Crabtree & Evelyn Rose & White Chocolate Biscuits

Romance, flowers, chocolates - these beautifully presented All Butter Rose & White Chocolate biscuits from Crabtree & Evelyn have it all... An ideal gift to show your love this Valentine's Day.

The tin they come in is just so pretty and wonderfully illustrated. The biscuits themselves are crunchy enough to dip in your tea if you so feel inclined. In fact I brought out the Royal Albert China specially to indulge in a special afternoon tea as I knew the occasion demanded it. I felt incredibly decadent whilst daintily sipping on my tea and biting into these moreish buttery biscuits.

I am a huge, huge fan of anything rose so these rose and white chocolate biscuits grabbed my attention instantly and they didn't disappoint. These traditionally baked English biscuits are made with crystallised rose petals and pieces of white chocolate. The result is a delicate rose taste from the the perfumed flowers and the white chocolate is smooth and creamy to tantalize the taste buds with this truly romantic foodie gift.

Delicious limited edition biscuits that are the perfect addition to afternoon tea. Massive thumbs up from me.

Crabtree & Evelyn new limited edition Rose & White Chocolate biscuits cost £5 for 160G

*PR Sample

Top Five Foodie Gifts From Carluccio's This Christmas

Way back in July I had the pleasure of attending the Carluccio's Christmas Press Day where I got to try all the tasty treats that were to be the Christmas Gifts..today I share my top five foodie gifts.. whether for friends, family or yourself!

Clemente in Camicia £16.95 - Delicious candied Clementine pieces covered in dark chocolate.

Fichi Ricoperti £9.95 - Dark chocolate coated figs stuffed with walnut and candied orange peel. I couldn't get enough of these!

Stelle di Cioccolato £11.95 - Exquisite chocolate stars that will delight children and adults alike.

Prosecco e Gianduiotti £26.95 - A sumptuous boxed gift of Prosecco paired with smooth hazelnut chocolate.

Vin Santo e Cantucci £25 - Dessert is sorted with this pairing of a sweet dessert wine and honey and almond biscuits. A Tuscan classic.

Pudology Dairy & Gluten Free Desserts Review

I won some Pudology dairy and gluten free puds recently and naturally I thought I would share my thoughts with you on them.

Unfortunately there was a bit of a delay in their arrival (apparently the original delivery van broke down) which meant that ice bag keeping them cool had melted and so the outer packaging was soggy. No matter though, it did not affect the contents which is the most important thing.

All the Pudology products are

Dairy Free
Gluten Free
Wheat Free
Vegan
Coeliac

I was sent 3 varieties to devour...

Chocolate Pud 

Deeply decadent & irresistibly smooth chocolate ganache with Madagascan vanilla.

My thoughts 

The first thing to mention is that it contains coconut milk as the replacement for dairy, so it does taste like it although I found that as I ate on, the taste of coconut subsided and delicious chocolate was more prevalent. I thought this was going to be rich and dense but happily the ganache melted in my mouth, much lighter than I expected. Very nice indeed. 

Chocolate Orange Pud 

Seriously smooth chocolate and orange ganache with Brazilian orange oil.

My thoughts

Now it has to be said I adore chocolate orange so I was excited to try this and it smells and tastes exquisite. Similar in texture to the Chocolate Pud, this is once again light and smooth. 

Banoffee Pud 

Layers of biscuit, dairy-free toffee, banana & chocolate – the ultimate indulgence!

My thoughts 

I do love a good banoffee pie and this is not a disappointment. In fact this was a highlight. 

Sweet but not overly so, light crumbly biscuit, smooth toffee and banana that is refreshingly cool topped with chocolate. Best eaten with every spoonful containing each layer. My favourite.

Delicious puds, dairy and gluten free that satisfy a sweet tooth. You cannot ask for much more..

Choc Shot Liquid Chocolate Review

Chocolate lovers will adore Choc Shot Liquid Chocolate. I know I certainly do. I picked this up after looking for a change from Cadbury's Drinking Chocolate and I am so glad I did as it is so much more than just a hot chocolate substitute.

Sweet Freedom Choc Shot say 

100% natural
Sweetened with our magic ingredient, award winning Sweet Freedom ( natural fruit extracts apples, grapes & carob)
Only 14 calories per teaspoon
Low GI / GL - no energy highs and lows
Suitable for diabetics as part of a healthy diet
NO artificial colourings, flavourings or preservatives
GM, dairy & gluten free
Suitable for vegetarians and vegans
Made in the UK

My thoughts 

This chocolate tastes so good. Just squeeze out 3 or 4 teaspoons into hot milk and stir. It looks good and tastes great. However it is versatile, it can be drizzled over ice cream, porridge, fruit, spread on toast and added to milkshakes. 

