Montezuma's Dark Chocolate with Rose & Vanilla Bar

Following on from my review of the Montezuma's Chai Latte Milk Chocolate, today's bar from their Festival Range is one that's suitable for vegans and is dairy free, it's Dark Chocolate with added Rose Oil and Vanilla flavouring. Having tried rose flavoured chocolates before I went into tasting this with great hesitation...would it be nice or awful?!

The Festival Range of bars from Montezuma's have been launched to celebrate their 18th birthday, because they're going to their first festival now they're 18. The colourfully packaged bars are specially designed to help them party and were inspired by Holi, the Hindu festival which signifies the arrival of spring and has become known as the happiest festival on earth.

Opening the wrapper, the bar has the classic Montezuma's style of a section of breakable blocks with a thicker piece with the Montezuma's logo on below. I do like the design - it means you can have a chunkier piece of chocolate or smaller pieces if you fancy.

The chocolate certainly had a faint smell of rose, which didn't really excite me to be honest. Don't get me wrong I don't mind rose flavour when it's in turkish delight, but with chocolate I have rarely enjoyed it.

I took a bite. I was hit by the flowery rose taste right away, followed by the more intense dark chocolate. And quite honestly I didn't enjoy it. It's just too much when paired together, and really not the sort of thing my tastebuds enjoy. The vanilla flavouring does tone down the overpowering nature of the rose somewhat, making it more palatable, but I still found it hard to eat.

Overall, I'm going to say this is one of those "love it or hate it" marmite bars; if you like rose or floral flavourings it might be right up your street. But it's really not my thing. On the plus side, the dark chocolate is good quality, as it always is from Montezuma's.

For more info and to buy: https://www.montezumas.co.uk/bars-c1/festival-2018-bars-c74

6 out of 10. 

Ingredients: Dark Chocolate 99% (Sugar, Cocoa Mass, Cocoa Butter, Emulsifier:Soya Lecithin & natural Flavouring: Vanilla), Vanilla & Natural Flavourings: Rose Oil.

Gluten free, may contain traces of nuts and dairy. 

Plamil So Free Espresso Dark Chocolate

Just a quick review today, and it's one for those who may be reducing or cutting out the sugar what with the news of the UK Sugar Tax coming into force. Most chocolate bars using sweeteners can often taste chemically or just "wrong", so how does Plamil's So Free Espresso bar fare?

Made with xylitol, a natural sweetener derived from birch, I found this bar in Holland and Barrett. It contains 72% cocoa solids, is gluten free, dairy free and suitable for vegans.

The bar has small segments you can break off. I went for the espresso variety simply because I was in need of an energy boost, and although the coffee only comes from flavouring I reasoned the placebo effect might still give me a boost!

And it was just what I needed for a sweet coffee hit. The chocolate gives a rich flavour, with the coffee lingering in the aftertaste whilst the xylitol makes it sweet enough to be palatable. It's not the same as sugar of course, and it does take a little getting used to, but it's pleasant and far more tolerable than a completely sugar free chocolate bar.

Overall, if you're reducing or cutting out the sugar, or even just avoiding dairy, I would recommend this bar for a sweet hit that is hopefully kinder to your health...and teeth! (xylitol apparently prevents tooth decay).

8 out of 10. 

Kind Snacks Dark Chocolate Almond & Mint Bar

A huge thanks to Kind Snacks UK for sending me some of their new bars to review recently, which includes a Pomegrante, Blueberry & Pistachio bar plus today's review: Dark Chocolate Almond & Mint, a bit of a different flavour for a healthy snack bar!

Kind bars are all gluten free, dairy free and made with ingredients you can see and pronounce. This particular bar contains a whopping 60% nuts, a lot more than the dried fruits that most healthy snack bars are based on.

Described as a "40g Almond & Mint bar with dark chocolate mint flavoured coating", this contains cashews, almonds and honey as well as rice crisp pieces.

The bar is chunky, with the nuts looking very plentiful. The honey and glucose syrup binding it make it slightly sticky, and it's easy to split in half.

I really enjoyed the refreshing taste of the mint chocolate on this bar, it's very different but very lovely and works well with the savoury nuts. This felt like quite a treat indeed, yes there's only a drizzle of the chocolate but its enough to make it decadent whilst also being a healthy bar.

Overall, I have to say this bar is a definite win! It lives up to its healthy credentials and is slightly naughty at the same time, you can't ask for more really. I haven't compared it to other healthy snacks bars but I'm guessing the sugar content is a lot lower.

8.5 out of 10. 

