Today's Review: Pringles Brazilian Zesty Chilli Style

I'm a sucker for Pringles, so when I was offered the chance to review their new World Cup inspired flavour, I certainly couldn't say no. Thankfully I was also provided with this nice pack shot, as my can turned up with a dent in the side. Apparently Royal Mail are getting into the football spirit a bit early. But hey, most of the Pringles were intact, so it was time to dive in.

These limited edition Pringles are Brazilian Zesty Chilli Style, and they say "style" because these are made in Belgium, not Brazil. But I'm not here for a geography lesson, I'm here for flavour, and thankfully these crisps have a lot of that. When they say "zesty" they're not messing around, these Pringles have a very bold and tangy lime flavour. Most crisps settle for just a hint of lime, but these go all out, and it was actually a pleasant, tasty surprise, although just a little overwhelming. I was also looking forward to the combination of zest and chilli, and while there certainly is a spicy undertone, it's definitely overwhelmed by the lime. This is still a great, tasty flavour, but if there were more of a balance between the different elements I may well be announcing my new favourite flavour of Pringles. But these are definitely near the top.

Brazilian Zesty Chilli Style Pringles are available exclusively in Asda from June, but they won't be around for long, so grab a can while you can.

My rating: 4/5

Today's Review: Strawberry Millions Chocolate Bar

Today I bring you another Cyber Candy pickup in the form of this Millions chocolate bar. Now, I love Millions, they're chewy and flavoursome, and I can quickly devour a whole tube without thinking, but I certainly wouldn't have said I was longing to have some embedded into chocolate. But I guess someone saw a market in that, because here it is. This bar is also available with orange Millions, but I figured I'd enjoy this one more.

Trouble is, I didn't enjoy it all that much. This isn't exactly brand name chocolate here. It tastes quite cheap, but it's still edible I suppose, like those cheap chocolate Santas you can pick up around Christmas. The Millions spread throughout are as good as ever, very chewy and juicy. But the two don't really work together. I don't get why people think chocolate and chewy sweets go together. The chocolate melts quite quickly, while the sweets tend to stick around, which is quite the discrepancy for my taste buds when I'm left with a goopy, strawberry lump that's coated in melted chocolate. Chocolate is nice, Millions are nice, but I don't think they're meant to be together. Perhaps this will be a hit for some Millions fanatics, and it's certainly edible, but I can't say I'd recommend it.

My rating: 2/5

Today's Review: Cadbury Dairy Milk Pretzel & Peanut Butter

I love Dairy Milk, but I also love my chocolate peanut butter treats, be they Kit Kat Chunky or Peanut Butter Cups. I used to have to choose between the two, but now that struggle is no more, thanks to this bar of Dairy Milk that hails from Canada. I picked it up from Cyber Candy for a pretty pricey £3.50, but with a combination of Dairy Milk, peanut butter and pretzels I couldn't pass it up.

I'm gonna say this right off the bat, this bar is amazing. It has the thick, creamy Dairy Milk chocolate that we all know and love, but spread throughout are generous offerings of crunchy pretzel pieces and chips of peanut butter. I was a bit disappointed that the peanut butter was in chip form rather than a layer, but it actually works quite well, allowing the other flavours and textures to come through once in a while, and there wasn't one piece of chocolate that didn't taste distinctly like peanut butter. The pretzels aren't too noticeable in the taste, but I find that they work more to add a lovely crunchy texture, while also accentuating the saltiness of the peanut butter. This is probably the best peanut butter chocolate bar I've ever tasted, it's creamy, sweet, salty, and of course, peanut buttery, all in one. If only Cadbury could release it over here. It would be quite a... Marvellous Creation.

My rating: 5/5

Today's Review: Crunchy Cheetos: Sweet 'N' Sour Twist

I'm a big fan of Crunchy Cheetos, although they're pretty hard to get hold of round here. Still, my dad lives in Oman, where they're easily found, so I always ask him to bring some back when he returns home. The spicy varieties are my favourite, from Flamin' Hot to Cheddar Jalapeño. Yesterday, though, I acquired this sweet 'n' sour flavour, and while I was a bit disappointed that I didn't get to shove spicy Cheetos in my face, I was excited to try these out.

