Douwe Egberts Enticing Chocolate Review

You may remember that I reviewed Douwe Egberts The Flavour Collective recently they offer a delicious everyday treat that’s a little bit different from your usual cup. The flavoured coffees have been a real hit here,Chris the real avid coffee drinker surprised me when he said he loved the Caramel flavour and enjoyed the Hazelnut and Vanilla too.

I never thought he would go for sweeter style coffees. For my friends its been nice to offer them a hot drink that is a little different and they have caused lots of discussions on favourite flavours.

If you are on Slimming World Douwe Egbert Flavour Collectives are free to drink, my friends who are still not at target, say they take the edge of a sweet craving.

I like the caramel flavour, but I prefer a less sweet taste, Douwe Egberts told me they had launched a new flavour Enticing Chocolate!!! I was hopeful this may be the one I loved and I  do.

When I opened the jar its like coffee flavoured chocolate more than chocolate flavoured coffee.Its a lovely fragrance. Chris and I tried together and he loved it too,he said it reminds him of Irish coffee, perhaps as I make mine with chocolate liqueur. I am very happy as its not sweet, this is my favourite so far.

I could imagine this made with ice cold milk so I gave it a go.One teaspoon was just nice for me and half a teaspoon of sugar to sweeten it.Very refreshing.

I will be adding this to fat free fromage frais and mixing it with raspberries for a low fat sugar free dessert!

For more information on Douwe Egberts Instants range and The Flavour Collective, visit www.douwe-egberts.co.uk or why not ‘like’ DouweEgbertsUK on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @DouweEgbertsUK.

Disclosure: I received a jar of Douwe Egberts Enticing Chocolate to review,I was given no other incentive or paid and my views are my own.

Douwe Egberts The Flavour Collective Review

I am really pleased to be reviewing the Douwe Egbert Flavour Collective, as many of you know I have been on Slimming World, successfully reaching my goal and getting back into size 8's a drop of three dress sizes. I am on a maintenance eating plan now. I find I can relax and have the odd blow out, but try to eat healthily every day. My sweet tooth demands a fix every now and then and so as not to reach for biscuits and cakes, I try to eat sweet foods that have not got the killer fat in.

Hard to do but the new flavoured coffees from Douwe Egberts are really helping. On Slimming World they are free and certainly keep the sweet cravings away.

Just made up in a mug these are all delicious.I was pretty surprised to find Chris dipping in to the jars as he drinks his coffee strong and black and rarely goes for flavoured coffee.

My tips so far are try the hazelnut one with your healthy extra allowance of Alpro hazelnut milk to make a latte. The caramel flavour is lovely and though sweet its wort adding a little extra.  I drink normal coffee without sugar and my first cup of the Douwe Egberts Caramel I found a bit strong, the sweetness added really brings out the caramel flavour. 

The vanilla flavour is lovely with an options sachet of choice mixed in,it gives a real creamy taste.

These are my tips for keeping a sweet treat healthy, but as I said before I can also have the odd splurges now and Douwe Egberts have come up with a range of recipes using the Flavour Collective range. These are certainly a little more indulgent.

Baked Chocolate Coffee Fudge Loaf

 Serves 12 – 16 slices

Ingredients:

400g plain chocolate, broken into small pieces

120g unsalted butter

40g golden caster or soft brown sugar

100ml single or whipping cream

2 tbsp The Flavour Collective Smooth Caramel coffee dissolved in 2 tbsp hot water

5 medium eggs, beaten

2 tbsp plain flour, sifted

To serve:

Cherries, raspberries or redcurrants

   

1.       Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2. Prepare a 7cm x 30cm oblong cake tin lined with non stick parchment paper.  

2.       Place the chocolate, butter and sugar in a large pan over a low heat and melt the mixture slowly until it is just smooth.

3.       Taking the pan off the heat whisk in the eggs into the chocolate mixture with the flour.

4.       Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and place into a roasting tin, half filled up with water before baking for  1 ½ hours.

