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. 

Lindt Excellence 90% Cocoa Dark Supreme Chocolate Review

Today's review is for a bar not many may have tried due to its very high cocoa content. It can be somewhat bitter to those who aren't used to it, even lovers of 70% chocolate may find it overpowering, but it's one I often end up eating when trying to reduce my sugar intake but still need a little choccy fix. It's currently on offer for £1.50 in Tesco stores so I've been buying it quite a lot recently.

It comes in the same style blocks as all Lindt Excellence bars, with the Lindt logo printed on and with a nice glossy finish. There's vanilla in the ingredients which gives it a subtle, smooth aftertaste. I have to say I do enjoy these bars for a richer chocolate fix, they're not quite as flavoursome as Green & Blacks but they're still pretty rich and smooth. The vanilla is the key ingredient that prevents these from tasting too bitter. A few squares is definitely all you need though, any more than that and it becomes a bit too much!

Overall, this is the perfect bar for those trying to reduce their sugar intake or anyone on a low carb, paleo, ketogenic style diet. Failing that it also comes in handy for making rich chocolate brownies!

8.5 out of 10. 

Lakanto Monkfruit Golden Sweetener Review

Today's review is something a bit different, not a snack as such but a sweetener that is fast becoming popular amongst the low carb, keto diet crowd. I've experimented on and off with low carb and sugar free diets and tried a variety of different sweeteners, such as stevia and eryhtritol, but I chose this one as it supposedly bakes like brown sugar. It's even been awarded "superior tasting natural sweetener" by America's top chefs.

It's based on an ancient sacred fruit, but rather than explain I'll copy what is on the wrapper:

"Over a thousand years ago, in remote mountain highlands of Asia, a group of Buddhist monks called the Luohan achieved enlightenment through meditation, prayer and pure living. On the slopes of a primeval forest, the monks discovered and cultivated a rare fruit prized for its sweetness. This sacred fruit was named Monk Fruit, or Luohan Guo, after its devoted caretakers and was used in elixirs to increase chi, or life energy. Monk Fruit was used for centuries in eastern traditional herbalism to increase chi and well-being, earning it the nickname “The Immortals’ Fruit.” We still grow and harvest Monk Fruit for LAKANTO® in the same pristine area and according to traditional and environmental methods".

Sounds impressive doesn't it?! Increase your chi, become spiritual, find enlightenment...all through a sweetener. But how does it compare to The Almighty white stuff? I'll get to that later...

As well as being sacred, this sweetener is autism approved by the Autism Hope Alliance, non GMO, vegan, gluten free, contains zero calories and has zero glycemic index. It contains erythritol as well as monkfruit extract.

It looks similar to brown sugar in texture, and I initially used it in cups of tea. Although it is fairly sweet, I did find I had to use an extra spoonful to get the right level of sweetness. I suspected it would be better in baking so I tried using it in cookies, and they turned out rather well indeed, although the taste and texture is different from sugar. It's hard to describe really, but its definitely sweet and tastes more natural than any other low carb sweetener out there. I liked it; it's perfectly palatable and makes good cookies!

Overall, do I recommend this product? If you're on a low carb or sugar free diet, then yes, definitely! Its a lot healthier than real sugar and you can bake with it, which is the main point. However it may cause cravings for real sugar, so do exercise caution. I think it's great for occasional low carb baking, but maybe not for daily use. If you're not low carb but just want to reduce your sugar intake, then this is also a good product for you - it can be combined with real sugar to lessen the calorie load.

For more info on Lakanto: https://www.lakanto.com/

8 out of 10.