February 5th: Lindt Pistache

Kcal 589 Fat 42.0g Fat(sats) 22.5g Carbs 47.0g (per 100.0g)

Despite Dean-German-Grocery supplying me with pretty much anything that has ever graced a Lindt logo, I actually picked this bar up for little next to nothing from the now in trouble 'Coffee, Crockery and Tea shop' Whittards. This bar had been recommended to me on a few occasions, and is formed of milk chocolates filled with pistachio nuts and almond cream. Pistachios are not the most commonly used nut in chocolate, so I was interested to see what Lindt could make of it.

This bar came in a standard 100.0g size that was split into several filled pods, just like with the Lindt Christmas Punch. I must say I absolutely loved the look of the product - from wrapper to bar it looked classy. The outer packaging contained a relevant green coloured theme, whilst the bar was not only protected by a foil wrapping but also by a simple layer of cardboard to maintain it in perfect condition. The pod format also looked superb - unique on the outside and truly tempting when cross-sectioned ... just look above. Not only did it look tempting, but it also smelt it too; sweet, dairy scents were radiated by the bar as soon as it was released from its foil wrapping.

Sometimes I feel the need to be blunt, and I will be here ... this bar tasted absolutely divine in every sense. The milk chocolate had all the good attributes of the Lindt Excellence Extra Creamy - it was tremendously creamy in its flavours, and wonderfully paced in its smooth longing melt. At the centre of each of these pods sat one of the most fantastic fillings I think I have ever tasted - the almond cream. As you probably guess it was fantastically creamy in its flavours, almost like a more solid form of double cream with a hint of buttery nuttiness. The pistachio nut was a fitting finale, and provided an added burst of earthy flavours along with its added crunchy texture. I do have one slight criticism of the bar, and it was that since all the flavours were so smooth and creamy they did not culminate to the richest of overall tastes. I actually managed to eat all 100.0g in one serving which gives you an idea of both how good it tasted, but also how it wasn't the most satisfying of chocolates.

Overall despite this not being a thoroughly fulfilling product, it was certainly a very tasty and enjoyable one. Everything from the packaging, smell, chocolate, inner-cream, and pistachio nuts were all delivered with a touch of Lindt finesse. Pistachios are not the most classical mix with milk chocolate, but here the combination was delivered superbly. If your a fan of chocolate with nutty cremes this is a bar I would strongly suggest you try. This is definitely a bar I will be buying again the future.

8.4 out of 10

February 5th: Eat Natural Bluberries Pistachios & Yoghurt

Kcal 211 Fat 12.1g Fat(sats) 7.8g Carbs 23.0g

Last month I gave my first review of the Eat Natural range with the Apricot, Almonds and Yoghurt variant, a bar that I buy pretty much every time I feel in the mood for an Eat Natural product. Today I decided it was about time I tried another from their vast selection, and sampled the Blueberries, Pistachios and Yoghurt variant - a bar that contained all of the aforementioned plus cranberries, coconuts, brazil nuts, and puffed rice cereal.

As always with Eat Natural products, I ate this bar as a means of consuming my breakfast on the move i.e. I ate it during an early morning lecture. Despite weighing in at a whole 5.0g less than the Apricot variant (45.0g), this bar still tied over my hunger well until lunch. To be honest I absolutely hated the colour of the outer packaging - I mean look at it! The colour reminded me of those awful 70s shell suits (See HERE), seriously what on earth where Eat Natural thinking!? Luckily I was more taken by the look of the bar itself. The pistachio nuts, blueberries and cranberries were all highly visible beneath the thick yogurt coating, and really extenuated the 'natural' properties of the product. The smell of the product was highly likable to that of the Apricot variant, with the tangy dairy scents of the yogurt very prominent, masking most of the nutty undertones.

It would be a lie to say that this bar varied massively in its taste from the Apricot variant, as in truth it largely didn't. As the smell suggested the dominant aspect was the yogurt coating, which supplied a milky, but ever so slightly soured base taste. In addition to this, the bar supplied some wonderfully enjoyable acidic, sweet fruity flavours from the blueberries and cranberries. They didn't quite provide the juicy bursts I was hoping for, however they were still highly detectable in the taste with their sharp, striking flavours. Pistachio nuts are not always the first nut type I would consider to place in a confectionery product, though their presence here was a very welcome one. Their earthy, mellow flavours were nicely balanced with the milky flavours of the shredded coconut. Although they were not the strongest tasting, they still managed to substantiate themselves in an amongst all the other flavours. An aspect where they were a slight let down was in their texture, especially in comparison to the almonds in the Apricot variant, as they didn't quite bring the same crunchiness to the experience. Thankfully the rice cereal was used rather sparingly, and just as a means of fusing the product together.