The composition of these Cheetos is much like any other Crunchy ones, big, nobbly sticks of crunchy goodness. As for the flavour, they actually taste a lot like the Nice 'N' Spicy Nik Naks you get in the UK, eerily similar in fact. It's not a bad thing, as I absolutely love Nik Naks, and these Cheetos are certainly bigger than the tiny ones you find in our half filled crisp packets. These Cheetos are big, filling, and deliciously spicy and saucy. I haven't yet found a flavour of Crunchy Cheetos that I don't love, and these are a great addition to the line up.

My rating: 5/5

Today's Review: X-Men: Days Of Future Past

X-Men: First Class came out three years ago now, and it was a breath of fresh air in a somewhat stagnating series of films (in my opinion anyway). After all the flashy special effect shows with muddied plots and too much Hugh Jackman, it was good to see a nice, grounded attempt at the franchise, with some fantastic actors and a gripping story. I thought the days of the mediocre X-Men were over, until I found out that Days Of Future Past would feature Hugh Jackman again, and would bridge the gap between both past and present X-Men. I was disappointed, but it still certainly showed some promise, so I had to go and see it, didn't I?

We join the X-Men at some point in the near future, where Professor X (Patrick Stewart), Magneto (Christoper Lee), Wolverine (Jackman) and even Storm (Halle Berry) are struggling to survive against a new enemy that is wiping out mutants across the globe. In a last ditch attempt to save the mutants, Wolverine's consciousness is sent back in time to his 1973 body, so he can find the younger Xavier (James McAvoy) and Magneto (Michael Fassbender), and enlist their help to stop the catalyst of the war that threatens all their lives.

It's fair to say I'm not a massive fan of Jackman's Wolverine. He was a main focus for much of the first trilogy, as well as two mediocre movies dedicated entirely to him, so I was hoping that he wouldn't be pulling all the attention this time around. Thankfully, this isn't the case. This movie continues the focus on the early relationship between Xavier and Magneto, and Jennifer Lawrence's Mystique plays a much larger role in the proceedings, one that she handles extremely well. While there are quite a few quiet moments throughout, there is always some great dialogue and chemistry between these three to really keep the movie going. 

But when the dialogue's finished, the action certainly kicks in. There are some fantastic battles in this movie, both in the past and the future, all with impeccable special effects. Magneto in particular gets to show off his chops, and Fassbender adds just the right amount of menace to his conflicted character. There's not a lot of action for action's sake either, all the scenes fit in very nicely with the plot, which may seem confusing at first, but actually moves at a very reasonable pace, with not many questions left unanswered. Like with First Class, the story is woven very well around real historical events, and is never outlandish or boring.

So while I did have my misgivings about this awesome new X-Men series linking itself to a not so great one, Bryan Singer has pulled the two together very effectively. The character balance is great, and the amount of nods to the original trilogy is fantastic. I was particularly impressed with the amount of actors that have returned to portray the heroes from as far back as the original X-Men in 2000. Days Of Future Past is an awesome movie, that manages to take all the best elements from all that came before, and tie them up in one neat package. I'm definitely looking forward to what comes next.

My rating: 5/5

Today's Review: Cathedral City Baked Bites

You can't go wrong with a bit of Cathedral City cheddar, whether it's melted, grated, sliced, or in neat little blocks in snack size packets. But now you can enjoy it another way, baked into some bite size biscuits. Yes, these are basically the Cathedral City version of Mini Cheddars, but I'm always willing to try alternatives, especially when it's from a brand I know I like. Besides, Mini Cheddars are a bit hit and miss with me. I'm not sure what it is, but sometimes I love them, and other times they're just... okay.

These Baked Bites, however, are all good. They're wonderfully crunchy, and have a bold, cheesy flavour that sticks around for a while after the biscuit's gone. I think one of my issues with Mini Cheddars is that they're a little greasy, but the Baked Bites aren't in the slightest. The balance of flavour and texture is just right with these, and I'd gladly sit and eat a whole lot of them in one go, so it's a good thing they come in handy snack packs. If you like a good cheesy snack, you can't pass these up.

My rating: 5/5

Today's Review: Butterkist Sea Salt & Balsamic Vinegar Popcorn

I've tried popcorn in all kinds of interesting savoury flavours, from chilli, to bacon, to worcester sauce. But Butterkist have brought out a more normal salt and vinegar flavour, in keeping with traditional crisp flavours. I couldn't pass these up seeing as I've tried all the other weird and wonderful varieties out there.

