Brontë Apple And Cinnamon Biscuits

Product name: Brontë Apple And Cinnamon Biscuits
Country of origin: UK 

I definitely saved the best until last with the Brontë biscuits from my recent hotel stay. I was hoping that this pack of two Apple And Cinnamon Biscuits would be quite Christmassy and they certainly seemed appropriate for the time of year.

Once again presented in pale yellow and deep red packaging with no nutritional information, these ‘delicious biscuits made with apple chunks and a hint of cinnamon’ by Paterson Arran Ltd contained rolled oats and 9% apple pieces (these, in turn, consisted of 46% dried apple and 9% apple juice concentrate).

The biscuits were very dark in appearance and they certainly seemed well-cooked since they were hard to snap in two. The oats created a knobbly finish and, up close, it was possible to see the mixed spices that this product contained, as well as the apple pieces.

The biscuits smelt fantastic. The cinnamon was very noticeable and it reminded me of homemade oatmeal raisin cookies. This was also the case with the taste since, whilst the fruit flavour was evident, I would have assumed that this, too, was raisin if I hadn’t known it was apple. The cinnamon was lovely and strong (more than ‘a hint’!) and I loved how the outer layer of the really crunchy biscuits added a caramelised and slightly burnt element to the flavour. In contrast with this crunchiness, the apple pieces added a welcome, slight chewiness.

I really enjoyed these Brontë Apple And Cinnamon Biscuits and think they could only be improved by visiting the factory and trying one warm and fresh from the oven! 

Appearance: 7.5/10
Aroma: 8.5/10
Taste: 8.5/10
Texture: 8/10
Overall score: 8.13/10

Brontë Clotted Cream Shortbread

Product name: Brontë Clotted Cream Shortbread
Country of origin: UK 

I don’t know whether it’s just me, but I always find the concept of shortbread quite boring, but the reality is a really tasty treat! With that in mind, I thought this pack of two ‘indulgent traditional shortbread rounds made with clotted cream’ were likely to go down well.

Once again, I obtained this Brontë Clotted Cream Shortbread from a recent hotel trip, and the basic details remained the same as the other Paterson Arran Ltd biscuits I’ve reviewed, in terms of packaging.

The biscuits were very plain in appearance and there was something about their slightly domed shape and pale colouring that made me think they should taste like lemon. I was slightly surprised that the shortbread hadn’t been sprinkled with sugar but, reading the ingredients, they seemed indulgent enough with their 34% salted butter and 7% clotted cream contents!

The biscuits were pretty standard for shortbread but this didn’t make them any less delicious. They had the usual, buttery shortbread smell and a great taste. I was pleased that the cream was really noticeable, particularly in the aftertaste.

I also loved the texture which consisted of a fantastic, slightly powdery crunch. This allowed the biscuits to be broken down in the mouth but then almost meld together again before swallowing.

I think it’s fair to say that, sometimes, simple is best. 

Appearance: 7/10
Aroma: 7.5/10
Taste: 8/10
Texture: 8/10
Overall score: 7.63/10

Brontë Milk Chocolate And Orange Biscuits

Product name: Brontë Milk Chocolate And Orange Biscuits
Country of origin: UK 

Next up in my reviews of Brontë biscuits from my recent hotel stay is this two-pack of Milk Chocolate And Orange Biscuits – a variety that, on the face of things, was far more appealing to me than the Chocolate Chip And Stem Ginger Biscuits.

Described as ‘luxury orange biscuits with milk chocolate chips’, this snack was made by Paterson Arran Ltd and came in very similar packaging to the Brontë Chocolate Chip And Stem Ginger Biscuits. Again, no nutritional information was provided, but I was pleased to see an increase in the proportion of chocolate chips used (17%).

These biscuits contained rolled oats and, as a result, they looked slightly more Hobnob-like in appearance. They were darker than the shortbread-style dough that had been used for the gingery biscuits, but the milk chocolate chips were, obviously, paler than the dark ones had been. 

The biscuits provided a buttery orange aroma and, although the wrapper had already been slightly unsealed when I went to open it, I was delighted that they weren’t stale at all. They were crunchier than the Chocolate Chip And Stem Ginger Biscuits and they had a good orange flavour which was very like the fruitiness on offer in orange chocolate. Furthermore, the slight chewiness of the oats made me think of candied orange, so this had the effect of adding a bit of authenticity to the flavour.

I was slightly disappointed that the chocolate wasn’t very noticeable but, to be honest, the biscuits were yummy enough based on the orange alone. They were also delicious when dipped in tea since this made them taste buttery and also released an even more orangey taste.

I need to visit hotels more often! 

Appearance: 7.5/10
Aroma: 7.5/10
Taste: 7.5/10
Texture: 7/10
Overall score: 7.38/10

Brontë Chocolate Chip And Stem Ginger Biscuits

Product name: Brontë Chocolate Chip And Stem Ginger Biscuits
Country of origin: UK 

Apologies for being a bit quiet these last few days – I was away for the new year and lucky enough to stay in a lovely bed and breakfast with some very nice biscuits! For my first review of 2014, then, I’m going to review the first of these packs of two biscuits: Brontë Chocolate Chip And Stem Ginger Biscuits.

These ‘indulgent chocolate chip biscuits with delicious pieces of stem ginger’ were baked by Paterson Arran Ltd and came in quite a sophisticated-looking pale yellow and deep red wrapper which included an image of one of the biscuits but no nutritional information.

I’m not a massive fan of ginger but it’s ok so I was curious about how much I would or wouldn’t like these biscuits as 6% of them were made up of stem ginger. On opening the wrapper, they certainly had a strong gingerbread smell, but the pale biscuits also had quite a lot of dark, chunky chocolate chips which accounted for 13% of the product.

The biscuits were of a shortbread style and, consequently, contained shortbread granules which were made of wheat flour, butter and sugar. Texturally, they were lovely and crispy, and this went well with the soft chocolate chunks and the slight chewiness from the ginger.

The ginger’s taste within the shortbread was quite soft, overall, but the actual pieces of stem ginger gave a spicy strength at the back of the throat. This was quite pleasant but it was made nicer by the presence of the chocolate which, pleasingly, was noticeable, and cooled down the ginger’s flavour.

Ginger still isn’t my favourite flavour in the world but these biscuits were still very enjoyable and they went great with a cup of tea since this lessened the flavour a little more. Of course, if you’re a lover of ginger, you’d prefer these just as they are! 

Appearance: 7/10
Aroma: 7/10
Taste: 7/10
Texture: 7.5/10
Overall score: 7.13/10