Ingredients: Almonds, Cashews, Dark Chocolate Flavored Coating (Palm Kernel Oil, Chicory Root Fiber, Sugar, Cocoa Powder, Soy Lecithin, Natural Flavor, Salt, Peppermint Oil), Chicory Root Fiber, Honey, Glucose Syrup, Rice Flour, Unsweetened Chocolate, Madagascar Vanilla, Soy Lecithin, Peppermint Extract, Sugar, Sea Salt, Peppermint Leaves.

For more info on Kind snacks see their UK website: https://www.kindsnacks.co.uk/products/

Montezuma's Absolute Black Easter Egg with Cocoa Nibs & Buttons

A huge thankyou to Montezuma's for sending me this Absolute Black Easter egg to review recently! Since I first heard of it I was eager to try it; I do enjoy Montezuma's Absolute Black bars - they're a godsend when trying to cut back on sugar intake and still enjoy some chocolate. So in Easter Egg form it makes the perfect treat for anyone wiahing to stick to a sugar free diet over the Easter period! Not only is it made with 100% cocoa chocolate, the shell contains cocoa nibs and there's a sachet of 100% Dark Chocolate buttons with it too.

The egg was silver foil wrapped, a nice touch compared to some of the shiny plastic wrappers found on many Easter Eggs.

Ripping open the foil, the egg looked super shiny - I didn't want to break it!

But it had to be done...for reviewing purposes! The shell is nice and thick with the cocoa nibs peeking out in places. Biting into a piece, there's the classic rich cocoa flavour of the Absolute Black Dark Chocolate punctuated with some earthier notes from the nibs, which do a great job of breaking up the texture and preventing it becoming boring, as I imagine it would without any additions at all. The buttons make for a nice accompaniment to nibble on separately, although due to the rich nature of them you won't be eating a lot at once. They're nice to have a few with a cuppa.

I do think it would have been nice if Montezuma's had included some other kind of addition, like coated nuts or something, although that would be unfair to those with allergies. This egg is certainly king when it comes to being allergen free - no sugar, dairy, nuts, gluten or soya, so it caters for everyone! It's made in a factory that processes dairy and nuts, of course, so if you are super sensitive please be aware of this.

Overall, in my opinion this is a superb egg and probably better than the Hotel Chocolat 100% Dark I reviewed last year. Although that one was nice, this one is a bit smoother in taste and easier to eat.

If you're avoiding dairy or sugar - this is the egg for you! Find it on montezumas.co.uk (they deliver within 24 hours, so hurry if you want one by the weekend!)

On the topic of Easter Eggs, if you've ever wondered why we eat Eggs at Easter here's an article from Montezuma's that explains all! https://www.montezumas.co.uk/blog/2017/04/why-do-we-eat-eggs-at-easter-2/

8.5 out of 10. 

Hotel Chocolat & Vegan Easter Egg Guide 2018

There's an increasing range of dairy free/vegan chocolates in supermarkets these days, and Hotel Chocolat are really championing quality vegan eggs with their range this Easter. Today’s post will focus on vegan eggs available from there as well as a few other companies.

Hotel Chocolat 100% Dark Egg:

This is one I reviewed last year - check it out here. It includes 100% cocoa solids dark chocolate, Californian almonds and Turkish raisins in the shell, plus panned 100% dark chocolate Piedemont hazelnuts separately. It's definitely one for the serious dark chocolate lovers!

Hotel Chocolat Dark Egg Sandwich:

The unique "egg sandwich" treat from Hotel Chocolat, suitable for vegans and dairy free!

Hotel Chocolat Dark Big City Bunny:

A cute hollow dark chocolate bunny without the dairy.

Hotel Chocolat Dark City Bunnies:

Plus, mini city bunnies that are perfect for sharing!

Hotel Chocolat Dark Kids Easter Egg:

One for the kiddies is this smaller 70% cocoa Dark egg. Also contains dark orange bunnies - yum!

Hotel Chocolat Ginger Dark Chocolate Egg:

This is one that tickles my fancy this year...a ginger flavour dark chocolate egg studded with Piedmont hazelnuts, plus Dark Chocolate Crunchy squares with hazelnuts and ginger pieces. Yum!

Hotel Chocolat Dark Chocolate Rabbert:

A bouncing 70% dark chocolate rabbit hops over dinky drops of dark chocolate. Cute!

Thorntons Dark Chocolate Easter Egg:

Good old Thorntons are also doing a dairy free dark chocolate egg.

Lindt Dark Chocolate Noir Gold Bunny:

Plus the classic Lindt Gold Bunny comes in a Dark version that is dairy free.