The popcorn itself is great quality, as you'd expect from Butterkist. It's light and fluffy, and that really helps to accentuate the flavouring that's generously thrown in. This popcorn has a lovely, tingly salt and vinegar flavour. It may not be as strong as your McCoys, but it doesn't need to be, as the texture of the popcorn means that the salt and vinegar taste comes through nice and bold. While it may not sound too interesting a flavour, this popcorn is another great variety from Butterkist that is very tasty.

My rating: 5/5

Today's Review: My Son's Colouring Picture

While bringing up my phone's picture library to figure out what to review for the day, I was greeted by this picture. On my phone is a Thomas colouring app that evidently allows you to save your efforts, and this hellish representation of an innocent world is what my son chose to keep.

In the centre we see the titular Thomas, or rather, we don't see him. His body is swathed in darkness, only his well meaning, smiling face is visible, but now it looks like a menacing, knowing grin, an invitation to the gloom, a call to accept the inevitable. Even the comparatively brighter face of James in the background, accompanied by a balloon, is not enough to alleviate the sense of impending doom. Indeed, even James will soon be enveloped by the darkness. 

But hey, it's open to interpretation. Perhaps Thomas is in blackface, making this a social commentary on the civil rights movement. Maybe Thomas got some coal dust on him in the mines. Who knows what a 4 year old mind has got going on. But I think the message we can all take from this is that it's not a great colouring job. I mean, there are plenty of other colours he could have used. Brighten it up a bit, boy.

My rating: 1/5

Today's Review: Kingsmill Bagel Thins

I do love a bagel from time to time. The New York Co. ones are my favourites, especially with the range of flavours they come in. But when I'm counting calories, even a single bagel can be a bit too much. Besides, my cheap, 2 slice toaster requires you to very precisely slice the bagel in half for it to actually fit inside. But both of those problems have been solved thanks to the Bagel Thins from Kingsmill.

Bagel Thins are basically thin bagels, and while I normally find other brands of bagels are not to my liking, I figured it was worth giving these a go, especially as they're only 122 calories each. While they do seem a bit pale and doughy in the packet, once I slotted one of these pre-sliced bad boys comfortably into my toaster, they came out pretty nice. They're light and tasty, with a nice crunch, and I was certainly tempted to eat another right after. These are a good, lighter option for the bagel fanatic, or the toaster-ly challenged.

My rating: 5/5

Today's Review: Tesco Milkshake Flavour Doughnuts

Tesco may have brought out the utterly baffling - but actually pretty nice - Weirdoughs lately, but they've also introduced these interesting milkshake flavoured doughnuts for those of you who don't like perverted food. This nice, big pack contains a selection of three different flavoured doughnuts - strawberry, chocolate and banana, and actually contains five of each, so it's all good for sharing.

So what makes them less like your average doughnuts and more like milkshake flavoured doughnuts? Well, there's certainly a lighter, milkier texture to them, but they also seem a bit powdery. They taste a little bit like milkshake powder that isn't mixed together too well, but they're certainly not bad. The flavours are bold, and they certainly do taste like their milkshake counterparts. They may not be perfect, but they're a nice new variety of doughnut, and we can never have enough doughnuts, can we?

My rating: 4/5

Today's Review: Candy Land Wham Rocket

I reviewed the Refreshers Dip Dab a little while back, and found to be mightily tasty. Since then, I've had a hankering for interesting sweet treats, so I returned to Wilkinson to scour their 4 for £1 section, and found this Wham Rocket. It's not a Dip Dab, it's not a Sherbet Fountain, it's somewhere in between.

This neat little package contains the same awesome raspberry sherbet as found in the Refreshers Dip Dab. It's smooth, tingly, and delicious. What's more, there are tiny crunchy fruit pieces mixed in, which add a nice difference in texture throughout. The dipper is interesting too. It's not a lolly, it's not liquorice, instead it's a pink foamy spoon thing, which is apparently raspberry flavoured, but tasted more like a foam shrimp sweet to me. Still, it's certainly good for scooping up the stuff inside, but it was so nice I just ended up eating it first and tipping the sherbet straight into my face. If you ask me, anything that you eat in a way that makes you disgusted with yourself after has to be good, and the Wham Rocket certainly is delicious. 

My rating: 5/5

Today's Review: Oreo Ice Cream Sandwich

Of all the frozen treats, my favourite has to be the ice cream sandwich. From Maxibon to Ben & Jerry's 'Wich, I can't help grabbing some whenever I come across them. Unfortunately, those two delights aren't available much in the UK, but now there's a new ice cream sandwich in town, and it's by Oreo. What could go wrong?

