Featured Biscuit: Fox's Dark Chocolate Ginger Ring

Hello biscuit fans!

I know it's been a while since I posted on here- but I'm not going to waste time explaining why I've not been posting- because we all want to hear about the biscuits!! So let's jump in! This post's biscuit is the Fox's Dark Chocolate Ginger Ring. 

Don't be fooled by the yellow packaging, this biscuit contains no caramel whatsoever- see!

GINGERY! 

Size

Whilst this biscuit doesn't have the largest size of any biscuit I've ever reviewed, it does boast an impressive chocolate to biscuit ratio, with the packet claiming it to be "More chocolate than a biscuit" something few other biscuits claim to do! It's also quite a tall biscuit to get your teeth around. Make of that what you will. 

Crumbliness

As with many a gingery biscuit, a satisfying snap to the dark chocolate ginger ring. Few crumbs, indicating a potentially liquid retentive biscuit. But I think there is more than meets the eye to this biscuit. For some reason it irritated me slightly to find that the biscuit didn't snap cleanly across- I think due to the structural shape of the chocolate, the sides of the inside of the ring not being parallel, but tilting towards each other. 

Dunkability

As with many biscuits boasting copious chocolate content, this is a biscuit that, whilst tasting spiffing dunked in a brew, is probably better enjoyed as an alongside-beverage-biscuit. As a person who likes her beverages not to burn her mouth I would usually wait longer for my drink too cool down before going ahead with such a risky dunk, however I could not resist going strait ahead with this biscuit. As I typically prefer dark chocolate in a biscuit (more on this later on) I was keen to see the melting rate of the chocolate compared to that of the gingery ring within. Recalling my comments on the crumbliness of the biscuit, I was right that whilst having a higher than expected coffee retention rate, it still maintained structural integrity, remaining crunchy. The chocolate didn't melt as much as I might have liked, but to leave the biscuit in the drink longer may have been a risky venture. I would recommend no longer than 8 seconds dunking at the very most. 

Tastiness

Close to the beginning of the biscuit blog, I decided I would not be reviewing ginger nut biscuits because they were, whilst delicious, extremely dangerous to dunk. And since then I have only reviewed one ginger biscuit (see my post on the Fox's Ginger Crunch Cream) and was pleasantly surprised by that one. Again here, I was surprised! It was definitely gingery- I find in some ginger biscuits, the actual ginger content is so low, that to the unrefined pallete, it may be mistaken for cinnamon. However, whilst not as gingery as it could be, it had a definite zing and firey kick that I like in a biscuit- and when paired with the bittersweet dark chocolate provided a very tasty treat. 

Overall Awesomeness

I really really liked this biscuit, I'm not going to lie. But at the same time, I did have some problems with it. Firstly, the biscuit to packet ratio. Only 8 biscuits in a packet for £1.50? That's a bit steep, dudes. However, my father graciously purchased these with the biscuit blog in mind, so I thought it'd be great to do it again. However when I got to the packet SEVEN OF THE BISCUITS HAD GONE! So I went into the review feeling, at least a little miffed, and at most very suspicious of someone in my house who I know has a history of stealing round, chocolate objects. Another, more frequent visitor to the grocery cupboard in my house is the Fox's Milk Chocolate Shortcake Ring, which could be said to be the spiritual sister to this biscuit- only the dark chocolate ginger ring is more refined and sophisticated. Some may call it a sexier biscuit. I may be among those people. Whilst one could gorge upon the milk chocolate shortcake ring, one must savour the dark chocolate ginger ring for a more special occasion which is to this day why I have only had one. Nothing to do with the fact that I live with a bunch of greedy buggers. 

I award this biscuit a tremendously well earned 4.5 stars.

Until next time, biscuit fans!!

If you have a biscuit you'd like me to review, let me know in the comments. Be aware I can't eat any biscuits with nuts in. 

Featured Biscuit: McVitie's Boaster

Good afternoon, biscuit lovers! 