My other favourite use for it is added to my blueberries and natural Greek yoghurt for a delicious afternoon treat. It has a lovely luscious rich and glossy appearance. 

Yum!!

Sweet Freedom Choc Shot costs £3.59

Chocolate Afternoon Tea At The London Hilton Park Lane - Review

A Hen Do involving Afternoon Tea.. now that's my kind of Hen Do and of course I said yes immediately when the invitation came.

At the end of June, 20 of us made our way to the Podium Restaurant at the London Hilton Park Lane Mayfair to experience 'Confessions of a Chocoholic' Chocolate Afternoon Tea. I was really looking forward to it and also apprehensive. I like chocolate but would it prove to be too much?

As it was a special occasion we opted to add a glass of Champagne to the tea.

A little while after we had sat down a waiter approached us with a wooden presentation box, flipped it open and invited us to choose a tea to accompany our afternoon tea. The box had six little pots of loose tea leaves in that we could smell before ordering. 

I opted for the 'house tea' - The Hilton Afternoon Tea Blend described as "A special blend designed for your enjoyment as a perfect tea for our Chocolate Afternoon Tea. A classic, light and elegant blend of Darjeeling with a hint of smoky Lapsang and a touch of Oolong formosa" I wanted something light and delicate and from the description this fitted the bill perfectly. I would say that it was a bit more smoky than just a hint which a few of the others in the group who had chosen it were not keen on. I was a bit disappointed with the lack of choice of teas and since coming home and looking at the website I notice that the tea selection on the menu is a fair bit larger than the 6 that were on offer to us. I wonder if this is because we were in a big group? 

We were brought individual tea pots with our choice of tea to the table.

Sandwiches 

The sandwiches were presented as open sandwiches. Personally I loved this as I don't want to bulk up on bread and it was a different and modern touch to the usual finger sandwiches that are provided when having Afternoon Tea.

I had the full selection of sandwiches on offer - see picture below. 

Forman’s smoked salmon & horseradish

Honey roast ham & Pommery mustard

Prawn mayonnaise & baby gem lettuce

Cucumber, cream cheese & chives

Egg & cress

I have to praise the staff for being very accommodating as they did allow people in our group to tailor their choice of sandwiches. I am not a huge fan of egg and cress (dull) but hadn't asked for any changes to my menu so I swapped it for an extra prawn sandwich with another person in our group.

The sandwiches were very tasty indeed and I would have liked more had we been offered them, however by the end of the afternoon tea I can see why more were not on offer... I was very, very full!!

Some of the group opted for the delicious looking vegetarian platter option - a great selection in my opinion, although of course it includes the egg and cress.

Asparagus, Parmesan cheese & balsamic vinegar

Cucumber, cream cheese & chives

Egg & cress

Tomato, mozzarella & pesto

Emmental cheese, grapes & walnut

After the sandwiches we were brought the scones and cakes and as they came to our table - there was a collective 'wow' A 3 tier stand with such pretties, it did feel a little Alice in Wonderland. We were given a stand between 2 people.

The scones - 

Freshly baked chocolate chip

Plain & raisin scones

Praline chocolate spread

Clotted cream & strawberry jam

The scones were served perfectly warm and the chocolate chip scones with praline chocolate spread on top of them were simply divine. Yum! I don't think we were offered plain scones but I was perfectly happy with the choice. 

The pastries - 

Battenberg

Sacher Torte with gold leaf

Raspberry & elderflower cupcake

Red velvet cupcake

The entire sweet selection was gorgeous and moreish. Of the pastries I particularly loved the Sacher Torte.

The miniature fancies 

White chocolate and cherry cheesecake & red velvet and orange tuile

Pistachio macaroon & Manjari chocolate filling

Iced shortbread butterfly & orange and chocolate profitorole 

Lemon and raspberry marshmallow cone - inside the pot appeared to be a base of sugar and pink rice balls

Meringue lolly

All served on a plate of thick edible chocolate..double yum!!

Such lovely and tempting sweets don't you agree?

This was such a fabulous menu and not overly chocolatey. I enjoyed it all.

Final thoughts 

The chocolate afternoon tea is ideal for a relaxed and fun afternoon tea with the girls in an unpretentious and modern setting. The Podium Restaurant Bar is also set up for a quick coffee, breakfast, lunch or dinner so it is not going to be refined or traditional in its setting or service. The service was very much hands off and a little slow. I think the main reason was that there was mainly just one person attending to us most of the time. 