Overall this bar proved to be another pleasant offering from the Eat Natural brand, though I would say I still marginally prefer the Apricot bar. The yogurt coating was once again very well delivered, and bought an ever present creamy, yet slightly tart taste. All the fruit and nut elements brought pleasurable distinct flavours, but I must admit they didn't quite have the diversity in their textures I was hoping for. Again I feel compelled to comment on the fat contents of this bar; for what I would consider a 'lighter choice' the 7.8 grams of saturated fat does really suggest otherwise. One thing you have to consider with this though, is that at least you know where this fat is coming from, and it isn't from some sneaky chemicals or oils like in most chocolate bars we get nowadays. If your after a fruity, nutty snack on the move, I would suggest you could do far worse than one of these bars.

7.4 out of 10

February 4th: Cadbury Highlights

Kcal 160 Fat 10.4 Fat(sats) 6.4g Carbs 19.2g

My search for this bar took me far and wide ... but I luckily stumbled across 'Sweet N Lite', who just so happen to be the only online (or offline!) shop on earth with this Cadbury Highlights bar in stock. A quick e-mail to owner Bev revealed that Cadbury have temporarily stopped manufacturing this bar. Luckily they still had a few left in stock, though their supplies are dwindling so if you fancy getting hold of some be sharp! The Cadbury Highlights is a 'Milk Chocolate with no added sugars' ... could it size up to a standard Dairy Milk bar?

Although aesthetically appearing the same size as a Dairy Milk this was a little deceiving, and it actually weighed 35.0g. The majority of the weight must have been lost in the thickness, as it appeared a lot skinnier than its Dairy Milk comparator. Regardless, the product was typically well presented - and was protected nicely in an appropriately coloured foil wrapper. Apart from looking thinner, the bar appeared no different to any other Cadbury product and included the corporate logo on top of each block. The product didn't radiate the usual dairy oomph in its aroma, but did indicate some minor cocoa influences.

To be honest I really wasn't that surprised by the taste. Hand-on-heart it was nowhere near the excellence of Dairy Milk, though that is not to say it was inedible...far from it in fact. The absence of the sugar was evident from the outset of the taste, it really just didn't have the same sort of impact with its flavours. The texture of the chocolate was still wonderfully smooth, and the thickness did mean that the flavours were substantiated progressively, which was certainly a positive. Unfortunately the taste just wasn't all to my liking. The cocoa didn't seem to come through in the taste as much as with Dairy Milk, and I detected more acidic, natural yogurt type flavours. One thing I did note after eating the bar was that cocoa content was higher in comparison to a Dairy Milk (27%). As I have said though this unfortunately seemed to be offset by the sweetener (Maltitol), which affected the taste just a little too much for my liking.

Overall considering the actual contents of the bar, nutritional information and of course taste my thoughts are more positive than the taste score probably suggests. Frankly the bar doesn't taste as good as pretty much most standard chocolates on the market ... though when you put that in context most other bars can't claim to only have 160 calories and be sugar free. If it's taste your after then this simply isn't a bar you should be considering, but if your watching your weight or your sugar intake then this is as good as any product in that specialist market.

7.7 out of 10

Sweet N Lite Specialise in Diet / Sugar Free / Diet Specialist Foods - Take a Look at their Website by Clicking HERE or the BANNER

February 3rd: Ritter Sport a la Mousse au Chocolat

Kcal 535 Fat 35.9g Fat(sats) 21.9g Carbs 46.4g

I am not going to lie, this was never one of my most desired Ritter Sport bars; frankly, because I never even knew it existed!! Suffice to say when this turned up in my latest sample package from Dean-German-Grocery I certainly liked the sound of it - 'plain chocolate with a chocolate cream filling'. As with most Ritter variants the filling was very generously portioned, accounting for 40% of the total constituents.