I realise I have been on something of a hiatus on this biscuity blog front, and its been 6 months since my last post. But I've been tres busy and I've been eating fewer new biscuits- generally sticking to my stock favourites of the dark chocolate digestive and the occasional custard cream.

So without further adieu, lets get on with it! The McVitie's Boaster! 

I must note here that the original variety of McVitie's Boaster also contains hazelnuts, so I've had to opt for an edition more friendly to my immune system, so as to prevent possible death by anaphylactic shock. At £1.96 per packet and only 8 biscuits per packet, I sure hoped these biscuits would live up to their reputation. From reading Nicey And Wifey's biscuit bible some years ago, I seem to recall that they were in the top ten biscuits of all time. 

So this afternoon, I sat down with an enormous mug of coffee:

And began THE LONG AWAITED REVIEW!

Size

As pictured, the biscuit, may appear to be a scaled up version of the ever popular Maryland Chocolate Chip Cookies- however these to me are far superior for reasons that will be discussed further on in the review. The size is approximately 8cm in diameter, something gargantuan to be claiming to be a cookie, and not being the large, chewy kind often sold in paper bags at supermarkets with 4 or 5 per bag- this distinction being made in the recipe containing varying proportions of golden syrup. Possibly difficult to gauge from the above photograph, but it is also quite a thick biscuit, perhaps a centimetre, but still very comfortable to bite.

Dunkability

Heed my warnings, biscuit fans, for you must be an experienced and steady-handed dunker to pull off a satisfactory dunk with the mcvitie's boaster, and thus I would advise is as an alongside-beverage-biscuit. The boaster is very prone to moisture absorption, and I would generally recommend avoiding dunking this biscuit at all- unless you happen to be, like myself an experienced biscuit dunker- in which case I would recommend a dunk lasting no longer than 2 seconds, otherwise you are in critical danger of ending up with a soggy mess rather than a lovely biscuity munch. Also I'd like to point out that unlike some sub-standard biscuit tin staples, the boaster is not so absorbent as to draw in moisture above what I call "the dunk like" (which is basically the level at which you dunk the biscuit into your beverage) 

Crumbliness

Undoubtedly one of the crumbliest biscuits I have ever encountered. However, I must point out that snapping a biscuit is a different action to biting, and though still crumbly, the biting of a boaster would not produce such a catastrophically messy break as pictured above. Do not fear, it is a pleasant crumble. I think it owes much of its type of break to the large chunks of chocolate in the biscuits creating biscuity fault lines along which the biscuit would break if snapped, but when biting of course you would bite right through the chocolate itself, and thus producing less excess crumbage. 

Tastiness

Perhaps the best thing about this biscuit was its tastiness- It was supremely tasty. It was buttery and melted in the mouth. And when it says "Chocolate chunks" it really means it, the non-uniform sized chunks of high quality Belgian chocolate was unlike any other chocolate chunk cookie I've had before. In previous cookies claiming to contain chocolate chunks, too often they have been substandard yucky icky chocolate all the same size and so evenly distributed, you could be forgiven for thinking that they had been made by a robot with a template and strict rules. This however was a super delish biscuit and I would recommend it to anyone who likes chocolate chip biscuits of any type. 

Overall Awesomeness

This may be my favourite biscuit I have ever reviewed. True, the Bahlsen milk chocolate chocoleibniz did do very well in its review, but it was a biscuit I was already very familiar with so the novelty had worn off somewhat by the time it came to review. Having never had a mcvities boaster before, I can safely say that it has earned the right to be called a boaster as it is simply supreme. The only thing that put me off the boaster was the price and the biscuits per packet. However, it is safe to say that you would need no more than two of these before you had your biscuity fill, but should you be sharing your biscuits with a few friends, the packet would soon be empty! 

I award this biscuit 4.5 Stars!!

....Until next time, biscuit fans!

-R

x

Mc Vitie's Chocolate Orange Digestive

Welcome back folks!! Its been a little while since (ok, like 6 months or something) since I biscuityblogged so its high time I did it again! so here we go- The McVitie's Chocolate Orange Digestive!