5.       Leave to cool for 10 minutes before placing in the fridge to chill and cool completely.

6.       When cold, serve in slices with seasonal fruits like cherries, raspberry or redcurrants.

ICED COFFEE

Ingredients:

Cold water (dependent on glass size)

3 - 5 Ice cubes

Milk (to taste)

Sugar (to taste)

1 tsp of your favourite flavour of The Flavour Collective coffee

Preparation:

1. Put some cold water in a tall glass (about fifth of the capacity)

2. Add 1 teaspoon of your favoured The Flavour Collective coffee and 1 teaspoon of sugar (optional - you can vary the amount of sugar to taste) 

3. Use a milk frother to blend the mix for about one minute, until a rich and creamy foam is created. If you don't have a milk frother, try using a cocktail shaker instead to shake the mixture thoroughly.

4. Add ice cubes to the top of the glass and pour over cold milk.

5. Enjoy!

Sticky Toffee Squares with Toffee Sauce

Ingredients:

50g unsalted butter

175g light brown muscovado sugar

200g self raising flour, sifted

1 tbsp golden syrup

2 tbsp black treacle

2 medium eggs, beaten

1 tbsp The Flavour Collective Roasted Hazelnut coffee dissolved in 2 tsp hot water

225g pitted dates, coarsely chopped

1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda

For the sauce:

100g light brown muscovado sugar

100g unsalted butter

180ml double cream

1 tbsp The Flavour Collective Smooth Caramel coffee dissolved in 2tsp hot water

For the caramel shard:

100g caster sugar

1.       Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Grease and line a 23cm square tin with non stick parchment paper on the sides and base.

2.       For the caramel shard, heat the sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and, without stirring, heat until the sugar dissolves. When the sugar darkens to a deep caramel colour, using an oiled spoon, drizzle the caramel onto a piece of non-stick baking paper and set aside to cool.

3.       For the cake mixture, cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Stir in the flour, syrup, black treacle, eggs and coffee.

4.       Meanwhile, put the dates in a pan with 300ml water, bring to the boil then simmer for around 8 minutes until the dates are soft. Leave to cool for 10 minutes and then stir in bicarbonate of soda. Process the in a blender until smooth then carefully stir into the flour mixture.

More recipes to be found on the Douwe Egbert Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/DouweEgbertsUK

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funkin Cocktail Mixers Review

I am very happy to be reviewing funkin cocktail mixers again.

I first reviewed a couple of years ago, and met the team at the Good Food Show. The brand really fun and the ingredients used to make the mixers really natural and tasty.

New to me are the cartons now on sale. Its a great way to have a few friends round and impress them with your cocktail skills especially when you have a house renovation on hold for Christmas None of the blending, shaking and rigmarole that comes usually. Just pour in the funkin of choice and add the spirits, soft drink etc.

I love the Cosmopolitan with a shot of vodka and its equally good as a soft drink with lemonade or soda. Apparently rum is a great mix too.

Strawberry Woo Woos always make me go Woo as I drink them, I love the sweet strawberry flavour great if you like vodka.

I am really looking forward to mixing up a few cocktails for friends this Christmas, makes a change from wine and sherry!

Visit the Funkin Facebook page for tips, giveaway and ideas.

https://www.facebook.com/funkincocktails

Funkin is available in 1L mixers (RRP. £3.99) and 120g mixer pouches (RRP. 99p)

Funkin is available nationwide at Sainsbury’s, Asda, Waitrose, Co-op, Ocado, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, Majestic Wine, Harrods, Amazon

Funkin is available is a variety of flavours including Bellini, Bramble, Cosmopolitan, Margarita, Mojito, Pina Colada, Raspberry, Strawberry Daiquiri and Strawberry Woo Woo.

Queen’s Vintners Create The Perfect Jubilee Gin Cocktail

Raise a Right Royal Toast

If you get the chance to try No.3 London Dry Gin I can guarantee you will love it, I recently reviewed it here

If you’re planning to raise a glass to the Queen this Jubilee June, here’s a celebratory gin cocktail that ticks all the ‘royal’ boxes.

The ‘St. James’s Jubilee’ has been created by Berry Bros. & Rudd, purveyors of wines and spirits to both HRH and the Prince of Wales.

