Review: Jules Destropper Butter Crisps

The Jules Destroooper biscuiterie was founded over 125 years ago, and still make biscuits based on traditional 19th century family recipes. A quick browse through their website shows their gorgeous range of Belgian biscuits and wafers.  Even though I was aware of their brand, I'd never actually tried any of their biscuits. It's no surprise that they were the first product I wanted to try when I opened up the January surprise foodie parcel from Degustabox.

Firstly I was surprised by just how big each biscuit was! Even though they are super thin, each one is still as long as the box itself. And honestly I could easily have eaten all these biscuits in one sitting, they are so utterly delicious. There are only six ingredients in these biscuits and they are full of buttery flavour with a sweet caramelised edge. They reminded me a bit of those gourmet ice cream wafers, but even tastier. In fact I'm sure these biscuits would taste sensational served with ice cream!

I didn't actually have any ice cream in my freezer but with my last Butter Crisp biscuit I decided to create a cheats dessert by crumbling it over a serving of Alpro Soya Strawberry & Rhubarb yogurt. And I'm so glad I tried it this way - it's such a delicious way to use these biscuits! The creaminess of the yogurt is the perfect partner for the delicious buttery flavour of the biscuits. I'm just annoyed that I'd already eaten the rest of of this box but I'll be tracking down a few more boxes as this is definitely a quick dessert that I'll be making again!.

Jules Destrooper Butter Crisps are available at Asda, Waitrose and Ocado.

For more details on the delicious Degustabox food boxes:
http://bit.ly/DBhomepage - Degutabox website
http://bit.ly/DBUKfacebook - Facebook
http://bit.ly/DBUKTwitter - twitter

Grocery Gems Verdict: Jules Destrooper Butter Crisps

RATING: 10 out of 10.
Buy them again?: Yes.
Nutrition (per 25g): 118 calories.
Ingredients: Wheat flour, sugar, butter (18%), eggs, sea salt, raising agent.

I  received a Degustabox in order to provide an honest review.

Review: Cadbury Creme Egg Pots of Joy

The new Cadbury Creme Egg Pots of Joy are apparently only available for a limited time, although it feels like they hit the shops a few days after Christmas! I hate trying anything related to Easter too soon after Christmas but I felt it was about time to try these Creme Egg Pots of Joy. I'm happy to admit that I'm not a fan of Creme Eggs and I don't usually buy them at Easter, but this dessert version just looked so promising!

I was greeted by a fairly average looking milk chocolate dessert, but once I dug a little deeper...

 it really is impressive! Everyone was slightly awed by just how much the bottom layers looked like the inside of a Cadbury Creme Egg. Even my husband who usually hates this type of cold dessert just had to try one.

 

And when it comes to the taste, well there's really nothing to complain about here. The texture is seriously smooth and the chocolate flavour is lovely and rich. The bottoms layers have that sweet fondant flavour that is instantly recognisable as a Cadbury Creme Egg, but it's thankfully not as sugary. The sweetness is offset by the creaminess of the overall dessert. I much prefer this dessert to eating an actual Cadbury Creme Egg!

 Grocery Gems Verdict: Cadbury Creme Egg Pots of Joy

RATING: 7 out of 10.
Buy them again?: Probably.
Nutrition (per 70g): 165 calories.

Vegetarian: No - contain pork gelatin!
Purchased: Asda.
Price: £1.00p for 4 pack (special offer).

Review: Oats So Simple Multi-Grain Porridge

Oats So Simple recently launched a range of Multi-Grain porridge in three different varieties; Original, Honey, and Fruit Muesli. I spotted them on offer for £1 a box (10 sachets) in Asda at the weekend, so it seemed the perfect time to give them a try. I reviewed, and enoyed, the Special K Multi-Grain porridge (see HERE) and this version from Oats So Simple is a similar product. It's a blend of rye and barley grains alongside the traditional wholegrain oats, adding extra fibre content and texture to the porridge.

I bought the Original version (although I was tempted by the Fruit Muesli) for my first try of this range, as I usually prefer my porridge to be unsweetened and sprinkled with a little cinnamon. Each Oats So Simple Multi-Grain sachet contains 27g and needs 140ml of milk. It takes 2 and a half minutes in the microwave. The flavour was much the same as the regular version of Oats So Simple porridge but the consistency was slightly thicker, I actually added a bit of extra milk to thin it out a bit. I liked the addition of the multi grains here, even though the flavour is not very different, they do add an interesting and satisfying texture to the porridge overall.

