GU Goodies: A Review

Last week I opened the door and was presented with a selection of the latest indulgent chocolate GU puds, packed in an appropriately named special goodie bag. I had been asked if I would like to review some of their products a few weeks back but the original delivery date got cancelled due to the snow, so it was a lovely surprise to open the door to them last week.

I opened the bag with glee and found a box of their chocolate mousses, a box of hot chocolate soufflés, a tub of millionaires flapjack and a most decadent looking chocolate brownie cake. You can only imagine the squeal of delight from my chocolate-obsessed family at seeing all these goodies. I managed to prevent them from ripping open the boxes straight away and instead set up a taster session over the next few nights to ensure we all got a taste of the goodies.

First on the list was the Chocolate Brownie Cake, the newest addition to the GU range. Its appearance is one of insane chocolate indulgence. Two layers of dense chocolate brownie cake sandwiched together with a chocolate cream, topped and covered in a rich chocolate icing, finished with dark chocolate curls and studded with chocolate teardrops. Now that’s a lot of chocolate! It’s cute and dinky in size but so rich that we found it served 6 quite easily.

The cake/brownie layers I found to be very dense and stiff, so much so that it was quite hard to cut through, but it was a very cold day so I don’t think that helped. The layers were very sweet and fudgy with a slight chew. The appearance of the cake looked quite soft and gooey but unfortunately I found them to be a little dry. I tried warming a slice in the microwave and this improved the cake immensely. The chocolate melted and the brownie layers softened and turned gooey. I think GU should suggest heating the cake as a serving suggestion, as warming it made it taste divine.

Next on the list were the Deeply Decadent Choc Mousses. I liked how they came in their own glass ramekins, which made them seem much more sophisticated than if they had been served in a plastic container. Plus, you get to keep the ramekins after you’ve eaten the pud. The mousse itself was thick yet studded with tiny air bubbles which kept it light and helped it melt deliciously on the tongue. It tasted of real chocolate, rather than cocoa powder and was not too sweet nor too bitter as it was made with a good high percentage milk chocolate.

GU have recently launched three different tubs of chocolaty themed treats, all appropriately named Naughties. I was sent a tub of Millionaires Flapjack – flapjack base topped with a layer of caramel and a thick top coating of chocolate, oh so naughty but oh so nice. The flapjack was chewy yet not too sweet with a good texture from the oats. The caramel layer was smooth and creamy and the thick top coating of chocolate added a nice contrast. I can imagine a tub of these disappearing in minutes if left unattended on a desk.

The Hot Chocolate Soufflés were the puds I was most looking forward to and they didn’t disappoint. They start off looking similar to the chocolate mousses, but after a short bake in the oven they form a thin delicate sponge crust which when pierced with a spoon reveals a dark oozing hot chocolate gooey centre. The aroma that wafted up from the soufflé was amazing, a deep dark chocolate that just made my mouth water. As I tasted the first spoonful my mouth filled with an intense chocolate flavour, so intense that it almost tasted like there was some Brandy in it (there’s not – I checked).
The warm bubbly soufflé mixture was wonderfully light and airy and the oozing centre so indulgent. They also came in their own glass ramekins meaning you could easily serve them to guests without having to try and transfer them into another dish before serving. I would definitely recommend these they were pure chocolate indulgence.

Jordans Cereals HQ

I count myself very fortunate and lucky to live in the countryside. I love looking out over open fields, seeing a rabbit run across the path in front of me and watching the trees and plants blossom and grow with the changing seasons. I think it would such a shame if all our farmland was to disappear. After meeting up with Jordans Cereals last month for their Country Crisp Appreciation Society day, I realised they share my love of nature and the countryside. They are based just a few minutes down the road from where I live so when they contacted me recently to ask if I would like to visit them in their HQ and learn a bit more about the company I was delighted. It’s always good to learn a bit of local history.

It was a cold snowy morning when I drove out to meet them, and thanks to my fantastic sense of direction I got a little lost. I knew I must be close as the air was filled with the aroma of hot, toasting grains. It really did smell like a bowl of steaming porridge, warm, wholesome and comforting.

