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. 

Review: Beech's Raspberry Creams

I've reviewed quite a few products from the Beech's range of traditional British chocolates, including four flavours of their Chocolate Creams. Raspberry is a flavour I haven't really paid much attention to in the past but for some reason it's growing in my affections. I couldn't resist picking up the Beech's Raspberry Creams when I spotted them in TK Maxx for just £1.79 a box.

Beech's have been making traditional chocolates since 1920 and all their products are made using natural flavourings and colours. This fondant filled dark chocolate range is also suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Inside the box, there are ten disc shaped raspberry fondant creams that are covered in dark chocolate. The inner fondant is very sweet and the raspberry adds a subtle fruity flavour. 

I've now reviewed 5 of the flavours in the Beech's Creams range (there are 8 different ones in total). I just need to find the Coffee, Lime and Strawberry flavours to complete the whole range!

Grocery Gems Verdict: Beech's Raspberry Creams

RATING: 8 out of 10.
Buy It again?: Yes.
Purchased: TK Maxx.
Price: £1.79 (usually £2.99p each). 

Review: Milka Vanilla Cream & Milka Raspberry Cream (Poland)

I've seen these Milka Cream bars around for a long time now and I finally decided to try the Raspberry and Vanilla flavours. I reviewed the interesting Milka Elderberry Cream a few years ago which was surprisingly good.  

The Milka Raspberry Cream is quite a thin looking bar but still manages to have two layers inside of raspberry jam and creamy filling. The raspberry jam layer looked quite runny but it did have an enjoyable, if a bit sweet, raspberry flavour. It's the sort of flavour you would find in a raspberry candy rather than a natural fruity one but I still found it tasty when combined with the creamy layer and sweet milk chocolate. 7 out of 10.

Unfortunately I didn't have as much luck with the Milka Vanilla Cream bar. The bottom vanilla layer had visible flecks of vanilla which looked promising, but the sugary vanilla layer on top is a rather unappetising shade of bright yellow. The flavour was horrible too, with an overpowering and artificial vanilla taste. Even though the chocolate itself was fine, I couldn't eat more than a few bites of this one because of the flavour in the bright yellow layer. 3 out of 10.

Grocery Gems Review: Milka Raspberry Cream and Milka Vanilla Cream

Rating: See individual descriptions above.
Buy again: Yes for the Raspberry Cream.

Purchased: Local grocery shop.
Price: £0.99p each (100g).

Müller Corner Bliss - Whipped Greek Style Yogurt with Raspberry

I previously reviewed the Müller Bliss Whipped Greek Style Lemon yogurts (see HERE), so this is just a quick additional review for the Rasberry Fruit Compote flavour. The Müller Bliss range consists of lightly whipped yogurts with a separate sweet fruity serving. There are three flavours available so far; Strawberry, Raspberry, and Lemon.

The bright Greek inspired packaging is very summery and appealing.

The consistency of the yogurt is very light and airy but still retains a super creamy flavour. This is because the yogurt is partly made with whipping cream. It gives is a rich flavour despite the light consistency. The raspberry compote has a great flavour, sweet and fruity, with a slight crunch from the raspberry seeds. Anyone who's a fan of creamy flavoured yogurts should give this range a try. I've actually been eating quite a lot of dairy free yogurts at the moment, so I found this Bliss range a bit too creamy for me. However, my hubby and kids really enjoyed them.

Grocery Gems Verdict: Müller Bliss Raspberry

RATING: 7 out of 10.
Buy them again?: I would try the other flavours.
Nutrition: 161calories. 
Purchased: Asda. 
Price: £1.00p (four pack - special offer).

Review: New Dorset Cereals Tasty Toasted Muesli

The lovely range of Dorset Cereals' muesli has undergone a nature inspired makeover and also introduced two new varieties. I was recently sent a selection of the Dorset Cereals Tasty Toasted Muesli in three varieties; Spelt,Fruit & Nut Muesli, New Hazelnut & Brazil Muesli, and New Raspberry & Apple Muesli. With this new Tasty Toasted range, Dorset Cereals have created a muesli with a lighter texture and crunch, whilst still being packed with wholegrains and fibre. Using only the finest ingredients these cereals combine crunchy flakes with the natural taste of a quality muesli. I was happy to be asked to put the Tasty Toasted range to the test and I've even used them as the basis for a few simple recipes.