Well, yes, it's certainly smaller that I expected, but good things come in small packages, right? Besides, it's only 110 calories per sandwich, so it's pretty good for a snack. This is basically a nice, thick wedge of ice cream, smattered with Oreo pieces, all wrapped up in two nice big Oreo cookies. At first it tasted a little odd to me, but I think that's because I'm used to the chunky chocolate chip cookies found in other ice cream sandwiches. The dark, chocolatey cookie taste tends to overwhelm the light, creamy centre, so perhaps if the middle were thicker the balance of flavours would be a bit better. Still, it's a good snack, it's pretty much like a big frozen Oreo. It just doesn't quite reach the heights of my other favourite ice cream sandwiches.

My rating: 4/5

Today's Review: Milka Huesitos

Yes, it's time for another Spanish treat, but there aren't many left that I haven't reviewed. I picked up this little Milka bar from a corner shop, and while it didn't really jump out at me it thought it was worth a try.

Unfortunately, I wasn't blown away. This is basically a tiny wafer, covered in Milka chocolate. It's not bad, but it's pretty bland compared to all the other awesome Milka bars around. This is literally just a wafer with chocolate, there's not much more to say. Good for a quick snack, but it doesn't reach any realms of deliciousness.

My rating: 3/5

Today's Review: Tesco Tzatziki Hummus Chips

Crisps certainly are a versatile little snack food. Not only do they come in a variety of flavours, but they can be made from a number of different things, in a number of different ways. You've got your air popped potato chips, your oven baked maize snacks, and now you can get hummus chips, made from chickpeas. Interesting, right?

Well, I love a bit of hummus, so I was eager to try these, even if I wasn't too keen on either of the flavours on offer. I went with the tzatziki, as I didn't quite fancy the chicken, and was actually pleasantly surprised. These chips are a little heavier than your regular potato fare, but they taste a lot more wholesome and healthy. There's no grease, and that helps the flavouring come through a lot more. The tzatziki seasoning is smooth and creamy, and it blends in really well with the texture of the chips themselves. On top of all that, these chips are healthier than their potato counterpart. So if you're a fan of hummus, you can't really go wrong with these. If anything it'll save on you buying both chips and dip. 

My rating: 5/5

Today's Review: KFC Original Recipe Fries

I've reviewed a few KFC menu items in my time, but none have been particularly innovative. Tasty, certainly, but mostly just a new combination of chicken, sauces and wraps. But now KFC have stepped up their game, and it was as simple as taking their secret blend of herbs and spices and sprinkling it on their fries. It may not sound like much, but who among you did not want to immediately try these upon hearing that? The best part of KFC is the original recipe chicken, and now you can get original recipe on your fries. So are these the best fries ever?

KFC have always produced some good fries, and this original recipe coating adds a nice spicy kick. The closest thing I could compare them to is Nando's Peri Peri Chips. The heat kicks in fairly quickly, and while it's not too strong, it certainly made my tongue tingle for a while. If you're expecting these fries to taste like that divine chicken skin though, you'll be disappointed. This is simply a bunch of spices coating your fries. What makes the chicken better is the fact that there's a nice supply of chicken skin and batter to give it that crispy, greasy taste that we all love. Take the same spices and put them on fries, and you're just left with spicy fries. Don't get me wrong, they're good, but only as good as any other spicy fries out there. Now, if KFC could find a way to batter their fries with crispy chicken skin, the world would go crazy and quickly perish from obesity. But in lieu of that, these fries are a nice new addition to the KFC menu.

My rating: 4/5

Today's Review: Carling Cherry Cider

On the rare occasion that I grab a casual drink, cider is my tipple of choice. Thankfully, there are a number of interesting fruity flavours available, and I enjoy pretty much all of them. Following in the footsteps of Stella Artois, Carling have brought out their own cider, and while I wasn't particularly interested in their generic apple flavour, today I found this cherry variety which really caught my eye. I don't think I've ever had cherry cider before, and at £1 a bottle I couldn't say no.

This certainly is a lovely drink. The cherry flavour is nice and bold, and it's as good as any Kopparberg I've had before. It pretty much tastes like an alcoholic Cherry 7-Up, and everyone knows that Cherry 7-Up is divine. I had no problem polishing off this bottle pretty quickly, and if I need to grab a drink in the future, I would probably seek this one out again. A simple flavour, but done very well.