It features the very British ingredients of the firm’s own No.3 London Dry gin, English sparkling wine, elderflower liqueur and fresh lemon juice – topped off with a ‘royal’ raspberry.
The cocktail is named after the location of Berrys’ 300-year old shop at No.3, St. James’s Street, London. The shop is located a few hundred yards from St. James’s Palace – once the home of King William III, who was appropriately the monarch who popularised the drinking of gin in Britain.

The St.James’s Jubilee

Ingredients:

     50ml No.3 London Dry gin

25ml fresh lemon juice

15ml elderflower liqueur

100ml English sparkling wine

Method

Shake all ingredients, bar the English sparkling wine, with ice in a cocktail shaker. Then, strain over the chilled sparkling wine. Garnish with a single raspberry.
Glass: Champagne flute.

No.3 is available at Waitrose nationwide, as well as Selfridges and Harvey Nichols; RRP of £33.65 for a 70cl bottle.

Stone’s Ginger Wine Celebrate the Best of British this summer

Why not try a refreshing Stone’s Ginger Wine cocktail? It really tastes fabulous and certainly brings a sunshine feel when lets face it its been appalling. But woohoo the sun is out and luckily having a bottle of Stones and a husband who adores it, we took full advantage and nipped into the garden last night with a glass and sipped it while the sunset. I did not add the cucumber as it was looking a bit sad, I also added lemon and orange.
Yum!

Stone’s Ginger Wine is flying the flag for Britain this summer, offering limited edition bottles of its famous tipple with the Union Jack on the label, inviting everyone to celebrate what’s set to be a season of British success.

Stone’s Ginger Wine is well-known for its distinctive flavours and traditional recipe which has been handed down from generation to generation. Dating back to the mid-nineteenth century, Stone’s is a truly British brand that is rooted in our nation’s history.

If you’re looking to shake up your cocktail skills this summer, why not enjoy a refreshing Stone’s Ginger Lemonade Cup? This alternative cocktail from Stone’s Ginger Wine will put a fresh spin on any street party and is featured exclusively on the back of the limited edition label.


Simply pour one measure (50ml) of Stone's Ginger Wine, per person, into a jug, top with lemonade and add lots of ice. Pop in a few slices of cucumber and your favourite ripe fruits, add mint to garnish and you’ll have the perfect refreshing summer treat.

Stone’s Ginger Wine is highly versatile, making it a great picnic tipple to enjoy with classic cucumber sandwiches in the park, whilst also lending itself easily to spicing up a friendly BBQ. If you’re looking to celebrate in style, mix one measure of Stone’s Ginger Wine with champagne or sparkling wine for a sophisticated 'Ginger Fizz’.

For more information or recipe ideas visit www.stonesgingerwine.com

Tasting Notes:

Stone’s Original Green Ginger Wine is a blend of the finest quality raisins and pure ground ginger which produces a delicious, mellow and warming flavour.

Disclosure: My post is based upon material provided free of charge (A bottle of Stones Ginger Wine) for review purposes. I have not been paid or otherwise compensated to promote the topic, product or service reviewed in this post.

Merrydown Cider Thousands of Great Village Traditions to be won.

Merrydown cider is quintessentially English, the taste is pretty unique possibly down to all the eating apples crammed into each bottle. It actually tastes very appley and Chris and I found it refreshing. Its great for sipping all on its own, great sharing with friends too.

 I was sent some fabulous recipes and news of a great giveaway commemorate the Queens Jubilee and the Olympics. Have a read and wishing you luck if you do buy some, hope you get a lucky bottle.

From John o Groats to Lands End, patriotism is sweeping the nation this year as we hail all things that are great and good about Britain.

With celebrations in full swing this summer to welcome the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and Olympic Games, there’s no better time to share a bottle of Merrydown cider with friends and mark the great village traditions that make Britain unique. 

 Merrydown Cider is running a patriotic on-pack promotion across the nation, offering lucky winners the opportunity to win a whole host of prizes to celebrate our Great Village Traditions. From street party kits and county show tickets to gardening equipment and cooler bags, this selection of prizes from Merrydown premium cider will ensure your summer celebrations are memorable ones.

With so many prizes to be won and a one in ten chance of winning, make sure you pick up a bottle of Merrydown Cider on your next shopping trip to try your luck!