Upon arriving at Jordans I met up with Mathilde, a fellow blogger who had also been at the Country Crisp day. She had brought along her friendly photographer Dave to take some photos – how cool is that, her own photographer! We were greeted by Rachel and Julia who talked us through the history of Jordans and the development of all their cereal range of mueslis, crunchy oats, cereal bars, country crisp and porridge, all displayed in big trays for us to look at and sample.

Jordans Cereals is still a family run business and they try to source as many of their ingredients as locally as they can. All their oats and grains are grown for them by local farmers and to conservation grade, meaning they have to be done in a way good for the environment. There was actually a very good article published in the Telegraph about them recently, which you can read here for more information.

Mixing their cereals in not such a straightforward task as it may sound. They are passionate about only using natural wholesome ingredients which has sometimes proved a problem when sourcing particular items. For years they restrained from using dried apricots due to the sulphur dioxide which is added to make them retain their colour, but there has been a foodie breakthrough by using natural fruit juices as the preservative. Another time their shipment of specially selected ingredients was being brought over by boat and the boat got hijacked, taking the ingredients with them!! I can imagine that was rather a surreal day when they got that phone call!

They also baked up two bowls of porridge for us to try. One using the traditional jumbo rolled oats and the other a finer milled oat for people who need porridge in a hurry. Both were very creamy and we had an interesting discussion about different toppings and various recipes.

We then got to visit the original Jordans Mill which is now sadly un-operational but is still very much a part of Jordans. It’s the buildings featured on all their boxes and is on the site of their outlet shop in Biggleswade. We were treated to a look inside and it was fascinating seeing the old flour milling machines. The mill may not be operating as a working mill, but it is still useful as a water wheel generates the electricity for their on site shop, thanks to it being situated next to the river.

We ended our tour with a visit to the shop which is a treasure-trove of raw ingredients and of course, their cereals, it’s well worth a visit. I love how colourful they look displayed on the shelves. Thanks Rachel and everyone at Jordans for such an insightful and enjoyable morning.

Aldi Christmas Goodies

Yesterday I received a lovely box full of Christmas goodies courtesy of Aldi. They asked if I would like to sample some of their new Christmas food and I was happy to accept their offer. I informed them I was a Vegetarian, as I know some mince pies and mincemeat contains animal suet, which I avoid. They promised to select a range that would be Vegetarian friendly and they didn’t disappoint! They sent a selection of their new Specially Selected range including mince pies, Christmas pudding, butter fudge, a bar of mint chocolate and an adorably cute milk chocolate reindeer. I was also delighted to find snuggled in the bottom of the box a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc wine which, due to the cold weather, arrived perfectly chilled! How generous.

My grandparents called round for the afternoon, perfect timing for sampling the mince pies. I was pleased to find that the pies resembled the picture on the box, prettily decorated with little stars and a sprinkling of sugar. I heated them briefly in the oven as I like my mince pies served warm. The pastry was nicely crisp, not too thick and buttery. The mincemeat was sweet, plump and contained a fantastic boozy brandy hit. This wasn’t your bog standard mincemeat either as alongside the usual raisins and currants the mix contained apple, dried cranberries and walnuts. The brandy was a little strong for my liking but my granddad said it was the best mince pie he’s tasted this year.

After dinner I tried the Christmas pudding. The first thing that pleased me was how rich and fruity it smelled and its dark glossy colour. It turned out well, although the base of mine was a little higgledy-piggledy so it didn’t sit flat, but this didn’t really detract from it. The hot pudding was soft, moist and absolutely jam packed with fruit. They hadn’t skimped on the almonds either as I had a chunk of one in almost every bite. It was a very large pudding so I’m going to use the rest to make little chocolate Christmas pudding truffles.

I haven’t tasted the other goodies yet but if they are a good as the mince pies and pudding then I’m sure they won’t disappoint. I’m going to buy more of those reindeers to give to my young cousins, they are so cute!

If you need help planning your Christmas day meal then TV chef Phil Vickery has put together an online podcast including a step-by-step Christmas day meal plan and an online video recipe of what to do with your leftovers, just click the links to view. Thanks Nadia and Aldi for the festive goodies.