Dorset Cereals Tasty Toasted Raspberry & Apple Muesli - The different shades of pink make this muesli look so pretty, it's like a little bowl of sunshine to wake up to in the morning. The pink colouring comes from a mix of dried cranberries, freeze dried raspberries, and raspberry flavoured barley flakes. There are also pieces of dried apple which add a lovely extra sweetness. I enjoyed the crunchiness of the flakes, made up of oat flakes, barley flakes, rye flakes and wheat flakes, combined with the more traditional ingredients of a muesli. It's the fruitiest muesli of the bunch and makes a very delicious start to the day.

Dorset Cereals Tasty Toasted Hazelnut & Brazil Muesli - This is a combination of toasted flakes, chopped hazelnuts, sliced Brazil nuts and coconut with almonds and tiny date pieces. Again, it has a wonderful combination of crunchy and chewy elements. The overall flavour has a delicious caramel and coconut edge that I absolutely adored.

Raspberry & Apple Muesli Cookies

I decided to add the Dorset Cereals Tasty Toasted Muesli to my favourite super easy recipe for oat cookies. These never fail! I've used this recipe for many years, it's adapted from this recipe here. (Note: I usually use 8oz of Porridge Oats but adapted that quantiy to include the muesli).

Ingredients: 

8oz Self Raising Flour

8oz Sugar

6oz Porridge Oats

2oz Tasty Toasted Raspberry & Apple Muesli

8oz Margarine (I use a vegan spread, Pure)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon Golden Syrup

Method: 

- Melt the margarine or butter in a saucepan over a low heat. Add the Golden Syrup and a spoonful of hot water if needed. 

- Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl (flour, sugar, oats, muesli, cinnamon).

- Stir the melted ingredients into the dry ingredients.

- Combine well until the mixture forms a large ball of dough.

-Make balls using the dough (I make mine quite large!), then place on a lined baking tray and flatten each ball gently with a fork.

- Place in a preheated oven at 180c for 12-15 minutes.

- Cool on a wire rack.

These cookies are very simple to make and my whole family loves them!

Also a quick serving suggestion, I've been enjoying the Tasty Toasted Muesli range simply served with plain yogurt and blueberries, instead of milk. You could also add a drizzle of honey or use a vanilla flavoured yogurt for a sweeter treat. 

Grocery Gems Verdict: Dorset Cereals Tasty Toasted Muesli

Rating: Hazelnut & Brazil; 9 out of 10, Raspberry & Apple; 10 out of 10.

Nutrition: Hazelnut & Brazil: 243 cals per 43g, Raspberry & Apple; 223 cals per 43g.

Purchased: Available in Waitrose, Tesco and Sainsbury's.

Price: £3.79p rrp (650g).

A few more East European snacks - Tiramisu Cream Biscuits & Deli Raspberry Chocolate

Some more of the delicious Polish snacks which were recently sent to me by @Banjo_Chocolate. These are all available in the UK, check out your the World Foods section of your favourite supermarket, discount stores, or local grocery shops.

Also it would be great if you could check out the Facebook page for Bring Back Banjo Chocolate here and sign the petition here! All support for @Banjo_Chocolate's campaign is much appreciated, thank you :)

Firstly are the Tago Kardynalki with Tiramisu Cream from Poland. Apologies for the crumbly photo, as these biscuits actually have a very pleasant appearance. The chocolate on top has a distinctive logo and writing that gives it an appealing look. This thick milk chocolate is also simple but tasty, with a smooth flavour. The biscuit on the bottom has a slightly spiced and caramelised edge to it, a bit like a speculoos biscuit, whilst the inner tiramisu layer is creamy and has a mild coffee flavour. These don't have an alcoholic taste at all, but really do have a delicious flavour reminiscent of a tiramisu dessert.

Grocery Gems Verdict: Tago Kardynalki with Tiramisu Cream
RATING: 7.5 out of 10.
Buy them again?: Yes.