Afternoon Tea is served daily: 12 noon - 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday and from 2-6 p.m. Monday – Friday and is priced at £29.50 per person, or £37.50 including a glass of Champagne

Nutritious Delicious Truffles - A Chocolate Treat

A chocolate treat that is good for you.. it cannot be true, surely! Well Nutritious Delicious are trying with these rather fabulous truffles..with O.M.G ingredients - Omegas, Magnesium and Ginseng.

I was sent the Lime flavour and 2 truffles was just perfect as a little something to accompany my cup of tea and satisfy a sweet craving. A hint of lime with a powerful dark chocolate hit, tasty to the extreme. Truffle-tastic!

Ingredient information (taken from the website)

Sunflower seeds(3.82%), almonds(3.82%), ginseng(1.15%), coconut oil (9.40%) carob powder(2.29%), cacao powder(2.29%), agave syrup(4.13%), natural essential oils, maca(1.15%), lucuma(2.29%), soya lecithin(0.84%), 74% organic dark chocolate

Allergen Warning ; Contains nuts and soya and made in a factory where dairy is used. Suitable for vegans, GM and gluten free.

Vegan, GM and gluten free, dairy free, colouring and preservative free.

Also available - Vanilla, Orange and Almond flavours.

Nutritious Delicious Truffles cost £5.99 for 130g  - For more details visit www.nutritiousdelicious.co.uk

Karin Herzog Finest Chocolate Cleansing - Cleansing Gel

I take my skincare routine very seriously. I am meticulous about cleansing twice a day and because of this it should never feel like a chore. I have to like everything about a cleanser for me to enjoy it and use it. One very important aspect is the scent.

Karin Herzog Finest Chocolate Cleansing Gel ticks all the boxes. This cleanser smells so good, good enough to eat. It has the most delicious chocolate scent that it is such a pleasure to use. Coming out of the tube it is in gel form, once massaged in it melts into an oil. It feels like you are smothering yourself in gooey, sticky chocolate.

Massaging the chocolate cleansing gel is very enjoyable and enables the oil to lift off all your makeup including waterproof mascara, as I perform this ritual I can actually see the makeup being removed. I then use a warm, wet muslin cloth to rinse off the product. This leaves the skin feeling extremely clean, soft and comfortable, ready to apply my moisturiser/night cream.

When you find a cleanser that works for you, I think that you can really see the results of using it. I have been using this cleanser for over 3 weeks now and the results are incredible, my skin is clearer, brighter and looks and feels so fresh in the morning. So much so that at the weekend when we went out for the evening, I used this before heading to bed and when I woke up my husband commented how radiant my skin looked even though I had not even had 6 hours sleep. He even joked that I should have taken a picture to show how I looked first thing in the morning!

I have been so happy with how my skin is looking that I have ventured out without makeup and I have rarely done that in the past...

Karin Herzog Finest Chocolate Cleansing Gel is suitable for all skin types and costs £33 for 50mls.


*PR Sample

National Chocolate Week 2011 - A Real Beauty Treat

This week (10-16th October 2011) is National Chocolate Week and in celebration of this fact I thought I would bring together a fabulous collection of beauty products that are chocolate based or inspired....

As expected, Lush have some wonderful chocolate based products 

Ma Bar (£2.50) Looks good enough to eat but is actually a wonderfully guilt free way of enjoying chocolate. This bubble bar contains Bergamot oil and orange oil. A chocolatey caramel bar with a sugar cube!

Soft Coeur massage bar (£4.50) Heart-shaped and deliciously chocolatey, this massage bar contains moisturising cocoa butter and shea butter and is scented with molten toffee fragrance. When gently rubbed onto the skin, the bar melts away to reveal a soft centre. Yummy indeed.

Whipstick lip balm (£5.25) A lightly whipped formulation with a smooth chocolate base. This is a delicious blend of orange, tangerine and vanilla essential oils and cold pressed almond oil, olive oil and wheatgerm oil which, along with shea butter, will make your lips soft and moisturised.

White chocolate fans will love these offerings also from Lush

Honey Trap Lip Balm (£4.75) is a blend of white chocolate, honey and vanilla.

Mange Too Massage Bar (£6.00) This hexagonal shaped bar is made with white chocolate, honey and fresh bananas with a shea butter and mango butter base...simply divine.

Taking centre stage is Essential Care's Organic Coconut Candy Scrub (£28.00)

This luxurious body scrub is utterly delectable, it has been delicately blended with coconut oil and cocoa butter which smells just incredible and promises to leave skin silky smooth, containing gently exfoliating sugar cane crystals. I cannot wait to review it.

On the left of the photograph


Palladio Herbal Eye Shadow Trio - Chocolates (£7.00)
Silky smooth, fine powders, blended with herbal extracts and created to glide on easily and give a long lasting, satin-fine finish. Presented in a handy mirrored compact, includes a convenient double ended sponge applicator.
Available online from Beauty Naturals

Chocolate & Strawberry Facial Detoxifying Mask (£4.45)
This gorgeously scented clay mask is packed with cocoa and contains strawberry extract and shea butter providing deep pore cleansing. Suitable for normal, t-zone and dry skins.