Size

this is an excellent biscuit size. Round, it gets points. Same size as your standard issue mcvitie's digestive (with or without chocolate), gets points. Thick enough for a good crunch. points! points points points! In the past, I've been dissapointed by McVitie's downsizing their special edition biscuits. They must have been reading this blog though to hear of my disapproval. 

Dunkability

the dunkability of this biscuit is a bit hit-and-miss. Whilst taking this photo for the dunkability rating, I held on to it for too long and it became rather mushy, though did not sink to the bottom of my cup like the proverbial biscuity titanic. That being said, I don't think it would've lasted much longer. Unless you are one of those strange people who enjoy having their biscuits turn into a soggy mush, I would not recommend a dunk longer than 2.5 seconds maximum. Anything longer than 5 seconds could require a teaspoon rescue mission. Being a chocolate biscuit, there was a certain amount of chocolatey meltyness. It being chocolate orange, it didn't mix well with my coffee, but on a second attempt during a much shorter dunk, it was most satisfactory. 

Crumbliness

What suprised me most about this biscuit was that when I attempted to break it in two for its photograph (a standard, as biscuityblog veteran readers will know) it broke into three rather than two! Whether or not this is something to do with the temperature on the day which I indulge my sweet tooth (it being a pleasantly warm, yet breezy day in March) or the fact that it is a chocolate orange biscucit remains to be seen. I should probably consult a higher-qualified biscuitologist than myself for such questions. Being a digestive biscuit, it is made of wholemeal flour- which I find adds for a more interesting texture- though occasionally you do get a little bit of wheat husk stuck in your teeth; although this is generally after excessive biscuit consumption. 

Tastiness

Something my Grandma (whom I am visiting at the moment and who purchased the biscuits upon which I make my observations) said about the biscuits is that the orangey flavour is somewhat synthetic-y tasting and overly sweet- perhaps better accompanying a dark chocolate topping than the milk chocolate- which as far as I am aware are the only type of chocolate orange biscuits that McVities make. Perhaps McVities will, as they did with the size issue of special edition chocolate biscuits, heed my advice and make a dark chocolate version avaliable? Personally this would be preferable to me, as I maintain that the dark chocolate digestive is a vastly superior biscuit in everyday biscuit fayre. I found it difficult to discern whether or not the biscuit itself was orange flavoured, because the chocolate/orange combination was rather overpowering. However, had the biscuit been orange flavoured, I feel it would've been too much. With regard to the aforementioned synthetic taste to the chocolate, I checked the packaging to see if it was some nasty E number that we were to thank for this and was suprised to find out that the flavouring was natural and genuinely from oranges, which leads me to believe that it was something in the chocolate generating this aftertaste. 

Overall Awesomeness

The packaging has a triumphant little yellow sign on it that says "we're back!" which is lovely- however I don't ever remember seeing them before in the shops so either this is a pre-my writing biscuityblog biscuit, or a pre-my existence biscuit. That being said, the packet is also very orange, which to the peripheral vision of the  casual observer might make it difficult to distinguish from a packet of McVitie's Ginger Nuts (yet to be reviewed by me, I think- but an extremely good staple for anybody's biscuit tin). The crumble was quirky, the taste was a little sweeter than I am usually partial to, but I found to be a very satisfying biscuits. Things the biscuit could do to improve by my standards would be to have a chocolate version avaliable, to those of us who prefer a more intense chocolate experience, and to perhaps put a little more on- I referred a few posts back to the claim that dark chocolate digestives were claiming to have more chocolate on them, and feel this would suit the chocolate orange digestives well. Whether or not "we're back!" means that they are not to be gracing the shelves of supermarkets on a permanent basis or are metaphorically simply popping in for a cup of tea before going back off galavanting round the world is something only time can tell. 

I (and my Grandma) award this biscuit 3 stars!!

Until next time, biscuit fans!!

-R

x

Featured Biscuit: The McVitie's Double Chocolate Digestive

Dear Biscuit Fans

I must first, as usual, apologise for my lack of postings. There have been some major changes in my life since my last post almost 7 months ago! I've graduated from university, moved back home, turned 22, got a new job at a theatre and moved again, and started working on a number of new projects writing and theatrical- so you can understand I've been pretty busy ;) Anyway, I hope this biscuity review reaches you well!! here goes...