My rating: 5/5

Today's Review: Maxibon Cookies & Cream

It's been a slow week as far as stuffing my face goes, so I dug up one of my Spanish acquisitions that has managed to sneak under my review radar. You probably thought I was done, but think again. No one expects the Spanish acquisitions. I'm sorry, that was terrible.

So here we have the Maxibon Cookies & Cream. Instead of being a heavenly ice cream sandwich like its flawless brethren, this treat takes on a more Cornetto-like form. Indeed, it is much like a Cornetto Enigma, full of nice, creamy ice cream, but with a saucy chocolate centre. On top, there are some nice, chunky pieces of cookie. There's also cookie bits interspersed with the ice cream, because you can never have enough cookie.

It sounds good, but overall I wasn't blown away. It's nice, sure, but it's just too much like a Cornetto, and Walls ice cream is superior to Nestle's. The chocolate tip at the bottom of the cone was bigger than that of a Cornetto, I must admit, but once I'd made my way through this ice cream I just wished I had gone for the classic Maxibon sandwich. A nice treat, but there's better stuff out there.

My rating: 4/5

Today's Review: Tesco Chocolate & Salted Caramel Cake Slices

Tesco sure are bringing out a lot of cakes lately, but who doesn't love cake? After the divine chocolate fudge cupcakes I bought the other day, I went back to see what else was available, and was immediately drawn to these chocolate and salted caramel slices. Salted caramel has become a big thing in supermarket snacks lately, and rightly so, 'cause it's delicious. So what could go wrong with sticking it on top of a chocolate cake? 

This cake is good. Not only do we get a generous helping of frosting in between and on top, but there are tiny chunks of caramel and some caramel and chocolate drizzles on top. The frosting is super sweet, verging on treacle, but it's balanced out by the creaminess, and the moist chocolate sponge. All the flavours come together to make one fantastic piece of cake. Bravo Tesco, another great addition to the cake aisle.

My rating: 5/5

Today's Review: Dunkin' Donuts Boston Creme Dunkaccino

Look at that. Just look at it. Is it a drink, or is it a dessert squished into a cup? Well, it's both. This is a Dunkaccino, which is a blend of frappe mix, chocolate fudge, boston creme, and donuts. All topped off with a healthy dollop of cream, and another donut, just in case you don't have enough. This isn't your regular chocolate coffee drink, this is cold indulgence in a cup.

With all that stuff crammed in and blended up, it's understandably a pretty sweet drink. The chocolate fudge flavour is particularly strong, while the cream adds even more thickness to the mix. Its consistency is somewhere between a regular frappe and chocolate ice cream sauce, and while it's certainly delicious for a few sips, it quickly becomes a bit sickly. But hey, this is a cup full of donuts and chocolate sauce all mixed together with coffee, I wasn't expecting it to be a light, healthy treat. It's a decadent, chocolatey delight that's worth a try if you're after a sweet monstrosity of a drink. I wouldn't recommend it becoming your new daily tipple though.

My rating: 4/5

Today's Review: Tesco Cookie Mallow Cheesecake

I'm on a bit of a Tesco kick lately, but they are bringing out an awful lot of new products, so who can blame me? I took a naughty wander down the cake aisle the other day, and aside from the delicious chocolate fudge cupcakes and... interesting Weirdoughs, this Cookie Mallow Cheesecake caught my eye. What it contains is clear from the title, but any dessert that combines cookies, marshmallow and cheesecake has got to be worth a try.

That is one sexy cross-section. The top is a thick, fluffy layer of marshmallow. It's pretty similar in texture to baffling American spread Marshmallow Fluff, but a little lighter. Underneath we have the creamy, cheesy centre of the cheesecake. It's smooth and delicious, and of course, this is a cookie mallow cheesecake, so there are little cookie chunks spread generously throughout that add a soft chocolatey surprise to every mouthful. Finally, at the bottom, we have the classic biscuit base you'd find in any cheesecake. But it's not your plain old digestive, no, it's chocolate, because this dessert doesn't play games.

Obviously there's a lot going on in this cheesecake, and it all works pretty well together. My only gripe is that the mallow topping is a little too thick, and the sticky, sugary taste does overwhelm the rest of the layers a little. Still, this is a great combination of sweet treats, and well worth seeking out.

My rating: 4/5 

Today's Review: Rowntrees Tangy Tots

I reviewed Rowntrees' Chewy Tots last month, which a nice variety on the original. Thanks to Kev of Kev's Snack Reviews for informing me of the existence of Tangy Tots as well, as I finally managed to track some down today. These are pretty much the same deal as Chewy Tots, and indeed Jelly Tots, they come in a pack of eight rather small bags. But portions are only a guideline, so the question is are these good enough to warrant gobbling all eight bags in one go?