The outer packaging had a nice relevant brown colour scheme, the picture of the chocolate mousse was also a nice touch. In relation to some of the other variants from the Ritter Sport range, the bar had a bit of a boring look. Don't get me wrong it still looked great with a nice two tone chocolate effect, however compared to either the hazelnut or yoghurt variants it wasn't the most exciting. Although not lighting any fireworks in the looks department, the product smelt fantastic. It had an extremely forthcoming cocoa scent, much like the one offered in the Ritter Sport Dark Whole Hazelnut variant, both enticing and indicative of the taste.

The chocolate was of the typical Ritter Sport plain formulation and included 50% cocoa solids. Much like I found in the Dark Whole Hazelnuts variant, the flavours of the outer chocolate were balanced sublimely. The taste had a strong cocoa influence that grew in its intensity as the melt progressed. This intensity was well and truly kept in check by the milky undertone that ensured the taste had no element of bitterness whatsoever. Unfortunately the middle filling was not quite of the same standard as the outer chocolate. Texturewise I would say it was in a bit of a no-mans-land, somewhere between being truffle like and actual solid chocolate. It was firm in its texture, and unfortunately lacking a bit of flavour in comparison to the outer chocolate. It did add the slightest extra milkiness, though it largely remained firmly in the background of the overall taste. Due to the richness of the outer chocolate this was still relatively filling, to be honest I was expecting something a bit less so from a 'mousse' containing bar.

Overall this was a hard bar for me to score, as though I still in the grand scheme of things enjoyed it, on reflection I thought the actual proposed filling was a bit poor. I am sure you have got the picture by now - the outer plain chocolate was superb ... a really rich and tasty chocolate. The filling in comparison was a letdown, lacking both a definitive flavour and a relevant mousse like texture. This was a bar that was still really tasty, though taking into account its real potential and the other alternatives available, for the minute I would generally recommend other variants from the Ritter Sport range over this one.

7.6 out of 10

Fancy trying the Ritter Sport a la Mousse au Chocolat for yourself!? Fancy any another Ritter Sport / Milka / Lindt / Storck or German Grocery ... head over to Dean-German-Grocery!!

February 2nd: Hotel Chocolat Season of Love Selection

Kcal ??? Fat ??? Fat(sats) ??? Carbs ???

My first look at Hotel Chocolat's Valentines Day offerings proved a tad underwhelming with my review of the Caramel Sweethearts. I am glad to say though, today things got an awful lot better. Today's review is a bit of a picture bonanza - indeed I got a little swept up in the magnificence of this Season of Love selection, and got a bit camera happy.

To save this review from being never ending, let me just say briefly that as you will no doubt be able to see the presentation was fantastic. Each of the fifteen pieces were uniquely crafted, and came wonderfully dressed in a fantastically designed 400.0g box. The selection came described as 'a balanced selection of irresistible, hand-finished truffles'.

Here are my views on the different pieces, with the usual ratings from 'Poor' to 'Superb'.

Hazelnut Heart:

Incorporated a fantastically creamy outer milk chocolate shell with a simply sinful hazelnut praline centre. Nothing more to say other than it was one of the finest praline chocolates I have ever come across. Superb.

Champagne Love / Kirsch Love Heart / Blackberry & Prosecco:

These pieces combined wonderful outer chocolates with some divine sharp liqueur/alcohol truffle fillings. The Champagne Love was a real stand out with the white chocolate complimenting the tangy, acidic champagne centre perfectly. Very Good.

Gianduja Square:

Another praline filled, milk chocolate piece that had a bit more emphasis on its cocoa flavours in comparison to the hazelnut heart. The aftertaste was longer sustained though it didn't have the same creamy breadth. Very Good.

Eton Mess:

A very intricately made truffle that was formed of a strawberry buttercream filling with meringue pieces, encased in a white and milk chocolate shell topped with strawberry. This not only looked wonderful but had the taste to back it up. The filling had a classic combination of creamy, sharp fruit flavours that went superbly with the inspired meringue inclusion ... the great quality of the chocolate topped off what was a really an outstanding piece. Superb.

Macadamia Star:

Another milk chocolate praline but this time made with macadamia nuts. I wasn't a fan of the grainy texture that came with the macadamia influence, though the buttery taste was still highly pleasurable. Not my favourite but still a very credible chocolate. Good.

Raspberry / Dark / Milk Chocolate Hearts:

These are what the Caramel Sweethearts should have delivered - simply no frills chocolate pieces. The quality of the 40% milk, 74% dark can never be questioned ... fantastic every time. A special mention must go to the white chocolate raspberry heart piece, it was both creamy and fresh tasting. Very Good.