Merrydown Cider has been a firm favourite across the nation for over 65 years and its award-winning taste comes from a delicious combination of crisp eating apples fermented with yeast from the Champagne-Ardenne region. On its own, or as a fabulous accompaniment to food, Merrydown Cider is fitting for every social occasion. Choose from Merrydown’s Medium flavour, or crisp Dry cider in both sweet and savoury dishes for a unique summer twist on some traditional dishes.

So this Diamond Jubilee, get together with friends and raise a toast – try your chances at winning a prize and enjoy Merrydown Cider’s unique taste alongside some of your favourite social nibbles. 

Merrydown Vintage Medium (750ml) is available from Tesco, ASDA and Morrissons with a RRP of £2.55

Merrydown Vintage Dry (750ml) is available from ASDA with a RRP of £2.55

Merrydown Cider’s on-pack promotion to celebrate Great Village Traditions will run from May onwards while stock lasts, offering a whole host of prizes, details of which can be found on the Merrydown website. 

Visit www.merrydown.co.uk for more information on the Merrydown range.

Disclosure: My post is based upon material provided free of charge (Merrydown Cider) for review purposes. I have not been paid or otherwise compensated to promote the topic, product or service reviewed in this post.

VIMTO LAUNCHES LIMITED EDITION HALLOWEEN BOTTLES

SERIOUSLY SPOOKY HALLOWEEN COCKTAILS

A fiendishly good limited edition of the nation’s favourite fruity drink is set to hit the supermarket shelves this Halloween, as Vimto launches a range of specially designed bottles, perfect for themed parties and other Halloween fun.

The spooky limited edition haunted house designs are available across all 2L bottles of Fizzy Vimto, No Added Sugar and Cherry Vimto. These party sized bottles are great for sharing, so Vimto has designed a special range of creepy cocktail recipes that will add some seriously mixed up fun to your fancy dress frolics.

Here’s our yummy Halloween themed Vimto thirst quenchers to keep your little ghouls, goblins and guests entertained!

The limited edition Halloween bottles are available in all major supermarkets from early October, so start practising your creepy Vimto Halloween cocktails.

Vimto’s Creepy Cocktail Recipes

Vimto

Eyeball Surprise

A supernaturally simple concoction that every stylish spectre will be drinking this Halloween.

Use an ice cream scoop to make two ‘eyeballs’ of ice cream and press jelly sweets into each one to create the pupils. Place them in the bottom of a tall chilled goblet and recite a witches incantation. Fill the glass two thirds full of devilishly delicious fizzy Vimto and watch the fiendish foam froth over the top of the glass.

No Added Sugar Vimto

Spooky Strawberry Heart

This is a great drink to serve to a scare to your guests. Swirl some No Added Sugar Vimto in with some cranberry juice and pour into individual glasses. Keep up the fear factor with a ‘Bleeding Heart’ made out of a bbq stick speared strawberry. Simply dunk the ‘heart’ into the glass and serve chilled.

Cherry Vimto/ NAS Cherry Vimto

Blood Curdling Brew

The perfect cauldron concoction for witches and wizards everywhere! Put the flesh of one chopped melon along with 10 crushed red seedless grapes into your cauldron (or glass if cauldron not available) and blend until they form a ghoulishly bloody pulp! Strain into a glass and top up with fiendishly fruity fizzy

Cherry Vimto to create your brew.

Witches tip - Half-fill an ice cube tray with water, add a halved grape to each section and press a raisin into the centre and then freeze to create eyeball ice cubes.

Vimto's Guide To Halloween Parties

Halloween is a boo-tiful excuse to have a spooky party, and you don’t need to live in Transylvania to pull it off! All you need is some imagination and you can host a great party without blowing the bank. Along with our Vimto creepy cocktail recipes, we’ve put together our top 5 tips on how get your party off with a scream:

1. Think of a Theme-

Whether you go with Murder Mystery, Ghost Town, Witches Party or Haunted House, a theme will help your guests decide what costumes to wear and make decorating more fun.

2. Make your invitations at home –

Print off pictures of bats, ghosts and pumpkins and trace the silhouettes onto coloured paper. You can decorate these with glitter or paint them in spooky colours.