Lindt Excellence 70% Cocoa Dark Eggs:

There's also these Lindt 70% Cocoa Eggs available from most supermaarkets.

Lindt Excellence Dark Extra Fine 70% Easter Egg:

Plus a larger Lindt Excellence Dark Easter Egg complete with mini dark chocolate eggs. 

Montezuma's Absolute Black 100% Cocoa Egg with Chocolate Buttons:

Montezuma's have promised me one of these to review, which I am rather excited to try. Features their Absolute Black sugar free dark chocolate studded with cocoa nibs, as well as Absolute Black dark chocolate buttons.

Montezuma's Dark Chocolate Egg with Mini Dark Peanut Butter Eggs:

For those who like a bit of sugar in their chocolate, Montezuma's are also doing this vegan friendly egg complete with mini dark chocolate peanut butter eggs, hurrah! Who said being dairy free must be boring?

Montezuma's Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Mini Eggs:

As well as the Easter egg, the Dark Peanut Butter Mini Eggs also come in their very own pack! Available from motezumas.co.uk.

Montezuma's Organic Dark Chocolate Eco Egg with Cocoa Nibs:

One for the eco-conscious with eco-friendly degradable packaging, this egg has cocoa nibs in the shell.

Booja Booja Artists Egg:

No post on Vegan Easter eggs would be complete without Booja Booja, who make some beautifully decorated gourmet eggs filled with their classic truffles in a variety of flavours, from Champagne to Almond Sea Salt to Hazelnut. Available online and from selected stores.

Moo Free Easter Eggs:

Available from Waitrose, Holland & Barrett and supermarkets like Morrisons, the Moo Free brand make an excellent variety of dairy free creamier eggs, in flavours such as Honeycomb (or "Bunnycomb"), Cheeky Orange and Original with Dairy Free Drops.

Plamil Organic Easter Eggs:

Also available from Holland and Barrett, online or at selected stores are these Organic Milk Chocolate Alternative eggs from Plamil, which are Fairtrade and made with rice milk.

Plamil Organic Milk Chocolate Alternative Half Eggs:

Also available from Plamil are these "half eggs", a dairy free alternative to mini eggs. Available from plamilfoods.co.uk or selected stores.

Plamil No Added Sugar Dairy Free Half Eggs:

For those who want to go a step further, Plamil also make these Dairy Free Milk Chocolate halves without sugar, using the sweetener xylitol instead. Available from plamilfoods.co.uk and selected stores.

Coco Caravan Vegan Caramel Easter Eggs:

Made with raw chcoolate, these caramel filled eggs from Coco Caravan are vegan and dairy free, with caramel made from coconut sugar, coconut cream and cashew paste. I have some of these to review so stay tuned for that soon! Available from the Coco Caravan Webstore.

Asda Extra Special Belgian Dark Chocolate Cherry Egg:

Asda are also doing some rather special dark chocolate eggs this year, including this Extra Special Cherry Egg!

Asda Free From Chocolate Bunny:

And for fans of sweeter chocolate, there's this Free From Bunny!

Tesco Finest Free From Salted Caramel Flavour Egg:

Tesco also increased their Free From range this Easter, with this Salted Caramel Flavour Egg complete with Fondant truffles.

Tesco Finest Free From Belgian Dark Chocolate Egg with Orange Truffles:

Plus a Blegian dark chocolate egg with dark orange truffles.

Lidl Deluxe Ecuadorian Single Origin Dark Chocolate Egg:

Even Lidl are doing dairy free dark chocolate eggs this year, with this Deluxe Ecuadorian Single Origin 73% Cocoa egg...

Lidl Deluxe Madagascan Single Origin Dark Chocolate Egg:

Plus a 66% cocoa Deluxe Madagascan Single Origin egg. Fancy!

Marks & Spencer Made Without Dairy Dark Chocolate Egg:

As always, M&S are not doing just any Dairy Free egg, but a Made Without Dairy Dark Chocolate Egg complete with fancy wrapping in both blue and pink.

Green & Blacks Organic Dark 70% Easter Eggs:

It would be wrong for Green & Blacks not to do a dark chocolate egg at Easter! I have only seen these in 70% versions - no 85% unfortunately.

Waitrose Salted Hazelnut & Raisin Dark Chocolate Egg:

Waitrose also do a few dark chocolate eggs in their own label range, including this Salted Hazelnut & Raisin Egg. Sounds a bit different!

North Chocolates Hot Cross Fun Bar:

Last but not least, these Easter bars from North Chocolates are available from Fenwicks and consists of dark chocolate with spices, orange and sultanas.