Vanilla / Orange Truffle:

Both of these truffles combined thick, tasty outer chocolates with creamy ganache centres. The vanilla truffle was a particular favourite of mine, and really delivered a wonderful vanilla flavour hit. They may not be the most inspired out of the selection but they still delivered wonderfully. Superb.

Chilli Praline:

This piece had a mousse type hazelnut praline, contained within its milk chocolate casing. The lighter texture was certainly unique to the selection and made for a nice change. The milk chocolate was of course fantastic and a real warmth was brought to the aftertaste by the chilli. Another favourite of mine. Superb.

Caramel Baby Truffles:

These came as mini, half sized pieces that contained gooey caramel in milk chocolate. Probably the least exciting out of the entire selection, yet still delivered in terms of taste. The milk chocolate nicely went with the sweet, gooey caramel. Good.

Cocoa Bliss:

Yet another milk chocolate praline, though this time topped with cocoa nibs. Very similar to the Gianduja Square piece, though the cocoa nibs added a little more interest to the texture of the piece with an added crunchiness. Very Good.

Wowzer! I don't think a review has ever contained so many superlatives - but this selection is simply worth every one of them. If you or your loved one enjoy liqueur and praline chocolates this selection will be a guaranteed winner. The presentation is fantastic, the selection is very vast and every single piece tastes like a little bit of heaven. I can't recommend this selection enough. Utterly superb.

9.3 out of 10

February 1st: Kshocolat Orange & Cardamom

Kcal 508 Fat 38.7g Fat(sats) 24.2g Carbs 31.6g (per 100.0g) 

Its been a while since I last reviewed a Kshocolat product - but this last 'Orange & Cardamom' variant rounds up my reviews of the range (for the rest see HERE!). If like me you are wondering what cardamom is, the ever reliable WIKI has informed me that it is a herb from the ginger family. On pack the bar described itself as 'dark chocolate with tangy orange and crushed cardamom'.

The bar came in the standard Kshocolat 80.0g bar size - this did me nicely for two servings. I had similar thoughts to my previous reviews with the packaging - I thought the material made it look rather dull. This was not a problem with the bar itself though, as with the rest of the range the bar had a gleaming surface and was decorated with some striking cocoa pod patterns. The smell of the chocolate was also quite appetising. The orange was very forthcoming, and I could also detect hints of the spices and cocoa. 

I remember describing way back in July how I thought the taste of the Kshocolat 72% was a bit one dimensional, and how it needed another element to its taste. Well I was hoping the added orange and cardamom ingredients would solve this .... unfortunately they didn't. Unlike the smell suggested the orange was actually quite subtle in its flavour. It was detectable but still quite mild and failed to really create a big influence on the overall taste. The dark chocolate had a nice smooth taste, though again it wasn't nearly as rich as or flavoursome as other chocolates I have tried of this formulation. The luxuriously smooth melt of the chocolate was pretty much totally ruined by the presence of the ground spices that made for a rough, grainy texture. The cardamom had quite a peppery taste and didn't deliver the ginger type flavours I was hoping for.

Overall If I am honest, I was pretty disappointed by this bar. All the signs before consumption pointed towards this variant being potentially superior to the rest of the range - in reality it was just as average. The added orange and cardamom were all hype and no delivery - both delivering ineffectual flavours to the overall taste, as well as ruining the smooth texture. To be honest I wouldn't really recommend this bar. It may look pretty but when it comes to the taste, its a real letdown.

6.9 out of 10

January 31st: Romy Classic Cocos

Kcal ??? Fat ??? Fat(sats) ??? Carbs ???

Your going to have to excuse me on this one, but I have absolutely no idea about the back story behind this bar. Romy is a brand I hadn't ever seen or heard of before Dean-German-Grocery sent me this bar in my latest sampling package. Here it was I do know - this bar was produced in Germany by Hosta Schokolade (same people as Nippon!!)  and was formed of 'milk chocolate filled with coconut cream (50%)'. If anyone has anymore information on this brand, please share.

On the face of things this Romy bar looked very much a 'knock-off' of the Ritter Sport brand. Its 200.0g size and branding aside, it looked very much like a Ritter Sport product. It came in a square bar with an outer wrapper not all that dissimilar looking from the aforementioned German rival. The bar itself was also split into sixteen pieces, this proved highly unpractical for the larger size as the pieces were way too big to eat in one go, it should have been split up double the amount it was. One thing I particularly enjoyed about this bar was the smell. Upon opening the wrapper I was met with a delightful barrage of coconut scents - it reminded me very much of the sweet nutty smell of Bounty bars. 