For those of you who cannot read the miniscule writing below the picture on the packaging it says "chocolate flavour divestive biscuits with chocolate chips, half coated in milk chocolate" -now, I'm not expert, but wouldn't that make it triple chocolate? or perhaps it is because the biscuit is "chocolate flavour with chocolate chips, half coated in milk chocolate" that it is double rather than triple chocolate. Either way, nom nom nom!! 

Size

Smaller in diameter than your ordinary mcvitie's digestive (chocolate or otherwise) but it makes up for it by being thicker also. Also I was quite pleased to see that the chocolate on top seemed to be thicker too!

Crumbliness

Hardly any crumbs at all! Making for a good crunch- very satisfying :) there is a certain integrity to the structure that I feel is supported by the chocolate chips. 

Dunkability

Firstly, biscuit fans- please appreciate my coffee making skillz (I say it with a z because its more hip and fun that way) 

Ok, now for the actual dunking

Mightily impressed by the dunking capabilities that this biscuit has!! I can hold the biscuit into my beverage for about 8 seconds before it becomes a soggy mess. I feel this to be a record in the digestive biscuits category! The fact that the milk chocolate atop said biscuit melts very satisfyingly whilst still having a good crunch to the biscuit has also increased the excellence of this dunking experience.  Having previously been a long standing spokesperson for the promotion of dark-chocolate covered biscuits, I feel perhaps I have been hasty at my harsh words towards the milk chocolate biscuit....

Tastiness

Well well well. This is a most complicated biscuit to describe. Texturally speaking, a very satisfying biscuit. However, the biscuit itself is "chocolate flavour" and not "chocolate" as in flavoured using cocoa powder, and thus leaving a somewhat artificial taste in the palette. Yet, the chocolate chips are dark and have a nice bittersweet edge to the biscuit, and the milk chocolate on top is somewhat... better than your average biscuit milk chocolate, which can sometimes be extremely poor in quality and taste like the air in a wood working shop (full of sawdust!). So good chocolate on both fronts. But biscuit... mediocre.

Overall Awesomeness

I'd say that despite the biscuit's mediocrity, its chocolate quality and excellent dunking and crumbliness experiences, its a fairly good biscuit. I'm happy to say that I can award this biscuit a fair 3.5 Stars out of 5.

Until next time, Biscuit lovers (and hopefully it won't be as long as the last wait ;) ) 

-R

x

Featured Biscuit: The Fox's Raspberry and Cream Melt (Plus extra news on other biscuit debates!)

Well hello there biscuit fans! How lovely it is to be blogging again :) I've finished my degree now, so will have much more time for blogging about everybody's favourite snacks. On with the review? Yes, methinks!!

Size

Not your standard biscuit! A finger shaped sandwich biscuit! As part of a range of melts that Fox's does (which I highly recommend by the way) This week I am reviewing the raspberry and cream melt. Size wise it is not too shabby! Good shape too for those dunking novices. Also, not too thick for a sandwich biscuit! Sometimes they can just be too thick. 

Dunkability

I was pleasantly suprised by the dunking of this biscuit! Being called a melt, I was slightly concerned that this biscuit may be prone to something I have called "instant dissolving" whereupon any liquid contact with said biscuit will result in an immediate soggy mess. However, I was cheered to find that it maintained its integrity and form! GOOD SHOW, FOX!

Crumbliness 

Omnomnomomm. Not a single crumb was shed, and yet they melt in the mouth, so befitting their name.  Similar to a shortbread biscuit, though describing itself as a "Luxirious viennese biscuit" delish! Tastiness! very satisfying :) 

Tastiness

This is a tasty biscuit. No point denying it. However, I do have some issues regarding the jam and cream part of the biscuit. I understand that for shelf-life reasons biscuit manufacturers are unable to put ACTUAL cream in a biscuit. But I still found this a pleasant taste experience! And the jam- raspberry being my favourite, I feared the biscuit here may struggle as I like my raspberry jam to have seeds. This was seedless. However, this biscuity jam did not have the syntheticy disgusting taste that often comes with seedless raspberry jam. It actually contained raspberries. I was...impressed.

