New Krispy Kreme Salted Caramel Doughnut

When I heard about this new Salted Caramel doughnut by Krispy Kreme I knew I wouldn't be able to resist giving it a try. My local Tesco's has a Krispy Kreme cabinet so I didn't think it would be too hard for me to get my hands on one. Unfortunately Tesco didn't have them and I was quite disappointed. Luckily for me I just happened *cough* to find myself at a branch of Krispy Kreme in central London and I decided it would be rude not the give the new doughnuts a try.

Krispy Kreme's autumn collection, which features three new doughnuts, is called "Kreme de la Kreme", and it's easy to see why. The doughnuts have a sophisticated design and quite ambitious flavour combinations. Salted Caramel is a very popular and trendy flavour at the moment and has almost become a national obsession. It seems such an obvious choice to put it in a doughnut that I'm surprised it hasn't been done before.

As I cut the doughnut in half I was met with an extremely generous amount of caramel filling with a pleasing rich auburn colour. I couldn't resist a quick taste of the caramel before biting into the doughnut itself. It's just the kind of caramel I love, full of dulce de leche creaminess. There is no burnt taste that you often get with caramel, just a lovely smooth and creamy sweetness. This is wonderfully offset by the subtle saltiness which kicks in just as the caramel is starting to melt in your mouth. I have to admit that I haven't had too many salted caramel products in the past but if they are half as delicious as this then I am a convert. I think Krispy Kreme have got the level of salt just right, it's not overly salted but neither is it bland. I'm not always a fan of Krispy Kreme's filled doughnuts, I usually prefer the original glazed doughnut, but this Salted Caramel filling is the best I've ever tried from them.

The actual doughnut part tastes the same as any Krispy Kreme. It is much lighter in texture than a usual doughnut, especially the supermarket ones which are so heavy they taste like deep fried bread dipped in sugar. The Krispy Kreme doughnuts have a melt in the mouth lightness and this Salted Caramel one is no different. It seems to disappear all too quickly!

The one part I assumed would ruin the overall flavour was the chocolate coating on top. I have never liked any chocolate doughnut from Krispy Kreme before. They usually have an awful chocolate icing on top which can barely be described as chocolate. It's more like a brown coloured icing that tastes cheap and gritty. Thankfully this chocolate covering on the Salted Caramel is completely different. It's described as "Belgian dark chocolate icing" and I was pleased to find that it has an intense dark chocolate flavour. It complements the sweet and salty filling perfectly. It's certainly a step up from the usual Krispy Kreme chocolate offering.

The other two varieties in the new range are; Chocolate Praline Fudge cake (top right in my photo), a must for chocolate lovers, and the extravagant sounding Pistachio & White Chocolate Nougat (top left). A full review of these will be coming up soon!

If you've tried any of these new doughnuts (or can't wait to try them!) then please add to this review by leaving your comments below.

Limited Edition Coconut Collection by Yankee Candle

Calling all coconut fans! I don't often post about candles, they are not strictly a grocery item after all, but I couldn't resist a quick post about this new limited edition Coconut Collection from Yankee Candle.

Featuring five gorgeous coconut blends, there is surely something for every coconut fan: Coconut & Beach Flowers, Coconut & Lime, Coconut & Sea Air, Coconut & Mandarin and Coconut & Vanilla Bean. I've been waiting for a decent coconut candle for ages and since I love the Yankee Candle brand these will certainly not disappoint. They have quite stark and sleek packaging. Quite different from the usual chintzy Yankee Candle labels and designs.

Prices start at £7.99 for the tea lights and go up to £22.75 for the large tumblers. I'm going straight for N.5; Coconut & Vanilla Bean. Which one would you go for?

UPDATE: I have since bought the No. 5 Coconut & Vanilla Bean online and I was extremely disappointed with the fragrance. I was hoping it would smell like Coconut Bay but with added vanilla sweetness. Instead the scent reminds me of a Pineapple & Cilantro candle I had a few years ago. It smells fruity, herby and quite musky rather than being a true coconut scent. My search for the perfect coconut candle continues!

Nestlé Pirulo Jungly - Peelable Banana Ice Lollies!

What we have here is undoubtedly the best ice lolly in the world - of ALL time. This is not an exaggeration, it's a fact. This is a banana shaped ice cream that not only looks like a banana it also peels like a banana.

When I first saw this ice cream (in Portugal) I didn't realise it was actually peelable. I thought the picture on the packaging was just a cute image to reinforce the banana flavour. Since I love banana ice cream anyway I was sold on the picture alone. I was seriously astonished when I discovered that it was really a peelable ice cream and that it actually worked! Every time I tried one of these lollies it always peeled like a dream. The peel never tore or fell apart. There was something so satisfying about peeling the layers down. Just sheer perfection.