Much like the smell suggested the coconut really dominated the overall taste. The outer milk chocolate complimented the cream filling well. It had a really pleasant creamy taste that grew ever so slightly in its cocoa strength as the melt progressed. Even when eaten in isolation from the truffle filling the outer chocolate still had a strong element of coconut in its flavours - its safe to say if your not a fan of the stuff you don't want to be going near this one. The inner coconut filling was absolutely divine. It was softer than the outer milk chocolate, though had crunchy rougher bits of desiccated coconut throughout. I absolutely loved the taste of the inner cream filling - it was nutty, buttery, creamy and left a longing taste in the mouth. 50.0g of this bar (a rather small sounding four blocks!!!) provided a really satisfying and fulfilling snack.

Overall I think it would be harsh to just view this Romy Classic Cocos bar as a substandard Ritter Sport copycat. This bar tasted fantastic in its own right, and if I have heard correctly that the Ritter Sport Cocos is now going out of production, it should now have a nice little place in the market to call its own. As I stated earlier, if you don't like coconut there isn't anything for you here. If your partial to a coconut and chocolate combination though, then this is a product you should really consider trying - a highly enjoyable bar of chocolate.

8.1 out of 10  

Fancy trying the Romy Classic Cocos  for yourself!? Fancy any another Ritter Sport / Milka / Lindt / Storck or German Grocery ... head over to Dean-German-Grocery!!

January 30th: Mars Muffin

Kcal 367 Fat 18.6g Carbs 45.9g

Having reviewed the Galaxy chocolate muffin a few days ago, it would have been rude not to give this Mars Muffin the similar treatment. This product provided much the same premise, and constituted of 'a chocolate muffin with a caramel filling, covered in milk chocolate'. People on your January diets look away now .... much like its Galaxy equivalent this muffin contained a pretty huge 367 calories, as well as 18.6g of fat.

The muffin came in a 82.0g size that provided a highly fulfilling mid-afternoon snack. The outer packaging used the standard Mars design, though like the Galaxy muffin included McVities branding. Yet again I thought more could have been done with the presentation of the actual muffin. When cross-sectioned the golden caramel added a bit of interest - but on the whole it was still a little lacking aesthetically. Where the looks fell short, the smell more than made up for. The muffin smelt wonderfully fresh, with sweet cakey scents apparent as soon as the packaging was opened. 

The main cake part of the muffin tasted no different to the Galaxy muffin. It had a sweet doughy flavour that had a strong undertone of vanilla. Once again the muffin was crying out for the caramel filling and melted chocolate to be more generously portioned. The sweet, buttery taste of the caramel filling was superb, and its moistening effect on the cake really made for a lovely gooey texture. The chocolate that was melted on top of the muffin again added a nice crispness to the upper portion of the muffin. The melted chocolate although still a bit lacking, was marginally more portioned than with the Galaxy muffin, which made the crisp texture of the top portion of the muffin seem that little bit more impressive. After devouring the whole 82.0g I was well and truly satisfied.

Overall this was another impressive brand extension from Mars, and I must admit I ever so slightly preferred this variant to the Galaxy. The greater portioning of the chocolate melted on top gave a little more variation in the texture - based on taste alone I wouldn't be able to split them. Again it was the case here that the caramel filling and extra chocolate needed to be a bit more generously portioned, though on the whole this was still a very enjoyable product, and well worthy of giving a try if your a Mars fan.

8.0 out of 10 

January 29th: Snickers 'The Lot'

Kcal 265 Fat 15.2g Fat(sats) 7.8g Carbs 26.9g

Snickers has to be the brand with the most spin offs ever - we have had the Charged, Dark,Rockin' Nut Road ... you name I have reviewed it! Today I tried the latest bar on offer from Mars  - Snicker's 'The Lot', a bar all the way from Australia. This bar was "packed with a pile of stuff", and came described as 'crispy pieces in a thick cream, caramel, sprinkled with heaps of nuts, covered in chocolate'. I had been looking to review this bar for a good while before I got the chance to do so today, so my expectations were pretty high.

