I received another tasty Degustabox at the end of June and have been enjoying it's contents in the ensuing weeks. You can see evidence of that in the lovely cookies I baked with one the Urban Fruit Dried Pineapple, but more about them a bit later on!
I do enjoy these boxes when they arrive each month. It's like getting a Christmas package because you never know what is going to be in it until it arrives. It's quite exciting really! Once a month, each month Degustabox will deliver to your home 10 to 15 new, special or innovative food products for you to try in the comfort of your own home via a subscription service. A monthly subscription costs £9.99 and there is a delivery fee of £3, for a total of £12.99, and what you receive can be tailored to the types of things that you like and would use. Here is what was in the June box . . .
Elisabeth Shaw - Amaretto Flutes - these delightful and luxurious chocolate batons are truly a tasty treat for all and not only do they taste divine, but they look the part as well. Presented in a gorgeous golden box, they are perfect for sharing, giving as a token gift or keeping for your own pure indulgence! With flavours such as Mint, Orange, Cappuccino, Amaretto and Cocoa Crunch (all suitable for vegetarians), you certainly have plenty of tasty choices.
• Mint – Smooth luxurious dark chocolate, encasing a creamy mint fondant centre, perfect for the traditional lovers of mint chocolates!
• Orange – Sumptuous orange flavoured milk chocolate centre, enrobed in smooth rich dark chocolate – a great alternative to mint.
• Amaretto – Smooth milk chocolate flavoured with bitter-sweet amaretto – perfect for those with a taste for this great Italian flavor.
• Cappuccino – Luxurious dark chocolate filled with a milk chocolate and coffee center – just yummy.
• Cocoa Crunch – these gorgeous dark chocolate batons have a slight twist as we have included crunchy cocoa nibs to this tasty treat – great for the connoisseurs of cocoa.
These divine batons of chocolate have a taste similar to marzipan or almond liqueurs, but they don’t contain nuts or alcohol. This is perfect for us as we don't drink or eat raw alcohol. They are priced at £2.59
For more information on Elizabeth Shaw, please go to www.elizabethshaw.co.uk
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Urban Fruit is really just delicious fruit that has been gently baked so that it's easy to munch on when you are out and about. These snack sized packs make for the perfect sweet but healthy treat and come in strawberry, mango and pineapple flavours. £1.09 each
Delicious fruit, picked when it’s perfectly ripe, and then gently baked at low temperatures to hang on to all the good stuff. No added sugar, oils, sulphites, concentrates or any other funny business They can be found in Tesco, Asda, Waitrose, Boots, Ocado, Co-op and more.
I used the package of Pineapple I was sent to make some really delicious cookies, so you don't just have to eat them out of hand. You can bake with them too!
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Be Fast - your ideal breakfast on the go product. For those mornings where you need something nutritious and filling without sitting down at home! High in Fibre, a source of protein and also low in fat, ideal to keep you going until lunchtime! These are priced at £1 each. I was sent two banana flavoured ones. Convenient breakfast shakes for people who don't have a lot of time for breakfast.
Todd really enjoyed these. I am not a fan of any breakfast drinks and am not fond at all of banana drinks.
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BEAR Alpha Bites - Now you're talking my language. I am the cold cereal nut in this house and these reminded me of my favorite Alpha-Bets cereal from when I was a child, except not as sugary, so probably a lot better for you. I quite enjoyed them, and I love that they don't contain any refined sugar. If I was a child I would love, LOVE the alpha bet aspect of them, and their box was a fun read.