3. Get them at the front door –

Your front door is the first thing your guests see so dress it up to the nines. Spattering with bloody handprints and gore is very gross very effective.

4. Use body parts! –

 If you really want to make a creepy impression at your party, make eyeballs out of mozzarella & olives, severed ear skewers with prawns and turn those party sausages into fingers!

5. Go for Gross Games -

Put some slimy, squishy things into different areas of a box and have your kids guess what’s in it just by feeling around. Slimy things like jelly are great fun to guess and you’ll definitely get lots of squeals!

For more fun Halloween recipes, party tips and more visit the Vimto Facebook page at

www.facebook.com/vimto

or on Twitter @RealVimto.

TIA MARIA: A COCKTAIL FOR EVERY OCCASION

I just tried Tia Maria for the first time and love it, it has a way of warming and you feel like you are being very indulgent when drinking it.

I was sent a bottle to review and also Tia Maria are showcasing some of the different occasions when you might drink it.

But first mine.

At home

Feet up, with a dollop of vanilla ice cream and milk, its luscious!!

Tia Maria is the perfect drink for any cocktail occasion, whether heading off for an afternoon in the pub, eating at the finest restaurant or hitting a nightclub. Made to the original Caribbean recipe, this rich  dark liqueur can be mixed with a whole host of flavours from ginger beer right through to chilli and even sambuca.

Tia Maria’s distinctive aroma of freshly grounded coffee with delicate hints of chocolate and exotic vanilla mean it’s the perfect ingredient to pack cocktails full of flavour. The alcohol brand has recently been showcasing the following sumptuous cocktails to highlight the mixibility of Tia Maria and the occasions where one might drink it.

KEEP THE FAITH

 (Created exclusively with Paloma Faith for Tia Maria)

¾ parts Tia Maria

1 part dark chocolate liqueur

¾ parts sugar syrup

5 – 6 slices of whole red chilli

Add all the ingredients into a shaker with lots of ice.

Shake well & strain into a martini glass.

Make a cut on the side of the whole red chilli, place on the rim of the glass.

Extra chilli can be added for more spice!

MARIA L’ORANGE

¾ parts Tia Maria

¾ parts triple sec

1 bar spoon passion fruit syrup

½ parts lemon juice

1 ½ parts fresh orange juice

Combine all the ingredients together with crushed ice in a boston and shake.

Pour into a martini glass.

Garnish with a lemon twist

1 part coconut milk

Combine all ingredients together with crushed ice in a blender

Blend until smooth

Pour into a snifter glass.

Top up with whipped cream and garnish with a slice of pineapple

At the Pub

JAMAICAN SWIZZLE

1 part Tia Maria

1 part dark rum

2 parts ginger ale/ginger beer

¾ parts lemon juice

1 dash Angostura

Shake the Tia Maria, dark rum, lemon juice and Angostura with ice then top up with ginger ale.

Clubbing

MOJITIA

1½ oz Tia Maria

1½ oz white rum

½ oz lemon juice

3 oz soda

Muddle mint leaves, lemon juice and powdered

sugar in a highball glass, then add crushed ice and

pour in blended Tia Maria and rum.

Top up with soda.

Dinner Date

DARK DESIRE

1½ oz Tia Maria

½ oz scotch whisky

1 spoon ice cream (vanilla)

1½ oz half & half

Combine all ingredients together in a blender.

Blend until smooth. Pour into a hurricane glass.

Top up with whipped cream and asprinkling of chocolate.

bottlepink Super Blush Mocktail

 

Serves 1

Ingredients:

75g fresh raspberries

2 tsp freshly squeezed lime juice

Chilled bottlepink   pomegranate and elderflower sparkling pressé

Method:

Press the raspberries through a sieve to make a   puree.

Discard the seeds.

Add the lime juice and then pour into a large   glass.

Pour in bottlepink  pomegranate and elderflower sparkling pressé and serve.