Mornflake Oats Product Review & A Giveaway

The Lea family and creators of the Mornflake brand have been producing a wide assortment of oats and oat based cereals since 1675. This year they celebrate their 333rd birthday and are marking the occasion by launching some new exciting oaty ranges including muesli, granola, flakes and sprinkles. Being a huge oat and breakfast lover myself I was thrilled when they asked if I would like to try some of their new products. I eagerly accepted the offer and it wasn’t long before I had a large box of oat based goodies sitting in my kitchen. The thing that struck me first was the colours and designs used on the packaging. The sandy earthy colours and oat grain design really made it look fresh and natural and shows they are moving with the times despite being such an old traditional company.

They sent me some traditional oats including a bag of Superfast Oats, a box of Mornflake Superfast Oats with 20% added wheat bran and a box of porridge oat sachets – perfect for breakfast on the go. These would be great for making a bowl of breakfast porridge or a base for your own homemade flapjacks or cookies. I made porridge with the Superfast Oats with added wheat bran and it made a lovely creamy porridge while the added bran gave it a slight wheaty flavour and aroma that was very comforting with a drizzle of honey.

Next were two boxes of Mornflake Oatbran Flakes, one original and the other containing a mix of berries. I had never seen these before; they are made with 40% oatbran as apposed to wheat bran and I found the flakes to be thin and delicate but with a nice crunch and a slightly sweet grainy flavour – a sort of cross between a cornflake and a branflake. I really liked the addition of the freeze dried strawberries, raspberries and cherries which added a good fruity flavour and a nice texture contrast.

There were also two yummy looking boxes of Mornflake Extra Crispy Muesli and I am told there are four varieties available. I received the traditional Swiss style muesli with apple and a date, fig & apple variety. I was so happy when I read they both contained dried apple as I love this in muesli and yet not many companies offer it. Pouring out a bowlful I was very impressed with the generous amount of whole fruit and nuts included in the mix. I tried the date, fig & apple variety and found along with the named fruits it also contained a mix of seeds, raisins, flaked coconut and whole almonds and hazelnuts. These were all nestled amongst different wholegrain flakes including oat, rye, barley and wheat so there is no chance of getting bored with this muesli! I loved the variety of textures and flavours and it had a great toasty natural flavour. It also contains no added sugar, replying on the wide assortment of fruit for natural sweetness which worked well.

The product that most intrigued me was a tall cylinder of Mornflake Oatbran Sprinkles made from 100% oatbran. The product is designed to be used like an oversized salt shaker with a slider on the top which uncovers little holes from which to shake your oatbran sprinkles, which resemble very finely ground oats. The idea is that you do use it like a sort of condiment on your food by shaking a few sprinkles over your morning cereal, on top of salads or into smoothies. You can also use it to make a very smooth kind of porridge, add it to a bread or muffin mix or as a bulking agent in homemade burgers. You can even use it instead of breadcrumbs for coating pieces of chicken or fish before cooking. Oatbran is very high in fibre (15g per 100g) and I think the sprinkles idea is a great easy way of boosting your fibre intake, which in turn results in a whole range of other health benefits.

But what exactly is oatbran? Well, oatbran is the oater layer of the oat grain and is a high natural source of soluble fibre called beta-glucan. Research has shown that high soluble fibre beta-glucan foods, such as oatbran, have been proved to help reduce cholesterol (as part of a healthy diet) by binding to the cholesterol on its way through the digestive system and removing it from the body. Oats are also considered to have a low GI (Glycemic Index) meaning they release their energy gradually, resulting in a slower rise and fall of blood sugar levels allowing you to feel fuller and more alert for longer. So it seems you can’t go wrong with a morning bowlful of oats, and even if you are not a traditional porridge lover – there are now many tasty ways to get your daily oat intake.

Click here to visit their site for more information.