I'll definitely be taking advantage of the £1 offer and try out the other flavours in this Oats So Simple Multi-Grain range. Interestingly enough the Original flavour has no added sugar and is slightly lower in calories than the Special K Multi-Grain Original!

Grocery Gems Verdict: Oats So Simple Multi-Grain Porridge - Original

RATING: Original 9 out of 10.
Buy them again?: Yes.
Nutrition (per 27g serving): 95 calories (without milk), 157 calories (with 140ml semi- skimmed milk).
Ingredients: Wholegrain rolled oats (46%), rye (24%), barley (30%), Soya Lechithin (stabiliser).

Review: Burton's Fish 'n' Chips

Burton's Fish 'n' Chips, an iconic snack during the 1980's, were discontinued over 10 years ago. Since that time they've been the subject of many campaigns to be brought back into production, and happily this consumer pressure has led to them being reintroduced. These Salt & Vinegar Flavour Mini Baked Snack Biscuits are available as bags of five snack sized 25g packs, a 40g grab bag, or a large sharing sized bag at 125 .

I have to admit I don't really remember Burton's Fish 'n' Chips from back in the day, although I can't believe I went through that period without trying a pack at least once. 

The packaging and appearance of these Fish 'n' Chips is wonderfully done. They're instantly appealing and appetising. Each mini snack has lots of visible seasoning, which at first glance suggests that these snacks will be very heavy on the salt. However that's not really the case. Yes, they are full of traditional salt and vinegar flavour but I didn't find them as overpoweringly salty as some other Salt & Vinegar crisps on the market. These have a distinctive flavour led by the malt vinegar and biscuit base. I find it interesting that these are called "biscuits" on the packet rather than crackers. The slightly softer and biscuity texture makes these noticeably different from initially similar sounding snacks such as Jacob's Oddities. For me, it's a welcome return for these Burton's Fish 'n' Chips, they're certainly very tasty and worth trying if you're a fan of salt and vinegar snacks. 

If you've tried Burton's Fish 'n' Chips in their old and new formats then please feel free to add to this review by leaving a comment below. I'd love to know how these compare and if they taste the same as you remember!

And since we're on the subject of discontinued products which have been rereleased due to public campaigns, please take a look at the campaign for Mars to bring back the Banjo chocolate bar. All the details are on the Facebook page here or you can sign the petition directly here! All support for @Banjo_Chocolate's campaign is much appreciated!

Grocery Gems Verdict: Burton's Fish 'n' Chips

RATING: 8 out of 10.
Buy them again?: Yes.
Nutrition: 124 calories per 25g.
Purchased: Asda. 
Price: £1.00p. 

Valentine's Day Selection at Asda

Asda have a lovely array of chocolates for Valentine's Day, alongside a wide range of romantic gifts and decorations to make the day extra special too. From matching his and her Owl Mugs to heart shaped gadgets for the kitchen, there is something for everyone looking for a Valentine's gift. The range is available instore and online at www.asda.com and prices start from just £1.00.

I love this gorgeous box of Extra Special Hand Decorated Chocolate Hearts. These are made with Belgian milk and white chocolate and decorated with real strawberry pieces.

There are four large hearts in each box.and they really do look stunning (see my first photo in this post for a close up of the chocolate).

These remind me of a gourmet chocolate slab, they look beautiful and taste delicious too. The chocolate is creamy and smooth, not too sweet even though the white chocolate is the dominant flavour. White chocolate and strawberries is usually an ideal combination and that's certainly the case here.

Asda always have cute nets of chocolates for special occasions and I'm in love with this Bee my Valentine You're My Honey set! It's adorable.

This is a lovely family friendly gift idea - little kids will enjoy these little bee chocolates too.

A soft silicone heart tray - great for ice cubes or as a chocolate mould.

A simple set of Sweetheart Cookie Cutters. The largest heart is the perfect size to use for making heart shaped sandwiches.

Heart shaped crumpets for a Valentine's Day breakfast.

A few other items I spotted instore. Heart shaped doilies - I want these even when it's not Valentine's Day!

Owl themed Valentine's Day mugs.

More cuteness in the form of these plush Lovebug Keyrings.

Asda are also doing a lovely Valentine's Meal for 2 instore for £10.  I'll be reviewing this in the next few days but in the meantime here's a sample of some of the options available:

Mains

Butcher's Selection Premium Rump Steak

Extra Special Salmon En Croute

Sides

Extra Special Roast Potatoes

Extra Special Cauliflower Cheese

Desserts

Extra Special Strawberry Cheesecake Hearts

Extra Special Red Velvet Melt in the Middle Puddings

PR Samples.