Tangy Tots are much more like Jelly Tots than their crunchy brother. It's the same jelly inside, with all the same flavours. The only difference is that the sugar on top is sour, rather than simply sweet. It may not seem too interesting, but it certainly gives the sweets a nice tang, one that may not particularly last long, but at least there are some scrumptious Jelly Tots underneath once the sourness has faded. Tangy Tots are a simple variation on a classic, and are definitely worth a try.

My rating: 4/5

Today's Review: Tesco Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes

While there may be many weird and wonderful varieties of cake, chocolate fudge is a favourite in our household. The problem with that, however, is that it's normally only available in large cake form, and it disappears far quicker than it should. But now Tesco have conjured up the answer to all my problems (well, the ones related to chocolate fudge cake, anyway) by bringing out these chocolate fudge cupcakes.

These cupcakes, while quite small, certainly pack a punch. The cake itself is a nice, moist chocolate sponge, but the party's happening up top, with a thick, swirly layer of chocolate fudge icing. It's sickly, but satisfyingly so. With most cupcakes I find the sponge tends to overwhelm the frosting, but it's the opposite in this case, providing a smooth, creamy, delicious mouthful. It's helped along, of course, by the chocolate filling inside the sponge, in case the thickly layered frosting isn't enough. This is definitely the best cupcake I've had in a while, and if you're a chocolate fudge fiend like me, you can't miss out on this. At £1.40 for a pack of two, you can't go wrong price wise either.

My rating: 5/5 

Today's Review: Wind

Thanks, Google, for this succinct and relevant picture

It was a bit windy today, sunny but windy. It was also rubbish collection day in my neighbourhood, which resulted in several recycling bags and bits of cardboard being dragged away from outside their respective homes. Also, my hair got pretty ruffled. It was then that I thought to myself that wind is annoying.

Wind is a fantastic natural occurrence, a mass movement of molecules from a crowded place to a less crowded one, on a scale so large that it throws stuff all over the place. Waves come crashing down on seafaring ships, trees are knocked down in terrible storms, receipts that I've just dropped on the floor are moved playfully out of my reach. The last one affects me the most, obviously, as I've never been lost at sea or crushed by plant life. To me, wind is an annoyance, one that's claimed the lives of several umbrellas, and sometimes made it slightly more difficult to walk.

But wind does have its benefits. Without wind, some plant pollination would not occur, so we wouldn't be able to enjoy such wonderful plants as dandelions... and other weeds. But hey, without wind, we wouldn't be able to have wind power. Yes, wind can provide us with electricity, as long as we build gigantic windmills that look a bit ugly. But hey, sustainable power is good, right? As long as the wind decides to blow at a steady rate, which it invariably doesn't.

You see, wind is uncaring, and pretty cruel. It doesn't care if it sinks a few ships, or demolishes some houses. Wind can help spread wildfire, cause wind chill in sheep and cattle, an even causes erosion, because not even rocks can escape its wrath. I may find wind personally annoying, but in a lot of cases it's deadly. So no matter how many weeds are given the opportunity to breed, or how rad hang-gliding or windsurfing may be, wind is a generally bad thing to have around. Especially when it blows those receipts away from me. I mean honestly, it feels like it's just toying with me.

My rating: 1/5

Today's Review: Tesco's Weirdoughs

Recently there has been a surge in interesting pastry combinations, from the Cronut to the Duffin, and also an increase in savoury snack flavours, where once there were only sweet. I've sampled bacon and curry popcorn, but nothing could have prepared me for Tesco's new bakery treat, which combines both these fads into one unholy combination. I give you Weirdoughs:

 

Many thanks to The Cocoa Nut for informing me of the existence of these strange treats. I happened to be heading to Tesco this morning, so I rushed straight to the bakery to try these out. These are touted as a combination of crisp and doughnut, which sounds a bit disgusting texture wise, but in fact they are just Salt & Vinegar and Cheese & Onion flavoured doughnuts, which just sound disgusting flavour wise. But when was I ever one to pass up on a strange food? I tucked right in. 

Salt & Vinegar

I started out with these ones, since they're my favourite of the two crisp flavours. There certainly is a hint of salt and vinegar throughout the fluffy doughnut, but it's not very strong. The sweetness, and fluffiness, of the dough overwhelm the savoury a bit too much, so while I got a fleeting taste of something quite interesting, it didn't last too long. Still, they're nice doughnuts, they could just do with a bit more flavouring.