Giveaway – Your Chance to Win!
Now is your chance to share in the oaty goodness. To help celebrate their 333rd birthday, Mornflake have generously offered to send two of my lucky readers a box packed full of a selection of their new oaty products. All you have to do is leave a comment on the blog from now until Friday 12pm Midnight of 15th May09. Unfortunately its open to the UK only, so please put (UK) in brackets at the end of your comment if you live in the UK and would like a chance to win. Two winners will be randomly selected and notified on Saturday 16th May. Good Luck!

Kellogg’s Nature’s Pleasure Baked Muesli

A few weeks ago I was asked by Kellogg’s if I would like to review some of their new baked muesli. I’m a big muesli lover and even eat it for lunch if I’m in a rush to get to Uni and so happily said yes. I was expecting maybe one or two sample packets to try, so I got a great surprise when a huge parcel turned up on the doorstep containing a lovely wooden chest containing a full sized box of each of the four new mueslis (two fruity ones and two nutty ones), complete with my own bowl and spoon with which to eat them with! I couldn’t wait to taste them and ended up opening all four boxes at once.

The muesli base is a mix of oats and barley, sweetened with honey and a little sugar and baked into small clusters. Baking toasts the grains making them taste wonderfully nutty with a good crunch that remains crisp even after a few minutes soaking in milk. The honey adds just the right amount of sweetness, making the baked muesli a sort of less sweet take on granola.

I was really impressed with the generous quality and quantity of the added fruits and nuts. They were in big chunks rather than little pieces and full of flavour. They have also been more adventurous than your standard muesli, including ingredients such as dried blackcurrants, freeze dried cherries and cashew nuts. There was also no small dusty bits lurking in the bottom of the packets as can sometimes happen with muesli.

The packaging also impressed me. The boxes are made of a sort of rough cardboard that gave them a wholesome natural appearance. The ingredients were also clearly displayed and I was pleased to see that the list was short and contained nothing I didn’t have in my kitchen cupboards. The colour is kept simple with the pictures on the front making it clear what each box contains. I couldn’t wait to get tasting, and my opinions are listed below.

Apple & Blackcurrant
The oats were golden in colour and stayed nicely crisp and crunchy in the milk. They had a nutty toasted flavour with sweet hints of honey and a generous sprinkling of mixed spice. As you chewed, the flavours developed filled your mouth with a wonderful spiciness that went perfectly with the apple. My idea of heaven! I loved how the dried apple slices were in nice big pieces and that the red skin had been left on which gave a very natural look. They softened in the milk and had a great sweet flavour while the occasionally dried blackcurrant added a good sharp fruity burst. I have never had dried blackcurrants before so they were a nice surprise. This one was by far my favourite. Whoever came up with this combination of fruits and spices for muesli is a genius, I couldn’t stop eating it.

Raspberry & Cherry
This one was nicely sweet with a strong toasted oat flavour. It had large pieces of freeze dried raspberry and cherry along with a few cranberries mixed in. The raspberries and cranberries were quite sharp and at first I was a little surprised by this, but the more I ate the more it grew on me and now I love it. I thought the addition of pumpkin seeds added a nice crunch and I loved how the milk turned a pretty shade of pink from the fruits.

Almond, Pecan & Cashew
The first thing I noticed was how nice and big the pieces of nut were. The cashews and pecans were in generous chunks and the almond cut into slivers. It all looked golden in colour and smelt nutty. This one was slightly less sweet than the other mueslis, as it had no added fruit, so would be a good choice for nut lovers. The nuts added a subtle creaminess as you chewed and a lingering nutty flavour. Despite this, I felt it needed another texture, as every mouthful ended up tasting the same. The nuts used are naturally softer nuts than say hazelnuts or bigger chunks of almonds and as this muesli is a fruit-free-zone there was no contrasting texture. It still tasted great but for me I felt it needed lifting, maybe with the addition of some flaked coconut, spice or even chocolate chips. But it’s bound to be a hit with purists.

Almond, Pecan & Raisin
I really enjoyed this one. It had the creamy nuttiness of the mixed nut one, but with the addition of some fat chewy raisins. Great flavour and a great take on the traditional classic muesli.