New BEAR Alphabites are a delicious healthy breakfast with no refined sugar or salt that spell an end to breakfast battles. Made from 5 tasty grains, and our special ingredient coconut blossom nectar, they are low GI and naturally high in calcium- a bowl of Alphabites with 125ml of skimmed milk provides almost half your daily calcium. Available in Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, some Asdas, Ocado and Amazon. These sell for £2.99
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Lambrini Strawberry Wine Style Drink -This is a fresh new summer flavor from the UK's number one Wine-Style Drink. Lambrini has introduced a fresh new summer flavor to it's iconic fruits range. Lambrini Strawberry. Bursting with delicious light fruity flavour, this is perfect for summer barbeques. As well as the light and refreshing Original there’s also brand new Strawberry, Cherry, Peach, Apple & Blackcurrant and Rosé! These sell at £3.29 We haven't tasted this as we don't do alcohol. It is a pretty color though and it sounds as if it would be nice.
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Dr. Oetker Madagascan Vanilla Grinder - This grinder contains Madagascan Vanilla pods, in an easy to use mill with a fine or coarse grind option. Simply grind into your cake or dessert mixes, or use as a toppin gto enhance the flavor of sweet treats, hot drinks and ice cream to give the delicate flavor of the whole Vanilla Pod. Now this I also used in my cookies, although I did not get a photograph of them with it. It added a lovely vanilla flavor to them. I have also been using it in all of my cakes and bakes. I love it! It sells for £4.99 and contains no less than 5 whole vanilla pods. You can expect the same quality as we have come to expect and enjoy from all of the Dr. Oetker products.
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Veetee Basamati & Wild Rice -You’re never short of mealtime possibilities with Veetee, a deliciously convenient range of microwaveable rice products. Perfect in your favorite stir-fry, as a side dish or even enjoyed as a snack. Simply heat in a microwave or wok for 2 minutes and enjoy! Available in ASDA, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose. These sell at £1.49 each. This is a product which I already use and enjoy. They are really convenient and handy to have in the storecupboard. This was the first time I had tried the basamati and wild rice one and we quite enjoyed it's light nutty flavour!
Estrella Damm - Estrella Damm is an authentic imported, award-winning premium pale Spanish lager known internationally as the "beer of Barcelona." It is stylish, vibrant and passionate, the beer for those who want to enjoy a taste of the Mediterranean and the perfect complement to any dish, but of course especially Spanish Tapas. They retain at £4.00 each. Once again due to it being alcohol, we were unable to taste this as a beverage, but I am planning on using it to cook with when some cooler weather comes along and I feel like stewing something up!
Now for the cookies!
These are gorgeously chewy and buttery coconut cookies! They are not crisp cookies and are not dunking cookies . . .
They are indulgent cookies, with crisp edges . . . but beautifully chewy centres . . . stogged full of the flavours of coconut and pineapple . . . think of them as flat macaroons, but better. ☺
You don't need to use pineapple of course, any dried fruit will do, but we loved the nice tropical flavor that the pineapple lent to them. They were . . . in one word . . . MOREISH!
*Chewy Pineapple and Coconut Cookies*
Makes 4 dozenPrintable Recipe
These are moreishly chewily addictive!
125g of butter (1/2 cup)100g of soft light brown sugar (1/2 cup)95g of granulated sugar (1/2 cup)1 medium free range egg175g of plain flour (1 1/4 cups)1/2 tsp baking soda1/4 tsp salt1/2 tsp vanilla115g of flaked coconut (1 1/2 cups)1 snack packet of dried pineapple, cut into small bits or slivers (35g or about 1/3 cup chopped bits)Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5. Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Set aside.Cream the butter until fluffy. Add the sugars gradually, beating well the whole time. Beat in the egg to combine. Whisk together the flour, salt and soda. Add this to the creamed mixture 1/4th at a time. Stir in the vanilla, coconut and chopped pineapple.Shape into balls about the size of a walnut and place 2 inches apart on the baking tray. Bake for 9 minutes until just beginning to brown around the edges. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for several minutes prior to removing to a wire rack to finish cooling completely. Store in an airtight container.Note - I used my vanilla grinder and added about 1/4 tsp of ground vanilla instead of the vanilla extract Many thanks to Degustabox for sending me this box. Aside from the alcohol, it was truly lovely, with lots to enjoy!Do check out the Degustabox web page for more information and details.
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