The bar came in a 50.0g serving and provided a pretty hefty snack option. The product was well presented in a aesthetically pleasing foil wrapper, though it did exhibit the usual idiotic Snickers branding "Get Some Nuts!!" ... hmmm! I thought the bar itself looked pretty good, it looked a lot like the Reese's Nutrageous bar, though the inner cream filling looked lighter in its viscosity, and the caramel greater in presence. I was somewhat disappointed with the smell of the product, it didn't have the usual nutty smell of Snickers, but emanated a more subtle sweet, diary led smell.  

As you can imagine the chocolate wasn't of the highest quality ever, but then again Snickers bars have never been about exquisite chocolate. It wasn't the best, yet it still provided a pleasant enough coating to the bar with its predominantly milky flavours. Studded within the chocolate were small chopped pieces of peanuts. They lacked the usual crunchiness and really full on nutty flavours of the standard Snickers bars, though they were still highly prominent in the aftertaste. Beneath the chocolate lay the caramel and cream layers, which combined offered a fantastic combination of flavours. The caramel was very generously portioned and added the usual sweet, buttery flavours. The cream layer included rice crispy pieces, though these only added a crispness to the texture, and were largely lost in the wonderful creamy vanilla flavours. The convergence of so many different elements made for a very satisfying bar that was very varied in all its flavours.   

Overall this was far from being the best variant from the Snickers range, though it was still a very enjoyable one. The chopped nature of the nuts meant they didn't quite have the same sort of impact on the taste, but they were still very giving to the overall flavour. Similarly the replacement of the usual nougat for the lighter cream filling was subsequently detrimental, however again the cream filling was reasonably enjoyable in its own right. This isn't a 'must try' bar, but it is one I am sure a lot of Snickers fans will understandably want to get acquainted with.

8.1 out of 10

January 28th: Marks & Spencer Belgian Chocolate Chunk Brownie

Kcal 450 Fat 19.7g Fat(sats) 11.2g Carbs 58.2g (per 100.0g)

Continuing my way through the whole heap of Marks & Spencer goodies I bought last week, I today tried one of their Belgian Chocolate Chunk Brownies. On pack the ingredients list described the chocolate as 'dark', though it failed to mention what percentage was actual cocoa. I know this isn't the sort of product that normally falls within the ChocolateMission remit, but when it comes to all things M&S I just can't help myself. 

The brownie felt a lot heavier than the 55.0g that was stated on the pack. As far as snacks go this was a pretty damn fulfilling one due to its dense nature. Like the 'Millionaire Shortbread' I reviewed a few days ago, this product only came in a very basic looking transparent cellophane wrapper. Although the brownie managed to survive the trip home in my bag relatively undamaged, I personally think an inner plastic tray would have been a nice inclusion to just add a bit of protection. Out its wrapper the brownie smelt tremendous; my senses were treated to a wonderful mixture of chocolaty, doughy, cakey scents ... it smelt amazingly fresh.

I think brownies should always be served warm, so I popped it in the microwave for a quick spin. If you have never done this, I highly recommend you do - it tasted absolutely fantastic. The heat made the brownie a little lighter in its texture, and melted the chocolate chunks so they were a little gooey. The brownie had a wonderful sweet, doughy taste, that was complimented superbly by the small pockets of melted chocolate chunks where present. I say 'where present' as for my liking the chocolate chunks could have been a bit more generously portioned. Despite this minor annoyance the sweetness was wonderfully balanced with just the slightest touch of salt, which made it incredibly moreish. Even though the warming of the brownie made the texture slightly less viscous, the product was still amazingly fulfilling, saying that I still savoured every last wonderful bite.  

Overall this was an absolutely delicious snack that I enjoyed immensely. It was highly fulfilling and wonderful in its taste - it was almost as if was fresh out the bakery. The bites which included the melted chocolate chunks were absolutely to die for, the plain brownie wasn't half bad either. If M&S just added a few more chocolate chunks in the middle of the bar, this would really be an utterly outstanding product. If you like your brownies, then I would highly recommend you pick one of these up next time your in your local M&S. Sinful? ... for sure! Totally worth it? ... hell yes!

8.7 out of 10

January 27th: Hotel Chocolat Caramel Sweethearts

Kcal ??? Fat ??? Fat(sats) ??? Carbs ???

