When I was asked by the English Cheesecake Company if I would review their cheesecake I absolutely jumped at the chance. I mean, who wouldn’t want to review cheesecake?

The cheesecake they sent was a truffle profiterole cheesecake. Now besides being huge, this was absolutely amazing. The topping was a lovely sticky chocolate topping which was deliciously chocolaty but not too thick and not too sweet. You can see the profiteroles poking through the top of the cheesecake.

The base of the cheesecake is relatively thick but as it warms it does go flaky and isn’t too bad. It is crunchy and chocolaty and slightly crumbly just like a good cheesecake base should be. The cheesecake itself has profiteroles with the thick cream filling and light choux pastry all through it and as you can see they are studded through the whole cheesecake. I don’t think you can slice this cheesecake thin enough for it to not have profiterole in it.

The cheesecake itself is light and has just the right balance of chocolate flavour. The profiteroles give it just the perfect balance of thick cheesecake and light cream. I really did not expect to enjoy it as much as I did. I’m used to having to cut small pieces of cheesecake because they are just too heavy and too dense and you have to take small bites. Given the massive size of this I was concerned but the profiteroles just balance everything out perfectly.

These cheesecakes can be delivered to your home. They come in a Styrofoam box with cool packs and is frozen so it can pop straight in the freezer for later or in the fridge to defrost but always arrives in perfect condition. The paper protects the cheesecake, the cheesecake itself came in perfect condition and wow – it is the perfect size for a dinner party with a *lot* of friends.

You can buy one of these beauties online at the English Cheesecake Company website.

I know that you’re thinking. Trust me, I know exactly what you’re probably thinking right now.  Thought it too. Now, before you think the worst of me and my mind that sits firmly in the gutter as well, let me explain first that I didn’t make this cake This is actually a traditional shape for a traditional Easter cake.

According to the Carluccio’s website, the Colombina is a small traditional Italian Easter cake, made with candied peels, topped with almonds and baked in a dove shaped mould.  Ya… DOVE shaped. You read that correctly? DOVE – it’s a BIRD not a euphemism.  The Colomba dates back to the time of the Crusades.  It is a sweet bread like panettone with candied orange peel (minus the raisins) and topped with sugared and sliced almonds, shaped like a dove. The Colombina cake takes on this form precisely because la colomba in Italian means dove. The dove is a Christian symbol representing the Holy Spirit, announcing the reconciliation between God and man or, more simply, heralding the arrival of Spring.

Now that I’ve wrenched your mind out of the gutter, it’s time to actually talk about the mini colomba cake I was sent by the lovely folk at Carliccio’s.

So the cake is lovely. I’m the first to say I don’t like fruit in my bread. I hate it in fact to I took a piece of the bread to taste it and thought “hey, this is actually not too bad” and then I found myself cutting another with a whole almond and then I was eating more and husband had some and I had to admit that wow… it is nice. I am still not a fan of fruit in my bread or cake but this – this I’d eat, and eat it I did. I liked the thick caked sugar on the top making the slightly dry (as it should be) panettone-like interior a bit sweeter, I liked the whole almonds on the top adding a bit of crunch, I liked the actual cake itself and if it came with chocolate instead of orange, I’d buy them by the KILO!

I got four different types of cookies from Kent & Fraser but regrettably one arrived in pieces – the terrible dangers of post being illustrated in the boxes I got, let alone the crumbs in the one packet of a pair of cookies that arrived in crumbs. Still, most of these 3 boxes were whole and so I thought I’d give them a review!

According to their website “Award winning Kent & Fraser have a passion for good food and we really love to bake! We have dedicated ourselves to creating an outstanding range of great tasting, hand-made and 100% natural, gluten-free biscuits, cookies, and shortbread that are packed full of taste and deliciously that bit better.” As someone who is actually allergic to wheat (I’m fine with gluten – I’m not fine with wheat in any form), I was eager to try these cookies which have replaced traditional wheat flour with rice, maize and other bits.

