and I love the Cornetto chocolates!

Nutrition: Cornetto - 110 cals, Magnum (each choc) - 66 cals, Mini Milk - 90 cals.

Purchased: Asda.

Price: Cornetto - £0.50p, Magnum - £0.65p, Mini Milk Lollipop- £0.40p.

Magnum Yoghurt Fresh Review

I'm always interested in new flavours of Magnum ice cream arriving in the UK - we're usually a couple of years behind the range that is available in continental Europe. I bought this pack of 4 Magnum Yoghurt Fresh ice creams in Sainsbury's, on offer for £2.00.

Out of all the new ice creams I've seen in the shops recently these were the ones I wanted to try first, although I'm also tempted by the new Magnum Loving Kiss.

From the outside they look just like a Magnum Classic as they both have the same chocolate covering. It's quite brittle and snaps easily and in large chunks. The chocolate flavour is smooth and satisfying, and adds a great crunch alongside the ice cream.

On first bite the raspberry swirls within the ice cream were not immediately evident, but soon enough a pink swirly pattern emerged.

The taste of the yogurt (sorry Magnum but I spell yogurt without the H) ice cream is not at all what I expected. Yogurt ice cream is usually quite tart and can have an almost sour edge to it. This ice cream is smooth, creamy with a very subtle yogurt flavour, that at first taste, is barely noticeable. It's a very sweet yogurt without any tartness. I don't mean to imply that the ice cream tastes the same as the usual Magnum ice cream, it's not the same at all. It doesn't have the milky creaminess or vanilla flavour that you would get from the Magnum Classic. However it's not purely an iced yogurt either. It's more of an ice cream with added yogurt.

There is some tanginess to the flavours but that mostly comes from the raspberry swirls, rather than the yogurt, and is quite subtle. Having said that, the fruity flavour is still more of a sweet flavour rather than a tangy one. Combined with the smooth, creamy yogurt flavour I can see why Magnum have called this "Fresh". It's certainly feels less heavy to eat than a regular Magnum, despite the fact that it has practically the same number of calories. I've always thought that the main selling point of yogurt ice cream is that it's a "healthier" option. The levels of calories and fat are only marginally less than the Magnum Classic. The Magnum Yogurt Fresh has 250 calories and 15g of fat, whilst a Magnum Classic has 260 calories and 16g of fat.

Overall, the Magnum Yoghurt Fresh does provide a lighter tasting alternative to the rest of the Magnum range, even if the calories don't reflect that.

Grocery Gems Verdict: Magnum Yogurt Fresh

RATING: 7 out of 10.
Buy them again?: Only a maybe on this one.
Nutrition: 250 calories, 2.5g protein, 26g Carb, 24g sugars, 15g fat.
Purchased: Sainsburys.
Price: £2.00p for a box of 4 ice creams. 

Magnum Vanilla & Chocolate Ice Cream

New from Walls Magnum, ice cream in tubs! Magnum are of course famous for their ice creams on a stick. I tried to think of a more sophisticated way to describe them but there you have it - ice cream on a stick. Now Magnum have branched into the premium ice cream tub market to rival the likes of Haagen Dasz and Ben & Jerry's.

There are two varieties available in this new range; Vanilla & Chocolate or just Chocolate. They both seem fairly safe choices, if a little boring.

The top of the ice cream is covered in dark chocolate pieces. The ice cream itself has a deep creamy colour. There is also a "core" of chocolate sauce, which I uncovered in the photo below. This is very similar to the recent Ben & Jerry Cores Ice Cream.

Everything about this new Magnum Vanilla & Chocolate Ice Cream is good. The ice cream is very creamy and speckled throughout with small chocolate shavings. The chocolate sauce core is flavourful and has a rich cocoa edge. The chocolate pieces on top add a tasty initial crunch. It's all very good, I can't say anything bad about the taste, but there was still something missing for me. I think I am too used to exciting flavours in these kinds of premium ice cream tubs. There are so many fantastic choices out there. I also absolutely loved the Ben & Jerry Cores Ice Cream, they are delicicous with a great combination of flavours and textures. The Magnum Vanilla & Chocolate Ice Cream is just a bit boring in comparision. However if you looking for a simple vanilla and chocolate ice cream done well then this will go down a treat.

The  Magnum Vanilla & Chocolate Ice Cream costs £3.99 for a 450ml tub but is currently on offer for £1.99 in Sainsbury's.

Are you tempted by the new Magnum Ice Creams?

You may also be interested in:
Ben & Jerry's Karamel Sutra
Haagen Dasz Mint Leaves & Chocolate

Magnum Inifinity Chocolate Ice Cream

I must be a big kid at heart because the discovery of a new ice cream always makes my day. Magnum often brings out new varieties to keep the brand fresh and interesting. I loved the Magnum Gold which was released a few years ago and the Magnum Temptation last year. This year we have the Magnum Infinity. It promises to give you an intense pleasure sensation that stays with you for longer. This is because it has 'cocoa nibs' which are made from a rare Tanzanian cocoa containing a high concentration of theobromine, a phytochemical known to have a mild, stimulating effect. They claim that Magnum Infinity helps to increase feelings of well-being and pleasure. Well, I think most ice cream has that affect on me anyway!

The taste of these is extremely intense, the dark chocolate covering is covered with 'bumps', which at first glance might look like nuts, but are in fact the raw cocoa nibs. These don't taste at all like I was expecting, they are quite bitter and could almost be mistaken for coffee beans. If you love extremely dark, strong chocolate then this will be heaven. I have quite a sweet tooth so these were a bit too intense and dark for me! The ice cream in the centre is lovely and smooth with a sweet chocolate flavour. It helps to balance the dark chocolate but is ultimately overpowered flavourwise.

These are now available in a new pack of the Mini variety, making this a less intense way to enjoy the Magnum Infinity.



Have you tried the Magnum Infinity? Let me know what you thought by leaving a comment. Thanks