Well, that's all for this post - there's a few other companies making vegan Easter treats so this is by no means an exhaustive list. Hopefully though it will help anyone needing dairy free chocolates find something suitable!

Holdsworth Fiery Stem Ginger Dark Chocolates

A huge thankyou to the lovely Holdsworths Chocolates for today's review; they kindly sent me some of their delicious handmade chocolate range recently including milk and dark varieties. I thought I'd start with the "Fiery Stem Ginger enrobed in Dark Chocolate" first since I'd been avoiding dairy for a while - these contain no dairy and are suitable for vegans. Described as "The finest crystallised stem ginger enrobed in dark chocolate - a spicy exotic treat coupled with the secret powers of ginger", they are available direct from Holdsworths website or from department stores like John Lewis. I believe Waitrose also stock some of their range.

So what sets these apart from other chocolate gingers? Are they worth going out of your way for?

Firstly I have to say I do love the pack design, it looks premium and makes the chocolates feel extra special indeed. These would definitely make a lovely gift, whether for a loved one or all to yourself! The gingers are wrapped in a plastic inner bag, which I carefully opened.

Right away I could tell these were better quality than your average chocolate gingers; the chocolate actually smells like a good quality dark chocolate. I cut one of them open (above) so you get an idea of the ratio of chocolate to ginger.

Taking a bite, I was actually surprised how good these tasted! I usually think of chocolate gingers as an overly sweet snack only suitable at Christmastime, but these proved me very wrong, the ginger tastes warm and spicy but isn't overly sugary like most. It's just sweet enough to be moreish, and paired with the flavoursome dark chocolate it's the perfect balance. A few of these make for a very satisfying and indulgent little snack! And they're warming on a cold, wet day (which we've been having a lot of lately it seems), so you can eat them "for medicinal purposes" if you need an excuse to indluge ;)

As my introduction to Holdsworths Chocolates I have to say I was very impressed with these. The quality is excellent and they taste superb. Are they worth the extra money compared to cheaper brands? Yes, definitely! They're also worth going out of your way for - not only are you supporting a smaller local business, but you will get more enjoyment from these than a cheaper version. Highly recommended especially if you're dairy-free or vegan and need some chocolate variation!

Available from http://www.holdsworthchocolates.co.uk, as well as John Lewis.

Ingredients: Dark chocolate 55% (cocoa mass, cocoa butter, emulsifier soya lecithin, natural vanilla), Ginger 45% (sugar, preservative sulphur dioxide). Cocoa solids 60% minimum. 

8.5 out of 10.

Marks & Spencer Italian Dark Gianduja Bar with Whole Hazelnuts

I've been itching to try this Dark Chocolate Italian Gianduja bar since it appeared in the new M&S Chocolate range recently. As much as I loved the Swiss Blond Chocolate Bar from the range, I do prefer to avoid dairy so this dairy free, vegan bar sounded right up my street. It also reminded me of the lovely (but not so fortunately named) Vego Hazelnut Bar I once tried which was LOVELY, so I had high hopes!

Described simply as a "Gianduja dark chocolate bar with whole hazelnuts" this costs £1.50 and contains 65g per pack. Although it's dairy free, don't eat it if you're super lactose sensitive as it's made in a factory that uses milk ingredients.

Like the Vego Bar, it comes in two thick chunks with an eerily identical symbol that I think is supposed to be cocoa pods? I wonder if this is made by the same company..

On the underside of the bar the whole hazelnuts looked very plentiful indeed - I do love chocolate bars that don't skimp on the nuts!

Taking a bite, it was every bit as delicious as I had anticipated - like the Vego Bar it's pretty much "Nutella in bar form"! The hazelnut paste mixed with the chocolate gives it a super smooth, melt in the mouth luxurious texture, so it feels like you're eating praline rather than chocolate. In fact it didn't taste like dark chocolate at all - the taste and texture of the nuts makes it feel like a milk chocolate bar! The whole hazelnuts add a lovely nutty crunch and taste very fresh; these are not just any nuts, but M&S nuts...(sorry - I had to go there!)

Overall, whether you're vegan, dairy free or not this is an exceptional tasting chocolate bar that I would recommend to anyone (unless of course you have a nut allergy!) The perfect treat for a cold snowy day, these would go down well with a coffee or hot chocolate.

Nutrition (per half bar): 13.3g Fat, 189 Calories, 13.2g Sugars.

Ingredients: Cane sugar, cocoa mass, hazelnuts 18%, hazelnut paste 16%, cocoa butter, emulsifier soya lecithin, vanilla extract. Cocoa solids 31% minimum. Suitable for vegetarians. 

8.5 out of 10.