Choc Chip Crunchy Cookies – yes, these are very crunchy cookies. I think they need a dipping in tea but they are also very buttery cookies. They are really nice and rich but could do with more chocolate I think that these, of the 3 I tried, were my favourite cookie. Of course, everyone’s taste is different… These are gluten and wheat free and have no eggs. I’m not anti-egg but nice to have no wheat and still have it taste like a cookie.

Chocolate Butter Crunch Sweet Biscuits – These were very chocolaty but not as buttery as the choc chip and thinner. They are really cocoa and chocolaty and a little less sweet, in my opinion, than the choc chip. I did like them but my favourite really is the choc chip. These are wheat, gluten and egg free as well.

Stilton & Walnut Savoury Biscuits – These were not quite my cup of tea but they are delightfully herby and the crunch of the walnut is pronounced without being overpowering. While strongly flavoured with stilton and not as much of walnut but also balanced with the flavour of herbs, they weren’t quite to my taste. These biscuits are wheat, soya, gluten and egg free so a real global biscuit for a number of food sensitivities.

Of all the types I tried, the exceedingly buttery choc chip cookies were my favourites.  They are all quite crunchy but most packet cookies are. They are free of a number of allergens and so will be perfect for you or your family. Just pop on over to the Kent & Fraser site, pick a type and harass your local supermarket until they carry them!

I went to Gail’s bakery across the street from Paul A Young and bought myself some of the brownie iterations on offer there. I thought that I’d give them a try. The newest Gail’s bakery is in Soho right across from Paul A Young and so as I was in the neighbourhood buying some choccies I thought I’d try the rival from across the street. Should Paul be worried? Should this new addition using more than one kind of chocolate worry him?

The staff at Gail’s are great. They are full of fun and seem quite enthusiastic. The gentleman who served me spoke about how the chef wanted to change the brownie recipe and he simply would not let him. But that visit is not what I’m writing about. I’m writing about the brownies and flourless chocolate cake Gail’s kindly sent me for review after I contacted them about the brownies I bought.

The four Valentines brownies in a box, each with a single letter was the first thing I tried.  This is a fudgy chocolate brownie with a proper brownie top. These brownies have a moist consistency and are quite nice. The chocolate has a distinctive taste and anyone familiar with the various couvertures will recognise the distinctive flavour notes. The brownies are also quite large – around the size of a BlueBasil brownie – and so it did take me a long time to finish one

The smaller pistachio brownie bites had a completely different consistency. They are more chewy than fudgy and have a much stiffer consistency. The chocolate flavour is quite dark and when shared with the office they were not as decimated as the LOVE brownies were so the office absolutely liked the fudgy brownies more.

The final baked good was an extremely chocolaty flourless chocolate cake. It was HUGE and this was absolutely perfect for the office. The moist centre with a firm outer crust and lack of wheat was perfect for me and I took such a big slice I couldn’t finish it all! The cocoa dusting was the perfect finishing touch for the cake. It didn’t taste particularly nutty and so was the perfect chocolate cake.

All in all these were really lovely baked goods. If I was off to a party I’d definitely buy the flourless chocolate cake as not only was it absolutely massive, it was delicious and so I’d know it would both be a big it and still have enough left over for the hosts.

It is now only two short weeks until Valentine’s Day and I know husband will buy me some supermarket roses if I’m lucky. I, on the other hand, will agonise from now until the day itself to find the perfect way to tell my husband of 15 years in a new way that I love him more than life itself.

Of the many things on offer this Valentines, some of you may be lucky enough to get a packet of these beautiful bites of alcoholic loveliness. While they may just be sponge cakes soaked in liqueur with a chocolate filling, they are still delicious and perfect for one or to share.  The smell through the packet of alcohol tells you that these are going to be strong but that strong scent is not actually offensive – just strong.

Coated in quite coarse sugar, they have a crunchy outer shell from that sugar and the pink colour is from the liquor which is soaked half way through the cake. The chocolate filling is quite solid without being hard so it is easy to cut but also easy to eat. The cake does not particularly stand out as something extreme but that makes it even more appealing. It means that these will be easier for more people to love (except those who don’t like liquor as I found out at the office – who doesn’t like liquor-soaked cake? Weird!) and hopefully make it a tipsy affair.