Be pretty in pink with bottlegreen

bottlegreen launches limited edition bottlepink in aid of

Breakthrough Breast Cancer

From your party dress to your drink, pink is the only colour to be seen with this October! Ladies up and down the country will be turning all shades of pink to do their bit for Breast Cancer Awareness Month and there’s no better way to show your support than with a delicious glass of bottlepink!

bottlegreen has teamed up with Breakthrough Breast Cancer to turn its gorgeous pomegranate and elderflower cordial and pomegranate and elderflower sparkling pressé pink in aid of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The stylish new bottles will be in store for a limited time only, with 10% from each sale going to help the charity’s fantastic work.

Embodying the irresistibly fruity and distinctive taste of pomegranates combined with the delicate and fragrant taste of elderflowers, the bottlepink drinks are wonderfully light and refreshing.

 

Along with the exquisite taste, the beautifully designed bottles are also the perfect accessory and will add a touch of glamour to any celebration. So get your friends and family together and host your very own pink party in aid of Breakthrough Breast Cancer and make bottlepink your special guest!

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in the UK with 48,000 people diagnosed with the disease each year. Breakthrough Breast Cancer is a pioneering charity that is saving lives and changing futures, through researching, campaigning and education.

bottlegreen Mediterranean Seared Tuna Steaks

Look ahead to the Bank Holiday and start planning a wonderful weekend with your family and friends. Whether sunshine or showers these delicious tuna steaks can be sizzled on the barbecue or you can take shelter inside and cook them on the grill. Marinate fresh tuna steaks in bottlegreen's aromatic lime cordial and olive oil before speedily cooking on either side.  Serve with a spicey salsa of crunchy cucumber and red onion combined with fiery red chillis, coriander and zesty lime cordial to add some zing to this Mediterranean inspired summer lunch.

 Mediterranean Seared Tuna Steaks

Serves 4

Ingredients:

3 tbsp bottlegreen lime cordial
3 tbsp olive oil
4 x 175-200g (6-7oz) fresh tuna steaks
1 red onion, finely sliced
1 fresh red chilli, finely chopped
1/4 cucumber, finely chopped
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
300g (10oz) fine green beans
4 tomatoes, deseeded and chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1.         1        Put 2 tbsp of the bottlegreen lime cordial into a shallow dish with 2 tbsp of the olive oil. Season with a little salt and black pepper. Add the tuna steaks, turn them to coat, then cover and leave to marinate for about 15 minutes.

2.                 Meanwhile, make the salsa by mixing the remaining lime cordial with the red onion, chilli, cucumber and coriander. Season. Cover until ready to serve.

3.                 Cook the green beans in lightly salted boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Drain well and mix with the tomatoes and remaining olive oil.

4.                   Heat a char-grill pan or pre-heat the grill. Char-grill or grill the tuna steaks on a high heat for about 2 minutes per side – or a little longer if you prefer the tuna to be more thoroughly cooked. Serve with the green beans and salsa.

Get your Royal Wedding party started with Bottlegreen!

Dig out your fanciest frocks, fly your flags high and get your Royal Wedding party started with bottlegreen! These delicious and summery cocktails have been created by Bottlegreen to add a sophisticated touch to your Royal Wedding celebrations.

For the king of all cocktails try shaking up bottlegreen's elderflower cordial with a shot of gin, fresh mint leaves, ice, a dash of lemon juice and some sugar syrup or alternatively for a delicious cocktail that's fit for a princess, mix rose vodka and gin with Bottlegreen's cox's apple and plum cordial!

 

Royal Wedding Elderflower Cocktail   

Ingredients:

6 Mint leaves

50ml Gin

15ml bottlegreen Elderflower Cordial

15ml Lemon Juice

5ml Sugar Syrup

Method:

Muddle Mint with Lemon Juice and Sugar Syrup.

Add remaining ingredients and shake with ice, fine strain into chilled 5oz martini glass.

Garnish with mint leaf on surface of drink.

Royal Wedding Cox’s Apple & Plum Cocktail

Serves 1

Ingredients:

30ml Rose Vodka

20ml Gin

15ml bottlegreen Cox’s Apple & Plum Cordial

10ml Lime Juice

5ml Sugar Syrup

Method:

Shake ingredients with ice, fine strain into 5oz martini glass.

Garnish with rose petal on surface of drink.