Those of you lucky enough to have someone to send chocolates to this Valentines Day will be happy to know that I will be running through the finest selections on offer from Hotel Chocolat in the coming weeks. Today I started off by taking a look at the Caramel Sweethearts - a product that I have seen Terry and Chocablog already get their mitts on (Click names for their reviews!). These were formed of 'caramel flavoured milk chocolate hearts with bresilliene, cocoa crispies and cherry powder'. For those that are unaware 'Bresilliene' constitutes of grounded hazelnut and sugar.

As with every Hotel Chocolat product these came wonderfully presented in a pink tinted 170.0g box that contained 28 chocolate hearts. The pieces looked incredible, with very intricate engravings present on each of the chocolate hearts - it all looked incredibly impressive. I was a little less struck by the aroma of the product. A quite minor diary smell was present, though the most forthcoming influence came from the subtle savoury smelling rice crispies.

Although the pieces looked fantastic it must be said they were quite awkward to eat. They were a little to large to eat in one bite, but also broke into several bits when snapped. This was something fundamentally caused by the crisped rice and proved to be not the only downside of the rice inclusion. The milk chocolate had a a pleasant enough melt in the mouth, however the pieces also had a degree of roughness due to the bresilliene and rice ingredients ... after eating four pieces the roof of my mouth was actually quite sore. It wasn't just the textures that let this product down though. The combination of the sweetened caramel milk chocolate, and bresilliene made for a very sweet overall taste, one that seemed to rely on sugar a lot more than most Hotel Chocolat products I have reviewed before. The influences of the hazelnut and cherry powder elements seemed lost within the sugary nature of the chocolate, which was just a real shame. I ate these about six at a time, though with each serving they failed to really satisfy or give me that much pleasure.

Overall I am not very often underwhelmed by Hotel Chocolat products, but I really didn't hit it off with these. Hotel Chocolat have set their own standards, a quick look through the archive will show that no doubt they are a company who deliver quality on a regular basis. Unfortunately though, I wouldn't place these in that category. These Caramel Sweethearts were overly sweet, and the roughness of their texture caused quite considerable irritation when eaten on mass. Not the best start to my look at their Valentines day range ... but trust me there are some corkers to come.

6.9 out of 10

January 27th: Ritter Sport Organic Almond

***UPDATED WRAPPER APRIL 2011


Kcal 374 Fat 26.9g Fat(sats) 12.6g Carbs 25.5g (per 100.0g)

Today thanks to Dean-German-Grocery, I tried the last of the Ritter Sport Organic bars, the 'Mandelsplitter'. This bar was formed of milk chocolate that was studded with small almond nut pieces. As with the rest of the milk chocolate bars from the Organic range, it was formed of a 35% cocoa recipe, whilst the almonds formed a plentiful 23% of the total bar.

The product came in the standard Organic 65.0g size, that was split into the typical 16 blocks. I thought the outer packaging looked pretty good. The two tone green nicely differentiated the product from the standard Ritter Sport range, whilst the almonds featured on the wrapper looked pretty tempting. As I have mentioned above the almond pieces were generously portioned, and looked impressive dispersed within the chocolate. The bar emanated the usual dairy led aromas of Ritter Sport milk chocolate, the smallest hint of nut could also be detected.

The milk chocolate did its usual standard job, and carried the flavour of the bar well with its creamy tasting, smooth melting attributes. Considering the small sizes of the nuts pieces I was actually quite surprised at how well they established their flavours. The nut pieces added a woody, buttery influence to the taste that was on the whole quite pleasant. Although the almonds didn't have the depth of flavour of other nut types (hazelnut, cashews etc), they still provided an extra level of interest to the overall taste. I wasn't totally at ease with their finely, chopped implementation, as small bits of nut did tend to get stuck in my teeth; they also didn't quite provide the desired nut crunch. I ate this bar over two separate sittings, both of which were surprisingly satisfying for just over 32.0g each.

Overall much like the rest of the Ritter Sport Organic range this was a solid bar, though it was far from really being a stand out product. I tend to prefer nuts implemented in a wholenut form, though the flavours delivered by the almonds in this bar were actually quite flavoursome for nuts that had been chopped so finely. The Ritter Sport Organic bars overall have hardly been groundbreaking, but I guess for people who prefer their chcolate without all the chemicals, this range would be a good place to look.

7.8 out of 10

Fancy trying the Ritter Sport Organic Almond for yourself!? Fancy any another Ritter Sport / Milka / Lindt / Storck or German Grocery ... head over to Dean-German-Grocery!!