These are delicious and quite addictive and at less tha a fiver a really good deal. Anyone who gets a packet will be loathe to share!

I was lucky enough to be part of the Haagen Dazs tasting club. Not only does this mean I can pop in to the Leicester Square location and get the VIP treatment (one free ice cream per day) but it also means I get some sweet treats sent to me.  This time, it was some new Haagen Dazs ice creams and shockingly I liked the non-chocolate one better.  I know – SACRILIDGE!

According to the PR bumf, Häagen-Dazs just got a little bit saucier, launching its new Secret Sensations range with two truly indulgent flavours: Chocolat Fondant and Crème Brûlēe. Now, I don’t know if they will do more but it is definitely an interesting move. Husband is still waiting for them to release coffee here too…

Secret Sensations is, apparently, the ultimate indulgence. Inspired by two of the world’s most decadent desserts, they combine delicious, creamy ice cream with a ‘heart’ of rich sauce. I actually had trouble finding a specific ‘heart’ of gooey sauce in the chocolate but there was a lot of chocolate inclusions. The sauce hidden within all Häagen-Dazs Secret Sensations mini cups, has apparently been created using patented technology and they say that this represents a true innovation in the luxury ice cream market. As a girl who has had central shafts of gooey liquid sauce before, I’m not sure…

They think that chocoholics will adore Chocolat Fondant, a blend of delicious chocolate ice cream with soft brownie pieces, surrounding a rich chocolate sauce centre and it was yummy.  The brownie pieces were not too large and really given my experience I didn’t expect to like the Crème Brûlēe and assumed I’d dislike it do didn’t take pictures.  I was wrong.

The  Crème Brûlēe Secret Sensations combines smooth ice cream with small, crunchy caramel biscuits pieces and a smooth caramel sauce centre.  This was awesomeness. I just loved it and could have eaten another one but husband had already eaten the other one of the box

All in all, shockingly I liked the Crème Brûlēe best but the chocolate was really lovely as well. I’ve been waiting for them to come in to my local Sainsbury’s so I can get more!

I love me a good brownie and so I was delighted when Say it With Brownies got in touch and offered me the chance to try some of their brownies.  Of course I didn’t know quite what to expect but I thought, what the heck, lets be adventurous.

Having chosen fudge brownies I knew that I was going to get something very sweet.  It really is inevitable but what I was curious about was other elements of the brownies like would they be cakey or fudgy or chewy.  I have to admit I’m not as much of a fan of cakey brownies and thankfully these are not cakey but moist and fudgy.

The brownies arrived in a box and within the box they are a block of brownies that are half cut through to help you subdivide them into their intended 12 pieces but as they are not all in pieces it makes them easier to handle.  Interestingly they are moderately dusted with sugar before cutting, leaving icing sugar on all sides and top.  Where the cut marks are, the brownie has developed a little more protection for the precious moistness beneath.

The brownie itself is, of course, sweet.  The fudge, a distinctively flavoured addition to the brownie, is generously distributed within each block you cut.  If you are a fudge fan be not afraid as there is a lot of fudge.  I have to admit I thought of fudge box’s fudge and thought of which fudge flavours I might pair with the brownie.

With this brownie you get both edge pieces and middle pieces so no more arguments.  Edge lovers can get their favourite pieces and middle lovers can get theirs.  I am a middle lover, of course but I realise not everyone is.  I also know that most people have a sweeter sweet tooth than I do and I try and keep this in mind when I try things like these brownies.

All in all, these fudge brownies have a lot of fudge all the way through and they are quite sweet.  Because they are not cut completely through before they arrive, they remain as a solid block until you choose to cut a piece off although they are partially cut through to make it easy to also break a piece off if you’re famished. The brownies are quite sweet with the fudge and I am sure that will make them the perfect treat for many people.

While I was on business in San Francisco, I was sent a whole box of this delightful Devnaa honey and cardamom fudge and deeply regret I didn’t get it sooner. It is lovely and so many of my guests would have enjoyed them!

Devnaa have been making chocolates based on traditional Indian sweets for awhile and I’ve tried their bars and really liked them.  Having the opportunity of trying their fudge was exciting and while I’m not always in the mood for cardamom Devnaa always have something interesting to offer.