My rating: 3/5

Cheese & Onion

I wasn't going to pick these up, since Cheese & Onion is among my least favourite crisp flavours. But I can't give an informed review without trying everything on offer. Surprisingly, my wary purchase paid off. These doughnuts, somehow, are very nice. The cheese and onion flavour is much bolder than their salt and vinegar counterparts, and somehow it works well when paired with the doughnuts. It does take a bite or two to get used to the taste, and I don't think I could eat too many in one go, but this is definitely my favourite flavour of the two.

My rating: 4/5

Tesco have imagined what a mixture of crisps and doughnuts might taste like, and these Weirdoughs are exactly the answer. While the Salt & Vinegar variety could do with a bit more flavour, there are authentic crisp flavours infused into these doughnuts that are unlike anything I've had before. Weirdoughs are a bit weird though, and I doubt they'll be taking over your glazed and jam filled any time soon. But if you want something different in the bakery aisle, look no further.

Overall rating: 7/10

Today's Review: Cadbury Dairy Milk Marvellous Mix-Ups With Maynards & Oreo

I reviewed the new Marvellous Mix-Ups dessert yesterday, and was far from impressed. However, I also picked up these Marvellous Mix-Ups bags, which combine all manner of Cadbury goodies with either mini Oreos or Maynards jellies. The latter was very interesting, as I have never have seen Dairy Milk and Maynards together before. But did it come out on top? Let's see:

Marvellous Mix-Ups With Maynards

This bag contains an interesting selection of Cadbury Nibbles, Cadbury Dairy Milk fudge, and assorted Maynards jellies. The jellies are nicely presented in fruit form, much like the big bag of Fruit Pastilles, and they come in flavours ranging from raspberry to banana. Unfortunately, there's nothing special about them, they're just simple fruity sweets, and I think putting in some classic Fruit Gums or Pastilles would have made it a bit more interesting. As for the Cadbury side, the fudge is a nice change from your standard Dairy Milk offerings, while the Nibbles are as tasty as always with their smooth caramel. But I'm not a fan of all of these things together in one bag. Switching between chocolate and jellies is a bit odd, and there's nothing that really stands out in this bag, which was also the emptier of the two. So while the ideas seemed interesting to me, in practice it didn't turn out so great. There are some tasty things in the bag, but they don't really go well together.

My rating: 3/5

Marvellous Mix-Ups With Oreo

This is more like it. This bag was pretty full compared with the Maynards, and is packed full of mini Oreo cookies, Cadbury Pebbles, Giant Buttons, and some Cadbury Dream buttons as well. It's been a long time since I've had some of Cadbury's awesome white chocolate, and it certainly doesn't disappoint. The best part is that although the majority of the bag is chocolate, there are enough textures and varieties to make every mouthful different, and everything in the bag tastes great. I did find that all the Dairy Milk bits were covered in Oreo dust, but that's certainly not a bad thing. This is a tasty bag of treats that's well worth picking up.

My rating: 5/5

Today's Review: Cadbury Dairy Milk Marvellous Mix-Ups: Cherry Cola Fizz

Cadbury have brought out some interesting varieties in their Marvellous Creations chocolate line, but apparently bars aren't enough for them, as they've also gone and made chocolate bags and desserts with some interesting mixed up flavours inside. I picked up this Cherry Cola Fizz creation today, and since the Cola Pretzel Honeycomb bar was one of my favourites, I was quite looking forward to it.

This is your standard creamy Dairy Milk dessert that you see in the Flake or Buttons pots, but with an interesting side of chocolate cereal clusters, cherry flavour cereal balls and cola flavour jellies that you can swirl in. Each piece has its own distinct flavour, but the balls and jellies are quite bold and sickly. Together it does taste like cherry cola, but artificially so. Even mixing the pieces in with the chocolate doesn't help that much. It's an interesting combination of flavours, but it just doesn't come together all that well. This is certainly an edible dessert, but the balance is a bit off, and it just seems more mish-mashy than marvellous creation. But then, I'm not a massive fan of these twin pot desserts, so maybe I was biased from the start. This Marvellous Mix-Up is an interesting idea, but I'm not that big a fan.

