Lockdown, or the semblance of it that remains, has been getting the most of me this week, which is why I was particularly attracted to the words ‘mou in a bar’. Regular readers will know that one of the things I crave are more grown-up versions of classic newsagent bars like Topic and Snickers.
So it was that I purchased an Orange and Almond Mou caramel bar, £5 from William Curley. This was a chewy (but the perfect amount of chew, as in, not too chewy because grown-ups sometimes have fillings), caramelly bar with toasted almond slices. Not really like anything from a newsagent per se, but a real treat. The Peanut Nougat Bar, £5, was like a delicious, grown-up Snickers.
But what really blew me away – although I hesitate to say this since last time I mentioned this brand they sold out and there were angry scenes in my inbox from readers – was the new Botanical Collection from the Careless Collection. These were four bars of such exquisitely judged flavours that all my resolve to have just one bar (divided into four) a night were gone by night two.
Everything here turned what I thought I knew and liked on its head. There was a ruby wafer bar - I hate ruby chocolate, but loved this. A caramelised white chocolate with smoked chilli and gianduja (hazelnut) paste filling was probably my surprise favourite – it blew my mind. There was a milk chocolate containing beer and biscuit (no alcohol remains, however) and, finally, dark chocolate with pink pepper, mango and passion fruit, £15 for four. You won’t regret it.