The Deli Malinova (Raspberry) is made by Nestle for the Czech Republic and Slovakian markets under the Orion brand. I've tried an Orion bar before, the Banány V Cokolade (see my review HERE), which I did not like at all, so I didn't initially have very high hopes for this Orion Deli. However, I'm pleased to say I was wrong and found the Deli Malinova much more enjoyable.

This is a really unusual bar, it's a bit like a raspberry flavoured milky bar, with a similar type of soft nougat filling, except a bit chewier.The raspberry flavour here is tasty enough, quite candy-like but in a good way. There is a thin layer of caramel at the top of the nougat layer too, but it didn't really add anything in terms of flavour. I simply felt like I was eating a soft raspberry sweet that was covered in chocolate, sounds strange but somehow it worked! The whole bar is quite sweet, but moreish at the same time.

Grocery Gems Verdict: Orion Deli Raspberry
RATING: 7 out of 10.
Buy them again?: I'd try more from the Orion range now!
Nutrition: 154 calories (35g bar).

Thanks again to @Banjo_Chocolate who has introduced me to so many lovely new products and brands!

Review: Nespresso Cioccorosso - Limited Edition Variation (UK)

In previous years, Nespresso Variations (flavoured coffees) were released before Christmas as limited editions. This year Nespresso decided to do things a little differently, undoubtedly because they had already released three Variations  into their permanent Grand Cru range during the summer (see my reviews HERE). Instead, for the festive limited edition, Nespresso Club Members around the world were given a choice of three Variations and asked to vote for their chosen winner. The winning Variations Club Favourites were launched in each market, resulting in different winners in the various countries. 

The choices in the vote were; Cioccorosso - a dark chocolate and red fruit combination, Masala Chai - an aromatic mix of cinnamon, star aniseed and clove, and Liminto - a mix of lime and mint notes. In the UK the winner was the Cioccorosso, by a fairly small margin over Masala Chai (42% and 39% of the vote respectively). I was slightly disappointed by the winner, my vote had gone to Masala Chai, by far the more interesting prospect in my opinion. However, I hope the close nature of the vote means that Nespresso will see there is a market for the Masala Chai to be released in the UK at a later date. You can see a full list of all the winners by region HERE.

I love the design of the Cioccorosso capsules, it's great to see some bright colours injected into the usually formal palate of the Nespresso range. The coffee itself is described as marrying tantalizing dark chocolate and refreshing red fruit notes with the fragrant roasted notes of the Livanto Grand Cru. Once brewed, the aroma was immediately of the dark chocolate, which is very reminiscent of the Ciocattino Variation. However on tasting, it's not the chocolate which comes to the fore but rather the delicate raspberry flavour. It's not too sweet (these coffees do not contain sugar or added sweetneners) or overpowering, but sits deep within the base notes of the coffee itself, adding a fruity edge to the experience. 

I wasn't expecting to enjoy the Cioccorosso, but I was pleasantly surprised by just how well the red fruit flavours work here, and I might be tempted to buy a few more sleeves before it disappears after Christmas. I hope that Nespresso will also release the Masala Chai and Liminto varieties in the UK at some point too - in fact I wish they had just released all three as festive variations as they had done in the past!

Update: I've now reviewed the Masala Chai here:
http://grocerygems.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/review-nespresso-masala-chai-club.html

I've yet to see a review of the Nespresso Liminto, it was by far the least successful flavour in the vote, but apparently it did win in the Turkey and Jordan regions. I would love to hear from you in the comments below if you have tried any of these new Variations!

Review: Brain Blasterz - Super Sour Sweets!

Recently I received an awesome parcel of super sour goodies from the lovely people at Brain Blasterz. The whole range features fantastic packaging with it's bold warning colours and gnarly skull. It's all superb fun but don't worry if you're not a fan of sour sweets, many of these are actually very sweet. Since there are so many different products I'm going to start with the sweetest and end with the devilishly sour!

Apple Sour Straps & Strawberry Sour Straws

The Sour Straps and Sour Straws are definitely the sweetest of the bunch. The Sour Straps have a lovely apple flavour with a zingy aftertaste. The Sour Straws have a sweet strawberry flavour and even though I was expecting the coating to be a sour sherbert, it turned out to be quite sugary. I loved these!