My rating: 2/5

Today's Review: White Chocolate Covered Oreos

Everybody loves Oreos, even in their normal form they're a classic that can't really be beaten. But we also have chocolate or peanut butter cream Oreos, or Oreos that are filled with double the stuff, and they're awesome too. But why bother changing all the stuff on the inside when you can just dump a load of chocolate on top?

Yes, these Oreos are "bañadas choco blanco", or "dipped in white chocolate", and somehow this changes the whole experience. Regular Oreos sometimes come in handy packs of four, but you only get two of these white chocolate monstrosities at a time. That's because the layer of white chocolate is extremely thick and filling, and makes the whole experience more like eating small cakes. The chocolate is lovely and smooth, and makes for even more of a sandwich effect, with cream between cookie, between chocolate. Despite being loaded with sweet stuff, these cookies aren't all that sickly, but it would definitely be difficult to polish off a whole lot of these at once as they're quite filling. Still, they're delicious, and certainly a well done spin on the original cookie. If you can find a box of these, they're well worth tucking in to.

My rating: 5/5

Today's Review: Mango Super Straws For Milk

I've reviewed a couple of these flavoured straws before, both under the name Dr. Moo. I'm not sure what her doctorate is in, but it's certainly not Flavour Sciences. But the other day I came across a new brand of these magical milk straws, and this time in an interesting mango flavour. Never one to pass up on a new way to potentially make my milk taste awful, I picked them up. After all, they are super. Or are they fun? Apparently they're both.

I was actually pretty surprised by this one. Once you suck some milk through it, it certainly does taste like mango, though it's not overly strong. Overall it's a smooth, fruity flavour that actually blends in with the milk quite well, although it seem a little odd. It's easy to see why chocolate and strawberry are the go to flavours for milkshakes, as they fit a lot more than mango does. But hey, maybe that's my prejudiced milkshakes preconceptions getting in the way. Perhaps I could learn to love mango milk more and more, and I'm certainly not afraid to try one of these straws again. If you're looking to add some interesting flavour to your milk, you should hunt these down instead of the Dr. Moo varieties. 

My rating: 4/5

Today's Review: Candy Land Refreshers Dip Dab

The child in me is always partial to a Dip Dab, or any other equivalent. Lollipops are awesome, and having some sherbet or pop rocks to dip them in makes them even better. I also love Refreshers, so I was happy to find this Refreshers Dip Dab that promised to combine the best of both worlds.

Indeed, the lolly does taste like a Refreshers bar. It's a little scratchy on the tongue after a while, but the flavours are bold and fruity, and it would probably make a good lolly just on its own. But where this Dip Dab really shines is in the sherbet. It's raspberry flavour, and is at once fantastically smooth and wonderfully tingly. I normally get a bit sick of sherbet after a little while, but with this one I found myself scraping the empty packet just to get another taste. So if you fancy dipping your dab, it's well worth seeking out one of these.

My rating: 5/5

Today's Review: Pizza Hut's X-Tremely Cheesy Pizza

Another week, another pizza. I tried out Pizza Hut's X-Tremely Hot pizza last week, and while it was pretty good, I was left wondering what the cheesy one would taste like. So naturally, I had to give it a go. This one contains cheese, extra cheese, and some more cheese (well, cheese sauce). So overall, a very cheesy pizza.

So how does it taste? Well, cheesy, and that's a good thing. The cheese is layered on nice and thick, making for a goopy, chewy pizza worthy of adorning a Ninja Turtle's plate. The cheese sauce adds a lovely layer of creaminess, and a bit of a different texture that gives a nice break from the regular rubbery cheese. If you like cheese on your pizza, you're going to love this one. X-Tremely cheesy indeed, and X-Tremely delicious too.

My rating: 5/5

Today's Review: Vimto Insane Grain

Vimto make some pretty good sweets, with quite a lot of variety. I'm always willing to pick up new stuff with the Vimto brand, so I snapped up this Dip Dab style treat as soon as I saw it. This basically contains a Vimto flavoured lollipop, with some "super sour" popping candy to dip it into.

I say "super sour" in quotes, because in reality it's only so so. On top of that, there hardly any in the bag at all, so I didn't exactly get much to work with. It was piping candy, sure, but I would not say it's super sour. As for the Vimto lollipop, that's pretty nice, and has the nice black currant taste that you'd expect from Vimto. Again, you don't get much lollipop to work your way through, so it was a little disappointing. I can't blame it too much for skimping on the portion size as I only paid 25p for it. It's still a nice treat, I just wish there was more inside. Vimto fans should definitely seek this out though.

My rating: 4/5