Overall Awesomeness

I'd say this biscuit was fairly awesome. Infact, I'd say one of the best fruit-filling biscuits I have ever had. I'd highly recommend it! Fox's have managed to create a very good biscuit without the drawback of containing palm oil. So I'd be very pleased to give this biscuit.... 4 stars!! 

OTHER IMPORTANT BISCUIT NEWS! 

Well- A friend of mine recently asked me to investigate the mcvitie's claim that their chocolate digestives now claimed to have "even more chocolate" topping them. I have throughly investigated and found that, curiously, it is both false and true. The method by which this "extra chocolate" has been applied seems to have left it somewhat slanted- with the normal amount on one side and an extra on the other side. So... if this affects how you feel about chocolate digestive biscuits, I suggest you are either careful with how you handle your biccies or change to a different brand. Thanks for the tip off for this investigation, Hannah!

until next time, biscuity readers!

R

x

Featured Biscuit: The Maryland Big N Chunky White Choc Chunk Brownie Cookies

Hello Biscuity Friends!! Its time for another blog update! I feel I am well derserved a break in my long slog as a 3rd year and have decided the time has come to update the blog!
STRAIT TO BUSINESS!

Today I am reviewing the Maryland Big N Chunky White Choc Chunk Brownie Cookies. What a mouthful! ...metaphorically and literally!! For it is possibly the longest name for a biscuit I have ever seen, and also is, true to its name, big n chunky.

you can tell just how big they are, because those are my giraffe-onesie bearing knees you can see under the desk. So this is some serious biscuit shiz. 

Size

About the circumference of your average digestive biscuit. Not hugely impressive size-wise until you take into account that this, is a THICK biscuit. Many of you will be familiar with its older cousin, the maryland chocolate chip cookie- think of that, but twice the size and a bit glammed up. Yeah. It really is big and chunky. Maryland may not have been very creative in the naming of this biscuit, but they sure where honest!!

Dunkability

Though it is unusual for me to say so, I think that dunking VASTLY improves this biscuit. True it is top-notch pre-dunking, and would serve very well as an alongside-beverage biscuit, but I feel it becomes considerable more brownie-like in its consistencey once dunked. More on this later! The recommeneded dunking time for this biscuit would be an average of 4 seconds. "Such a long dunk time!" I hear you seasoned biscuityblog readers cry- but let me assure you, I am not going mad. The chunkyness of this biscuit requires a longer dunking time, as a short dunk time on a biscuit of this stature is entirely redundant. 

Crumbliness

Suprisingly few crumbs for a biscuit like this! I was pleased not to have to get out the vacuum cleaner for my desk again. If you are reading my blog, parents, I'd like to point out that that was a JOKE. I don't vacuum my desk. I am careful! Also, what are you doing?? Haven't you got more important things to do?? 

All together a very satisfying biscuit to munch on, there is a definite crumble, but a lack of crunch; which in my current mood suits me very nicely. 

Tastiness

I am suprised to find to be told by my tastebuds that there is either a higher quality of cocoa or a higher ratio of cocoa to flour in these little beauties. I am however, very disappointed by the distinct lack of brownieness that appears to be in this biscuit. Poor show, Maryland. If you're going to call it a brownie cookie, MAKE SURE THERE IS BROWNIE IN IT! This biscuit can only really acheive something akin to brownieness when dunked. And being (as I'm sure my friends will agree) the queen of making brownies, I feel like a totally appropriate authority to pass this kind of judgement. 

However, it was refreshing to have a biscuit that contains white chocolate not to be sickeningly over-sweet! Though the white chocolate itself is far from high quality, it is nevertheless also a long way from the cheap crap one may find in a pic n' mix of a long forgotten Woolworths. Pleasantly suprised. On that count, good show, Maryland!!