Overall I was very impressed and I am sure the boxes will be a regular feature on my shopping list, particularly that apple and blackcurrant one with the mixed spice – yum! Click here for more info.

Very GÜ’d Puds

Have you ever heard of GÜ Puds? If not then you’re missing out. They make wickedly tempting chocolate treats and desserts. Last week I was lucky enough to try two of their latest creations, some Hot Chocolate Melting Middle Puds and a pack of Chocolate Trifles.

I love how much attention to detail has been given to presenting the products. The black glossy box with the contrasting white GÜ gives the impression of elegance and luxury even though it’s kept simple. The GÜ looks like a happy smiling face to me, almost as if it’s hinting at the treats awaiting you inside. The hot chocolate puds come wrapped in decorative brown and gold paper muffin style cases and really give the impression that this is something indulgent and of premium quality. The film lid of the trifle pots is decorated in white swirls and even the inside of the trifle box is covered in ornate black swirls, just because a little of it is on show surrounding the product. It really made me think that care had been taken when designing the packaging.
GÜ Hot Chocolate Melting Middle Puds
The puds can be heated in either the microwave or the oven and so in the interest of a fair review (and because it was the perfect excuse to be greedy) I decided to cook and sample one prepared each way.

Microwaved pud
The pud kept its shape well, and had a smooth puffed up surface which slowly relaxed and cracked revealing a sneak preview of its dark glossy centre. It had a thin fragile top crust, similar to that of a brownie, which when broken released a dark and velvety smooth gü-ey chocolate heart that was just heavenly. It was rich and thick, coating your tongue and filling your mouth with an explosion of deep dark chocolate flavour with the texture of molten chocolate ganache. This molten chocolaty gü was encased in a tender sponge shell, which helped the pud keep its shape and provided another texture.

You can really tell that good quality dark chocolate had been used, it was wickedly dark and indulgent. The box states 70% cocoa and for a dark chocolate fan this was just divine – the perfect balance of sweet and bitter and very chocolaty. For someone who is often disappointed in bought chocolate puddings, which often taste of nothing but sugar with a milky chocolate aftertaste, this intense chocolate hit was wonderful.

Oven baked pud
This pud also kept its shape well. I was worried it might break when transferring it from baking tray to plate, but the spongy sides provided a good barrier to the molten centre. The first noticeable difference to the microwaved version was the aroma. As it warmed in the oven it released an intense, hot melting chocolate aroma which even enticed my brother away from the computer (which is nothing short of a miracle). For some reason the pudding stayed quite sunken in the centre compared to the photo on the box, perhaps it needed a couple of extra minutes in the oven but this probably meant there was more gü-ey filling, which is never a bad thing. The sponge sides seemed marginally thicker on this pudding, but I think this was just because they had a slightly crisper coating due to being oven cooked. The gü-ey centre was just as seductive and silky smooth. There really was not much difference in quality between them, both were oh so good. The hardest part was trying to keep my family from demolishing the puds while I was taking photos, they all gathered round me with their spoons at the ready.

GÜ Chocolate Trifles These looked very tempting. Upon peeling back the lid you are greeted with a dark chocolate mousse that is studded with air bubbles, promising a light and airy texture. My spoon sunk through this chocolate layer to the softly whipped cream beneath. The top chocolate layer was thick, moussey and very light and the cream was soft and full of air bubbles which dissolved smoothly on my tongue. The cream was followed by a small mound of tender chocolate sponge and ended in a bottom layer of thick sticky chocolate ganache. The chocolate flavour was prominent, although not as intense as the melting middle puddings thanks to the whipped cream which mingled with the chocolate, preventing it from being too rich. The chocolate ganache was wonderfully smooth and creamy, although I would have quite liked it to be layered after the cream and before the layer of cake as I found it got left behind in the base of the pot when taking a spoonful, but then I suppose you wouldn’t get such a good layered trifle effect. A less bitter dark chocolate is used in this dessert meaning it would suit all grades of chocolate lover whilst still providing the desired indulgent chocolate hit.

I was impressed with both these puds although my favourite was the melting chocolate puddings, which were oh so gü’d!