Pictured 150ml tube and a 15ml sachet (0.99p) available from Beauty Naturals


More chocolatey goodness comes from Montagne Jeunesse in the form of these fab masks

Chocolate Infusion Intensive Conditioning Hair Treatment (£1.09)
With ingredients like chocolate, honey and Kukui oil with added Panthenol Vitamin B5 this is a real treat for the hair to leave it soft and silky.

Chocolate Mud Face Masque (£1.09)

This natural clay mask contains cocoa, cocoa butter and shea butter and is suitable for normal, dry and t-zone skin. Beware though it is messy! Paraben free

White Chocolate Face Masque (£1.09)

More yumminess comes in the form of this white chocolate mask, with cocoa butter, cream and jojoba this promises to leave skin deeply clean and smooth. Paraben free. I am looking forward to trying this one out.

And finally more makeup treats in chocolate and rich dark shades ..

Max Factor Max Effect Trio Eye Shadow in 01 Coco Crazy (£6.99)

I love this easy to blend eye shadow trio and have been using it a lot recently. With a name like Coco Crazy I had to include it in this piece! 3 wearable shades that contrast and blend in equal measures, you can use wet for a more intensified look or dry for a more natural appearance.

YoungBlood Mineral Cosmetics Lipstick in Honey Nut (£14.00)

Cruelty free and 100% mineral in composition, this pretty creamy light brown shade contains Sunflower Oil and Candelilla Wax for moisture and Vitamin E for antioxidant protection, providing a soft shine finish.

No7 Poppy King Lipstick in Seduction (£12.00)

This is the darkest shade from the Poppy King collection of lipsticks, described as blackberry on my lips appears as a rich almost chocolatey shade. 

No7 Poppy King Lipgloss in Seduction (£11.00)

For every lipstick Poppy King created she also created a matching gloss to wear alone or on top of the lipstick for a more intense, glossy colour. In the tube this looks like a chocolate brown but is far less scary on the lips providing just a hint. I love the spotty lid.

Happy Chocolate Week!

*All products were supplied for free, except for the Cadbury's Fruit and Nut which I purchased and am currently feasting on..

My Chocolate Indulgence

I love chocolate. It is a rare woman that doesn't .... and although it is very tasty, it is not always good for the waistline. However, as it is Chocolate week (11-17th October - an excellent chance to take part in lots of chocolate related events),  I thought I would take a moment to indulge and share with you some gorgeous and useful chocolate inspired beauty products!

Click on picture to enlarge

Mmmmm, let's go!

Featured products


Avon Footworks Chocolate & Pomegranate Smoothing Scrub
This smells chocolatey and sweet - and it works! £4.50 from Avon

Avon Footworks Chocolate & Pomegranate Moisturising Cream Non greasy and effective moisturiser. £4.50 from Avon

Ciaté Paint Pot in Mines A Mocha A gorgeous chocolate brown nail polish £9 from www.ciate.co.uk

Ciaté White Chocolate Nail Polish Remover Smells like an ordinary nail polish remover until it has dried when it leaves your nails smelling like yummy chocolate! £14 from www.ciate.co.uk

Bourjois Delice de Poudre Bronzing Powder Looks like a bar of chocolate. An easy to use bronzer, where more application provides a deeper colour, with the added bonus that it is slightly scented of chocolate. £6.99 from www.boots.com

Karin Herzog Finest Chocolate Cleansing Delicious smelling and highly effective oil based cleanser suitable for all skin types. Smells like the finest hot chocolate! 50 mls for £32 from www.shop.karinherzog.co.uk

Clinique Colour Surge Buttershine Lipstick in Chocolate Ice A glossy and moisturising chocolate coloured lipstick. Lovely! £14.50 from www.clinique.co.uk

Lilylolo Mineral Eyeshadow in Chocolate Fudge Cake
Pretty, well pigmented and long lasting eyeshadow in a chocolate shade with undertones of purple - £5.49 from www.lilylolo.co.uk

Soap and Glory Super Colour Sexy Mother Pucker Lip Gloss in Yummy Plum 
Chocolate/Raspberry flavour - £8 from www.soapandglory.com

Also featured...
Triple Chocolate Wham Bam Giant Slabs £13.50 each  from Hotel Chocolat.
100% Pure Mulberry Silk Premiére Pillowcase, anti-ageing benefits and smooth hair. Comes with a free "hotel style" chocolate for your pillow. £29.99 from www.silkperfect.com.