Nellienoo Chocolate Malteser Malt Fudge (Online)

Do you remember me telling you about the subscription box company that celebrates the best of British independent confectioners? Well it's thanks to The Treat Collective that I came across Nellienoo fudge, and Nic's fabulous Caramac fudge (which you can find my Insta-review of here). As you can see, I was most impressed by it and so when Nic offered to send me a mystery pack of fudge this week I gladly accepted with due excitement. After all, who doesn't love a sweet surprise? 

I might've done (ok definitely did) a little jig around my kitchen when I came home to the Nellienoo parcel on Friday. Malteser fudge? My life is complete. Despite the fact that I was only home briefly before popping out for the evening I couldn't help packing a couple of pieces to take to the cinema with me. 

As with the Caramac flavour, the Malteser fudge was undeniably creamy. I hate grainy fudge (and find Scottish tablet unbearable) but this was completely smooth. In fact the fudge was more like a chocolate hybrid due to the satisfying melt that starts the minute you pop a piece in your mouth. As for the flavour, Nic has nailed that too, adding to the chocolate-fudge hybrid experience. It tasted exactly like Maltesers thanks to the malty undertone that fully complimented the chocolate flavour at the foreground. 

My one complaint about the Caramac fudge was the lack of topping, but each piece of this fudge had a single Malteser adoring it. I had wondered if they would manage to retain their crunchiness -no one wants soggy balls after all 🙈- but they were as crisp as ever, providing a wonderful textural contrast against the silken fudge. Perfection. 

If you've got a sweet tooth you must check out Nellienoo fudge's website and Facebook page. Nic's creations are all handmade, and she sells an ample selection of incredible looking fudge (all available for UK delivery). Thank you to Nic for sending me the Maltesers fudge to try. 

10/10 

That makes it a hat trick of full marks this week - this has to be some kind of blog record!

NEW! Peanut Butter Millionaire's Dessert (ASDA)

Social media. What's your stance? I both love it and hate it. I'm basing my career on it (not through the blog I might add), but it's addictive and my other half regularly finds himself sighing when I inevitably stop in my tracks to reply to a follower on instagram, a tweet, or my work's facebook enquiries. I thrive on the instantaneous and constantly evolving nature of the various platforms, and also grumble about their reluctance to pause for a moment. I was plunged into this mixture of emotions when the lovely Ellie (Ellie Is In The Soup) tweeted the following:

No. No I hadn't had it. And Yes! I needed it NOW. Fortunately Wednesdays are the only day I don't have lectures, and I'd finished my job for the day, so about an hour later I'd got my coat on and was on my merry way to ASDA -desperate to get my greedy mitts on this fabulous sounding new dessert.

Whaaaat! Where were they? ASDA was taunting me. There was the shelf. There was the label. But where, oh where, were the Peanut Butter Millionaire Desserts? I momentarily baulked at the price too, but my heart over-ruled my head and the desperation lingered.

Then I had a thought: what if the staff had bunged them in with the cream cakes (at the other end of the store) instead of the desserts with their label? 

Hurrah! There they were. Isn't it wonderful to see their new products so highly respected? Ha! Not to worry my peanut butter dream, I'd look after you.*

"Peanut butter mousse and peanut butter caramel with a Belgian chocolate ganache, chocolate honeycomb pieces and a digestive biscuit base."

Luckily, ASDA had the foresight to protect its new dessert with a domed lid, so despite its mistreatment in store, the pot looked every bit as perfect as it did when leaving the factory. The layers were impressive, and I was glad to see a chunky biscuit base. 

I delved into the chocolate topping, which was every bit as silky as Gu's ganache. Rich and decadent, it delivered a powerful dark chocolate hit. The chocolate balls were a nice decoration I thought, although there wasn't a great deal of them. I was surprised at how thin the top layer was, but then I remembered that there were so many more layers of potential deliciousness to get through yet. 

Next up was the mousse, which tasted more like super light and fluffy whipped cream. I couldn't taste the peanut butter though, and my face dropped. My other half caught on to my disappointment and asked what was up. I explained my non-nut related sorrow, and offered him a spoonful to taste. He agreed, and then instantly pulled a disgusted face back at me. I was then accused of becoming peanut butter immune -yep, apparently it was that potent. Confused, I waited a minute or so before continuing, and then I realised what he meant. The ganache had overpowered my tastebuds and once I'd let them recover from the chocolate, I could taste and fully appreciate the peanut butter flavour in all its glory. My, it was wonderful! ASDA have wisely used 8% peanut paste within the mousse, which is perhaps why it's so delicious -and doesn't taste in the slightest bit artificial.

Peanut butter cravings now satisfied, I was more than ready for a lacklustre caramel layer ("Double Peanut Butter" Magnums mark two). I was therefore not expecting the sheer scrumminess that lay in wait. It was very sweet -of course- but the peanut butter was even more powerful (the caramel consists of 40% peanut paste). Wow, I'd never tried a caramel like it. If I was to nitpick I would perhaps have preferred it slightly more dense (more similar to Ben & Jerry's cores) but it was incredible all the same. Bravo ASDA!

Last up was the biscuit base. To begin with I was slightly gutted that it was a puddle of crumbs rather than the buttery concoction at the bottom of a cheesecake. But then I discovered the hidden treasure at the bottom of the pot and realised exactly why it was so loose...

Balls! Balls galore! Hidden between the biscuit crumbs were a number of malteser-esque malt balls. I love a good surprise, and this has to be one of the best I've uncovered (literally!) in a dessert. What a wonderful end to a fantastic pudding. 