Candy Brain Bitz

The Candy Brain Bitz (great name!) are very similar to Nerds candy, except with fruitier flavours and without the garish artificial colours. Each box feature two flavours which are partitioned down the middle. Either Apple and Strawberry, or Lemon and Raspberry.

The sweets are small, chewy and very addictive. The Apple is very fruity, with a predominantly sweet flavour. The Strawberry was surprisingly the most sour of all, with a really tart fruitiness. I loved the Raspberry ones, they're very sweet with a zingy sherbet type flavour to finish. The Lemon sweets have a zesty sour flavour whilst still retaining plenty of sweetness.

Oozing Brain Gum

Now we're getting on the the really sour stuff. The ones that you'll want to buy just to watch the expression on your unsuspecting victims face.

The little tub of Oozing Brain Gum (another brilliant name) opens up to reveal lots of individually sealed chewing gums. They're quite sticky because each gum is oozing liquid from the moment it's opened. The flavour is instantly very sour from the liquid within, but the sweeter outer gum helps to counterbalance the sourness somewhat.

Candy Spray

The Candy Sprays are really fun. They squirt a super sour shot. The apple has an instant sourness gives way slightly to a fruity apple flavour. The Raspberry is even more sour if that is possible.

This is definitely a product for the kids. For some reason they are able to keep keep a straight face while they spray this - whilst I look like a baby who's just been given a lemon. I don't know how they do it! Suffice to say they enjoyed these immensely.

Brain Blasterz Mega Sour

The sourest of all, these remind me of Toxic Waste sweets. They're more of a novelty candy that only really exists in order to watch the reaction of those that are brave enough to try one. These are perfect for trying out the Brain Blasterz Straight Face Challenge - try to keep a calm reaction on your face whilst eating one. It's impossible!

Inside the funky packaging there are lots of individually wrapped sweets in four flavours; watermelon, blueberry, lemon and apple.

The sweets are coated with an aggressively sour coating that is so sour it almost hurts (not literally but then I'm obviously a wimp). Hold out for long enough and you are quickly rewarded with the sugary fruity flavour of the sweet within. But just to make sure you haven't forgotten that first sour experience they hold an extra surprise too - a powdery sour centre!

I love the tagline on all the products - Warning! Not for Babies Wimps Adults. Suffice to say these are for firmly for kids - and and they will absolutely love them. My two certainly did and to be honest I'm quite happy to take the Sour Straws and leave them to the rest!

I received these products in order to write an honest review and all opinions expressed are my own.

Disney Monsters University Ice Lollies

These Monsters University Ice Lollies were released last month to coincide with the UK release of the Disney Pixar film of the same name. They're made by R&R Ice Cream, owners of brands such as Fab, Skinny Cow and Kelly's of Cornwall, who have also released other Disney themed ice lollies in the past. I like the fact that the lollies, whilst fairly basic looking, are blue and green in colour - very fitting for the Monsters Inc theme.

They're described on the box as blue raspberry flavour ice lollies with vanilla and lime centres. The outer blue layer is hard in texture, like an ice shell around the inner ice cream, and has a very subtle generic fruity flavour. The inner vanilla ice cream is quite fluffy and creamy, the usual kids ice lolly stuff. The contrast of the hard icy outer layer and soft vanilla inside reminded me of the classic kids Fruit Split ice lollies. Then there is an extra burst of lime flavour from the bright green core. The taste here is quite strong and sweet, a bit like undiluted squash, although it is offset by the plainer outer layers.

My kids however, didn't enjoy the flavour of the lime centre, which was a bit too concentrated and syrupy for them. I still think they're good value at £1.00 for 4 lollies and they're worth a try if your kids are Monsters Inc fans. I've happily eaten one or two (I'm obviously a lot less fussy then my kids!) and I find them nicely refreshing. Each lolly has only 58 calories and is free of artificial colours, flavours and preservatives.

Grocery Gems Verdict: Disney Monsters University Ice Lollies

RATING: 5.5 out of 10.
Buy them again?: Probably not.
Nutrition: 58 calories. 
Purchased: Tesco.
Price: £1.00.

