Tesco Finest Belgium Chocolate Tiffin

...there are cherries included, but Tesco must have forgotten to add them to this box, I didn't see one and I almost dissected each Tiffin to make sure.

The Taste:

Biting through the top layer of dark chocolate was a taste less experience. It reminded me of the cheaper chocolate that's available in the supermarket, it has the same colour but that is where the resemblance ends.
The biscuits were crunchy and non-greasy, ...
...chocolate reminded me of the Tesco Value range.

Each square contains a whopping 190 calories each, with 10.4g of fat and 0.3 g of salt. Though not greasy to the palette, obviously very greasy to the arteries. For a guideline of what your intake should be, go to www.tesco.com and they have a section on calories and recommended daily allowance.

To Conclude:

I found these very disappointing and will not ... more

Having a sweet tooth, I noticed from the online directory, that Tesco.com had some new items for sale in the biscuits/cakes category. When I saw the name "Belgian Chocolate Tiffin Squares", I knew I had to click on it and see it enter my virtual shopping bag. As it was from the "Finest" range I was already under the misconception that it was going to be delicious.

Tiffin has been around for centuries and used to be known as Chocolate Concrete and Chocolate Rocks. Very satisfying and also quite sickly if eaten in large quantities, this makes a great lunch box filler or evening treat. Not recommended to consume each day.

Anyway, back to Tesco, ordering online has many pros but also a few cons. In this instance it was not being able to inspect the box personally. On the screen, the box looks quite substantial but in reality it was miniscule. There was no online description, just the ingredients listed. At £1.49 they are not that cheap and these were on offer.

First Impressions:

On the day my shopping was delivered, after unpacking numerous red, white and blue carrier bags, I found my " Tiffin's". The box was just 10 ½ cms in length, compared to the picture on the website, this was very misleading and hardly big enough to share within the family.

There is no photo on the front of the box, just the box standard silver stripe belonging to the Finest range on a beige background. On the front of the box it lists the calorie, sugar and fat content amongst others, which is a good idea thus giving you an instant guide to your daily amount. On the rear of the box it goes into more detail with the ingredients and how to store the Tiffin's.

The box was a breeze to open and once inside, the Tiffin squares were laid in a plastic tray with a lid on them which protected them well in transit and also in your store cupboard. The box can be recycled which is a bonus.

The Aroma:

After opening the plastic tray, I have to say there was no smell. I had imagined a rich aroma of chocolate and cherries to invade my air space. All I could smell was cardboard, so far not so good.

Description:

The squares were 5 cms in length and 1 ½ cms in width, quite small but very heavy. One square weighed a mighty 3 oz on my scales. There was a thick layer of dark chocolate on the top, which if you held it for too long would leave a sticky layer on your fingertips. Underneath was a good supply of crushed biscuits but only a scattering of sultanas, held together by more chocolate. The ingredients states there are cherries included, but Tesco must have forgotten to add them to this box, I didn't see one and I almost dissected each Tiffin to make sure.

The Taste:

Biting through the top layer of dark chocolate was a taste less experience. It reminded me of the cheaper chocolate that's available in the supermarket, it has the same colour but that is where the resemblance ends.
The biscuits were crunchy and non-greasy, but once again, it was extremely bland. There just wasn't anything to taste, it was like biting into a gateau when you have a head cold - it looks good but once bitten you can't taste a thing. I only managed the one bite and decided not to use up any further calories on this awful square of bland nothing ness.

The Dunk Test:

As I had already had a cup of tea to hand, I was curious to see what would happen if I dipped it inside my brew of Earl Grey. Within seconds the first layer of chocolate disintegrated inside my cup, but the remainder of my square just acted like a sponge and absorbed the tea.

I was hoping the tea would improve the taste of the Tiffin and after a quick bite I realised there was no change; it was still bland and boring. My cake craving wasn't satisfied and all I was left with was chocolate in the corners of my mouth from the dunk test.

My Children:

I decided to ask my family what they thought of these Tiffin squares. The result was my youngest just decided to smell it and declined to go any further. My middle one took a bite, spat it out in the kitchen bin and said "yuk". However, my eldest thought they were delicious and ate the remainder. So out of four of us, only one actually ate Tiffin from start to finish. Personally I think that my eldest was so hungry after just arriving home from school all day that because he was so hungry, even cardboard would have been edible.

General Details:

The ingredients state: Belgian plain chocolate, biscuits, sultanas, glace cherries and coconut. I saw no visible cherries and the chocolate reminded me of the Tesco Value range.

Each square contains a whopping 190 calories each, with 10.4g of fat and 0.3 g of salt. Though not greasy to the palette, obviously very greasy to the arteries. For a guideline of what your intake should be, go to www.tesco.com and they have a section on calories and recommended daily allowance.

To Conclude:

I found these very disappointing and will not buy any more. There was no taste and the squares were small and bland. I will in future make my own and stop being so darn bone idle in buying ready-made produce. There is a recipe further down which I recommend you do, saving money on buying these squares of tasteless cake.

However, if you do not wish to take my word for it, then you don't have to buy online just to get these. They are available in store at all good Tesco's. If you wish to purchase online then go to www.tesco.com and select the grocery section and then click into cakes/biscuits. Enter " Tiffin" into your search and they will appear. Please note these are a Tesco only production and will not be available in any other store.

Ingredients

500g plain biscuits (I prefer Rich Tea or Shortbread, Digestives make it too sickly.
50g margarine (flora is best), but you can use butter.
2 tablespoons cocoa
2 tablespoons Golden Syrup (heat the spoon first to make it easier to scoop)
1-tablespoon sugar
good handful of cherries and sultanas or raisins.
150g plain or milk chocolate

Method

1. Crush biscuits (place inside a freezer bag with a rolling pin) and set aside in a mixing bowl along with the sultanas.
2. Stir margarine or butter, golden syrup, sugar, and cocoa together in a heavy pan over a low to medium heat.
3. When the sugar has melted and the mixture is about to boil remove the pan from the heat.
4. Add the biscuits and sultana mix to the pan and stir in well.
5. Press the mixture into a lined baking tray and leave to cool.
6. Melt the chocolate and pour over the cooled biscuit base.
7. Once the chocolate has set cut into squares and serve.
8. Store in an airtight container until you are ready to devour, without feeling guilty!

Makes around 8 squares depending on how big you want the pieces. As for the calories, well if you are making this - forget the fat content for once and just eat.

Not recommended for dunking though you can freeze these on the day you make them. Great for packed lunches.
As an accompaniment, serve with a scoop of your best Cornish ice cream but heat the brownie in the microwave for 10 seconds to soften it up prior to serving. Do not heat it in the oven. Just as tasty with single cream on top.

Enjoy.

 

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