Initially I thought that £1.49 was steep for an individual dessert, but it's nothing compared to what restaurants charge -and it's worth every penny. Yum yum yum. Peanut butter lovers harass your local ASDA for this new Millionaire's dessert quick smart!

10/10

*Is peanut butter madness a condition? It must be. 

NEW! Golden Syrup Malt Wheats (Tesco)

I'm cerealously addicted to breakfast. Not satisfied with one meal consisting of breakfast items, I'll regularly start the day with a bowl of porridge, have oatcakes or crumpets at lunch, and then a bowl of cereal before bed. They say it's the most important meal of the day, so why not have it three times over? My addiction means that I have a keen eye for new cereals to greet the shelves, and this week I spotted two new 'Shreddies' type offerings in Tesco. The supermarket's own brand Raspberry Malt Wheats have been out for a number of years now, and must be more popular than the ASDA Banana Milkshake Malties which I reviewed almost exactly a year ago, but have since been discontinued. The two new Tesco flavours in my local branch were Choco-Nut and Golden Syrup, so you may be surprised that it wasn't the chocolatey one that took my fancy. Let me explain...

Golden Syrup Wheats (mini shredded wheats) are the holy grail of cereal in my house. Once stocked by Tesco, Sainsbury's and ALDI they are now only available in Sainsbury's. Despite being own brand, they're still £1.99 for a 500g box and never on offer. Plus the recommended serving size is ridiculous, so the box doesn't actually go very far. Their exclusivity, price point and sheer deliciousness means my partner and I are often left competing for the last bowl. 

"Wholewheat malted cereal fortified with vitamins and iron with a golden syrup flavoured coating."

At £1.19 for a 500g box, the new Malt Wheats are a much cheaper swap, but could they taste as good as their branded Nestle counterparts, or indeed the worshipped Golden Syrup Wheats?

As soon as I ripped open the plastic wrapping, an enormous waft of syrup hailed my nostrils. There's something so comforting about that aroma, perhaps it's the thought of freshly baked flapjacks, but it's very welcome all the same. The Tesco Malt Wheats were a slightly darker shade than the Nestle version, and certainly much more tan than Frosted Shreddies. I wondered how they would fare once soaked in milk.

I can't even express how utterly impressed I was with them! They didn't turn to mush straight away, and packed a huge amount of flavour in every square. Even the milk tasted syrupy. I can imagine for those who aren't keen on sweet cereals that they'd be a bit too much, but if that's you then I'd wonder why you'd be buying Golden Syrup flavour in the first place. From a health perspective, yes they're higher in sugar than standard Shreddies, but still a lot lower than the frosted variant:

• Shreddies = 6.0g*
• Frosted Shreddies = 11.4g* 
• Golden Syrup Malt Wheats = 7.8g*

*per 40g serving 

Quite simply, these new Golden Syrup Malt Wheats have instantly become one of my new all time favourite cereals and are quite the treat come supper time (even if I do get the sugar sweats in my sleep -TMI? I'm sorry). I'm going to be sure to head to Tesco and stock up pronto before you guys all realise how great they are too and the price goes up!

10/10

NEW! Limited Edition Honey Teaser Dessert Pots (ASDA)

If you haven't noticed, ASDA have gone on somewhat of a a dessert creating binge this Springtime. They've started selling a whole host of new pudding pots including banoffee bombs, gingerbread latte cups, and afternoon delights to name just a few! They are all priced at £2 for two pots, which seemed a little on the pricey side for own-brand desserts, but I was suckered in by these Honey Teasers.

"Good gosh! Malt flavour mousse, honeycomb bits and milk choc malt balls.. all in a pot. Why ever not!"

The pots looked very pretty, complete with cocoa dusting and visible layers. I love a good combination of textures, and of course I am a chocoholic -so this sounded right up my street.

The first layer was the malt mousse. Am I right in thinking that a malt mousse should taste similar to either Horlicks or the centre of Maltesers? In either case, the flavour didn't cut the mustard. It was fluffy and all, but lacked a strong taste of, well, anything!

Underneath the mousse was a chocolate biscuit crumb, and it was a vast improvement on what I'd tasted so far. It also didn't have a particularly strong flavour, but added a contrast of texture against the airy topping. Amongst the crumb was a tasty surprise: some crunchy pieces, which I imagine where the honeycomb bits. They were super sweet, with a fabulous crunch that worked well against the other two elements.

Next was a layer of chocolate mousse, and this was where the dessert really shone. Instead of the mild, milky flavour that is commonplace amongst most mass-produced mousses, this was a dark and rich chocolate number. Bold in flavour, it was the perfect addition to break up all of the sweetness.

Lastly, at the bottom of the pot, was a layer of toffee sauce and fake Maltesers. The sauce was akin to the likes of  Tate & Lyle's ice cream topping, and certainly not anything to write home about. The 
malt balls unsurprisingly weren't of the highest quality either -put it this way, you know that you're not eating the real deal- but they offered an extra textural dimension.

Despite my complaints, I enjoyed these new 'Honey Teasers' by ASDA, and as an avid dessert muncher, I will always welcome the addition of new puddings to choose from. I'm not sure they were special enough to warrant the £2 price tag, and in all honesty I'd rather buy a pack of the Cadbury's Caramellionaire pots (especially at half the price). Talking of which, the Caramellionaire seemed to have disappeared in favour of the Creme Egg inspired 'Eggciting Layers Of Joy'. I do hope they return after Easter!

Have you tried any of ASDA's new desserts? If so, what do you think?

7/10