Beyers Chocolates South Africa: Chocolate Couture Selection (Woolworths Food)

I was recently sent a superb selection of chocolates to try from the largest independent chocolate manufacturer in South Africa - Beyers Chocolates. See also my Amarula Chocolates review HERE. This box of 16 Chocolate Couture Selection immediately caught eye not just because it's so visually stunning, but also as it's made by Beyers Chocolate for Woolworths Food. I soon discovered that there is a successful Woolworths chain in South Africa that had no affiliation with the Woolworths chain that existed in the UK. I certainly don't remember my old Woolworths selling such gorgeous chocolates!

The individual chocolates all look sensational. There are eight different varieties in all, each topped with embedded ingredients; Hazelnut Chocolate Delight, Chocolate Lava, Vanilla & Strawberry Caramel, Hazelnut & Lemon Curd, Strawberry Caramel, Burnt Orange Caramel, Raspberry Caramel, and Cherry Pavlova.

Each one is like a mini dessert in it's own right! Having tried all of them I can say that they are also some of the most interesting and tasty chocolates I've had the pleasure of trying. The creamy milk chocolate used in each, has a lovely cocoa flavour which provides a perfect base for all the different flavours within.

Vanilla & Strawberry Caramel: The separate layers within this chocolate all look stunning. There's a strawberry cream layer on the bottom, with a middle layer of caramel, all topped by a dome of strawberry infused white chocolate and decorated with larger freeze dried strawberries. The vanilla and strawberry flavours work beautifully together.

Hazelnut & Lemon Curd: At first I didn't like the idea of this flavour combination but I was proved wrong, because it's completely delicious, and one of my favourites from this selection. The sweet lemon cream layer is topped with white chocolate and a crunchy nut brittle. Just yummy!

Cherry Pavlova: This is visually one of the most striking chocolates in the selection. The bright pink coloured chocolate with white meringue pieces peaking through looks fantastic. I was expecting this to be very sweet and sugary but I was pleasantly surprised by the gorgeous cherry flavour. The ingredients contain dried cherries, cherry paste and cherry pulp, which all combine to create cherry perfection! The meringue on the top is nicely crunchy but still melts away very easily. An outstanding cherry chocolate.

Raspberry Caramel: Again the fruity flavour has been done exceptionally well here. There is lots of fresh tasting raspberry flavour within the caramel layer, and it's all topped off with a lovely white chocolate and decorated with dried raspberries. Loved it!

Hazelnut Chocolate Delight: This is another great looking chocolate, with it's whole hazelnuts embedded in the top. The dark chocolate base, is emphasised by an extra layer of soft dark chocolate too. This is topped with a hazelnut flavoured white chocolate, the flavour of which is somewhat dominated by the dark chocolate. This was one of my husbands favourites.

Strawberry Caramel: Similar to the first chocolate (above) but obviously without any of the vanilla creaminess in between. This is pure strawberry and caramel flavour! The inner caramel is sweet and delicious and is topped by a strawberry white chocolate filled with dried strawberry pieces. Again, the fruity flavour is fabulous and remarkably, the whole thing is well balanced in terms of sweetness.

Burnt Orange Caramel: A classic chocolate orange with candied orange pieces on top. I'm not the biggest fan of chocolate and orange combinations but the buttery caramel centre here adds a unique and interesting touch. (My camera has done strange things to the orange colour - it's not so neon in real life).

Chocolate Lava: I love the name! The little chocolate curls on the top of this domed chocolate do make it look like a little volcano. This is a pure chocoholics delight. Simple and sweet, with milk and white chocolate and a dark chocolate soft centre.

Overall, I absolutely loved this whole Chocolate Couture Selection. The chocolates are gorgeously presented and provide pure sweet indulgence. I know that Beyers make chocolates for several UK companies and I hope they can bring this selection over here soon!

I received this product for an honest review but all views expressed are my own.

Grocery Gems Verdict: Chocolate Couture Selection

RATING: 10 out of 10.
Buy them again?: Yes, if I could find them!
Nutrition: 304 kj (info given in kj not calories) per serving. 
Purchased: Available on the Woolworths website but only in South Africa