Overall awesomeness

I must admit, despite its downfall on the brownieness front, I have thoroughly enjoyed this biscuit. Whilst the biscuits per packed is disappointing (only 8 per packet!! this is an outrage!!) I feel that the high prestige of this biscuit earns it something of a treat only snack. Yes, its all very well and good campaiging for the rights of access to quality biscuits for the masses, but these should be strictly rationed. This particular packed I bought on special offer for £1 at Morrisons. Usually they are a bit more expensive, but I feel I would probably not have bought them at standard price. 

A brilliant biscuit- 4.5 Stars.

Until next time, biscuit lovers!!

R

xx

Featured Biscuit: The Boland's Fig Roll

Why hello there biscuit fans far and wide!

After a bit of a break from the biscuit blog, and having finished the practical part of the latest project I was involved in, I now have a little more time for, yep, you guessed it, eating biscuits. Today I am reviewing a classic, the fig roll. Though some deem this not quite a biscuit, more of a biscuit sized pastry. Indeed, the packaging does mark it out to be made of pastry 

A little research on ye olde worlde wide webbe showed me that there is more history to this little biscuits than meet the eye! Yes, it seems that these have been a tasty treat since ancient egyptian times! Also in America they are not known as fig rolls, but as fig newtons. My superiors in the biscuit bloggery and review world Nicey and Wifey at www.nicecupofteaandasitedown.com tell me that there is some debate as to which method of making fig rolls is best- cut then bake? or bake then cut?? Personally, I think cut then bake, much like the bolands fig roll does, as it makes for a less fally-aparty end to any biscuit. I have found in my explorations of fig rolls in my many years of biscuit eating that the bake then cut method tends to be left to supermarkets own brand of fig rolls (Which are usually, though there are exceptions to this, inferior)

Anyway, though I am sure you a veritably thrilled to learn about the many arguements that we biscuit experts (or in my case, self proclaimed expert) have over fig rolls, I think its about time we got to the review!

Size

For me, this is the ideal size for a non-circular biscuit. Plenty of fruity filling, but not too thick to get your mouth around. Though it does have a filling, as you can see it is not made with layers, making for a much less risky biting experience. For those who prefer a little more danger in their biscuits, I'd recommend anything fruity in a sandwich type biscuit.

Dunkability

When dunking this, I was somewhat scpetical, as previously I had found that the filling in biscuits does not absorb beverage like the main structure of a biscuit. However, if dunked correctly, the fig roll can be a marvellous dunker! Just don't do it for too long otherwise your fig will come out of your mug without its roll and you will be left with some soggy mush at the bottom of your beverage, a tragic wase both of beverage and biscuit. A few seconds is enough for this biscuit, but don't be too hasty to take your biscuit from your drink, as otherwise there is no point in dunking at all! 

Crumbliness

I was pleasantly suprised by how easily this biscuit broke into two for its little photo shoot. Almost no crumbs were lost! I noted during my chewing experience, how the outside edges of the biscuit were slightly crunchier than the middle, but this made it all the more satisfying for the eats. 

Tastiness

This biscuit, is without a doubt, a love it or hate it experience. Mainly because it comes down to the figgy filling within. If you are a fig fan, like myself, you will find this biscuit so joyus it may bring you to tears. For those not figgy inclined, you will probably run away in horror. The satisfying texture of the figs is accompanied by the ocassional miniscule crunch of a fig seed and its a simply marvellous taste experience. The 'pastry' (Which I think of as the biscuit part) is not overly sweet as I feared it might be, but allowed the fig to take over the sweet quota of the biscuit. Its simply marvellous!

Overall awesomeness

Well biscuit fans, I have to say that this is a tip-top biscuit. Though in the packet I bought there were only 12 fig rolls, at a price far less than £1 I find this hard to complain about. I think given the mystery and intrigue the facts that fig rolls bring, and the idea that these were good enough for a Pharoah thousands of years ago has to earn this biscuit a good rating. I give it 4 stars!!

Thanks again Biscuit fans! Hopefully I'll be able to post a little more regularly now :)

R

xx