The Nestlé Jungly doesn't just look great it tastes good too. The outer peelable layer has a curious jelly like consistency. The only way I can describe it is as an icy gelatinous and thick substance but much nicer than how that sounds! It's unlike any ice lolly I've ever tried before.

The peel is also where all the banana flavour is, very sweet and delicious. It's not a true to life fruit flavour, more of a candy fruit flavour. The inner ice lolly is just like a mini milk ice lolly. It has the same creamy flavour. The jellyness of the outer layer and the creaminess of the inner layer compliment each other perfectly. The two textures are very different and it adds to the innovative and exciting nature of the Jungly. My kids went bananas over this ice lolly (boom boom) and I think most adults would too. 

If I did ratings, then the Nestlé Jungly would be a 10 out of 10, 5 out of 5, an A*, 100% - you get the idea. The only downside? They are only available in continental Europe and some parts of Asia, so come on Nestlé bring these to the UK. Pretty please?

UPDATE: Wow almost two years after this original post Nestlé have released these ice lollies in the US as "Peel-a-Pops" under the Wonka brand. Take a look here.

Limited Edition Kit Kat Chunky White Choc - They're back!

A quick review today because white chocolate Kit Kat Chunky's are hardly a new invention. These were originally released, in the UK at least, as part of a campaign to find the favourite of four new Kit Kat Chunky varieties (the White Chocolate came second after the Peanut Butter version). When I saw this new Kit Kat Chunky White Choc in a local shop a few days ago I could tell it was a newer release. The packaging is slightly different and now has the words "Limited Edition" rather than the word "New". Also gone is the 'Choose a Chunky Champion" logo which the whole packaging looks much better without.

According to a recent post on the Kit Kat Facebook page the White Choc Chunky's have been released for "a limited time", so if white chocolate is your favourite it's time to stock up! The same page says these will be released from next week but I managed to find some in my local Premier store (which is fast becoming one of my favourite places!).

The white chocolate Kit Kat Chunky is very tasty and a real treat for any white chocolate fans. Even though the white chocolate used here is not the finest in the world it is not without it's merits. I love it's creamy, almost milky, taste. There is a sweet vanilla flavour to it which is always welcome to my taste buds. You need to have a fairly sweet tooth to tackle this bar but I don't find it as cloying or overly sweet as some other chocolates. Although maybe that's because I only ate one chunk of it. Note to self: don't open white chocolate products whilst in the same room as the children!

I'm guessing that Kit Kat have re-released this white chocolate version because it was a big seller for them last time round. I'm certainly glad that it's back. In the extremely unlikely event that any bigwig from Kit Kat reads this review, here's a message - can you please bring a white chocolate & coconut Kit Kat Chunky to the UK. I thank you.

What do you think of the limited re-release of the white chocolate Kit Kat Chunky? Any suggestions for new Kit Kat Chunky varieties?

Milka Choco-Swing Chocolate bar

I've recently discovered the joys of Milka chocolate, mainly due to the delicious new Milka & Oreo bar. I love most chocolates with a "cookie" theme so this was a dream bar for me. Whilst on holiday in Portugal I was very happy to discover a whole new world of Milka chocolates. They really do have a huge range of Milka products available. There were Milka biscuits, snack packs and of course chocolate bars. Check out the "Milka" search on the online grocery page of the Portuguese supermarket Jumbo. Is it weird that I like to peruse the online aisles of foreign supermarkets?

One of the most intriguing was this Milka Choco-Swing. Even though it is a biscuit based chocolate it contains a very European type of biscuit rather than the usual "cookie" ingredient. The biscuit (or bolacha) used here is very similar to a Maria biscuit. If you've never had a Maria biscuit before they are basically the Rich Tea biscuit of Spain & Portugal. You can find mega multipacks of Maria biscuits in most pound shops. They are good for dipping in tea and for making an awesome no-bake biscuit cake called Bolo de Bolacha.

My photos of the Milka Choco-Swing bar look a bit grey. I had to keep the choc in the fridge due to the soaring temperatures in Portugal. I've already had too many chocolate melting accidents in my time so I wasn't taking any chances!

The inner filling of the Choco-Swing is literally made up of a whole layer of biscuit with a layer of vanilla cream on top. You can see the layer of biscuit in the photo below.

Because the chocolate bar has entire biscuits in it, not just biscuit pieces, the bar felt more like a chocolate covered biscuit rather than a chocolate bar with biscuits in it. The two layers, biscuit versus chocolate, were somewhat separate. It was possible to eat off the chocolate and be left with an almost intact separate biscuit!

Even though the layering of this bar was unexpected it was still a delicious product. As chocolate covered biscuits go it was fantastic. The biscuit is a fairly plain and dry rich tea type of affair but it is offset perfectly against the super sweet vanilla cream layer and thick milk chocolate. I had to bring a few bars of this home and I'm afraid to say they are all gone already. I wish I had filled up my suitcase a bit more!

What's your favourite ever Milka purchase?