This box of fudge has been cut into smaller squares and the 16 squares of fudgy sweetness has been balanced by the dark chocolate.  The cardamom is a subtle addition – enough to be there but not completely overpowering. It is very easy to get too much cardamom in the mix but I think they’ve just gotten it perfect here.

I’m not sure if I can pick out the honey but the cardamom is easy and the fudge is smooth and soft. There are inclusions in the fudge from the cardamom I assume but that just makes it more authentic. The speckles you can see are cardamom and this just adds to the charm of this soft fudge. I must admit I picked the chocolate off one half of the fudge and just are it plain as well as I do enjoy a nice bit of fudge but I preferred it with the dark chocolate.

If you enjoy fudge, like cardamom and dark chocolate, this fudge will be perfect for you.

I know I know… You’re wondering what insanity would lead me to have an all Aldi Christmas dinner.  Well, I think you need to both be careful about what you buy and also take advice from me on what actually tastes nice.

Now, I think my first priority is bubbly. While I absolutely love champagne and have some Pol Roger to drink this holiday I also like a nice smooth and unsophisticated sparking wine I can add something to and which is drinkable like the Cremant du Jura I tried from Aldi. I love to add crème de casis to this particular sparkling wine to make kir royal champagne cocktails.

Now, with your cocktail you’ll want a nibble. Husband swears by Aldi’s mince pies and now will eat no others and given they won the top award I think you’ll like them too. Husband swears the pastry is perfect, the filling is flavourful and the combination is perfect. I don’t like Mince Pies so I chose Moser Roth truffles.

So we’ve had a pre-dinner treat and now to dinner.  At their Christmas in July event, I had a lot of little nibbles and frankly I was shocked. I had the stuffed fresh turkey which was awesome. I had bacon wrapped sausages which were my favourite and this year I have refused to eat any other ones. I also had amazing roast parsnips from Aldi and frankly I think you really can’t go wrong with these.

To finish off I had their cheeses. Now they had a selection out and I tried a small amount of each and even though they were slightly warm by this point, they were delicious. I think it was the cheddar or red Leicester from the cheese board pack that I loved best.

Now, I was shocked by Aldi – pleasantly shocked. Not only are they reasonably priced but they are delicious but you really need to be careful. I was sent a selection of wines and they weren’t all as brilliant as the Cremant du Jura so stick to the list above for perfection. If you stray I can’t guarantee taste but at the Christmas in July event and what I’ve had since, everything was perfection.

Go out and get your holiday shopping at Aldi. Whether Christmas or New Year’s, you will be assured brilliant quality and taste if you choose wisely.

It has been awhile since I ate Jelly Bellies and I’ve been gifted some “Jelly Bean Factory” in the mean time and I forgot just how delicious genuine Jelly Belly mini jelly beans are.  When you think of candy and jelly beans, you don’t really think that flavours could be that different. Well, I was reminded by these that there *is* a difference.

The genuine Jelly Bellies I was sent had 50 different flavours and while I didn’t try all of them, I tried most of them – repeatedly. I loved the sweet but slightly sour flavour of the raspberry, the delightful cherry, the yummy blueberry and the fun pomegranate. There were so many flavours but what really struck me was how defined the flavours were and how strong.

The different mini jelly beans had quite different flavours with popcorn going quickly and getting lauded by the staff at the office. It seemed as though everyone had a different favourite and the box quickly was decimated because of the flavour.  The tutti fruity was genuinely a melange of fruit flavours, the chocolate did taste of chocolate (though was not my favourite) and the wild blackberry was absolutely delicious – much better than Vimto!

The blueberry was yummy but lemon lime was the perfect citrus acidic balance and it reminded me why I love genuine Jelly Belies.  There is just no comparison between genuine Jelly Bellies and their competitors. The flavour of the real thing means cherry cola tastes like cherry cola and not just synthetic chemicals.

I’m so genuinely grateful to have been sent these to remind me that there’s nothing like the real thing. Experience the real thing yourself and when buying mini jelly beans make sure you buy Jelly Bellies. You’ll discover what I rediscovered – there’s nothing like the real thing!