Caramel Flavoured Choices

Dairy Free Chocolates

Once again my taste buds have become obsessed with a sweet dairy free delight. These individually wrapped caramel filled chocolates are indulgent and moreish without costing more than your average large bar of dairy chocolate.

Ever since I found out I was lactose intolerant I have been looking for the perfect treat that I can eat when watching a film or having friends over. Something that I can snack on guiltily when you don't need the calories but you really want them!

Choices website doesn't appear to work even though it is printed on the packaging, so I am unable to investigate further on any other products they make. But who cares? For now we have a dairy, wheat, gluten and egg free, vegetarian and vegan blessings individually wrapped in a little white box.

Available from Morrison's for £2.50 and also spotted at other large supermarkets.

Lets hope these stay on our free from shelves!



Co operative Free From Chocolate Sandwich Cream Biscuits

I am most fortunate to have a family that support me with my dairy free diet. On reaching my parents house recently for a week away, Mum presented me with a host of dairy free goodies including a box of Co op chocolate sandwich cream biscuits. On any ordinary dairy filled diet these would not have been overly appealing to me, however, knowing that there are new dairy free delights that I have not yet sampled always fills me with a ray of hope for my dairy free existence.

These biscuits are extremely tasty and satisfying. The texture is soft and crumbly and the filling generous and creamy. The mild chocolate taste is sweet and you can taste the vanilla flavouring in the cream filling.  From the first crunch to the last crumb I enjoyed the whole pack pretty much to myself as the rest of my family are sweet enough to let me indulge in my mission for finding dairy free goodies without needing to try products themselves. Of course when something is really good it's great to share it with others dairy free or not.

These biscuits happen to be gluten free too and are available in most Co op stores. 

Pizza

The best way to enjoy pizza if you need a free from diet is to make your own. Once you get brave and give it a go you can get the hang of it really quickly. With a little bit of time and effort you can open up your meal possibilities to a whole new level of flavours. Try your favourite toppings or experiment with new ones, we even made a toddler version for our little one and he loved it.

Ingredients (makes 2 large pizzas)

Dough Base

10g fresh yeast (ask at bakery counter of larger supermarkets or local bakery)

125ml tepid water

1 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil (we use sunflower but olive oil is good)

125g strong white bread flour

pinch of salt

Topping

1 tin finely chopped tomato or 1 carton of tomato passata

Cheese - mozzarella, Lactofree, soya or no cheese at all

Meat, vegetables, pineapple etc

• Mix the fresh yeast and sugar in the tepid water and leave for 15 minutes
• Combine the flour, salt and oil in a large bowl
• Stir the yeast, sugar and water solution and add to the flour, salt and oil
• Using your hands mix together until evenly combined
• Knead the dough for 5-10 minutes
• If the dough is sticking to your hands add a little extra flour and if its too dry and crunmbly add a little extra water
• Cover with a clean cloth and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour
• Once risen spread some flour over the work surface, split the dough in two and roll each into a rough round shape
• Place on non stick oven trays
• Spread the tomato over the base, liberally spread with Lactofree cheese, Soya cheese or leave without cheese, sprinkle with topping of your choice (I used pepperoni without dairy ingredients, ham, mushroom and courgette)
• Bake in a moderate to hot oven (190C) for 20-25 minutes
 



Tesco Free From Range

Now usually when a retailer or supplier brings out a free from product I am supportive and over the moon that there is more choice out there for fellow sufferers. However, I can't get my head around this offering from Tesco. I have been a Tesco shopper for many years and willingly spend money in their stores but not on this range. I hate to sound so ungrateful but here is what I think.

The comprehensive range includes soya milk (sweetened and unsweetened), soya yoghurt, soya cheese (hard - mild and medium and soft), soya and sunflower spread, a variety of chilled desserts and hazelnut, coconut and rice milk.

Apart from the obvious fact that people who cannot tolerate soya won't find most of these products any use what so ever, if you don't like soya they aren't great for you either. As a lactose intolerant who has previously eaten dairy I'm afraid I would still rather go without cheese than eat soya cheese. I reluctantly purchased Tesco hard, medium strength cheese in the hope that it would be an improvement on the existing market offerings. Unfortunately, it is still sat in the fridge with a small taster piece missing! I have to admit that I didnt't buy any of the other products as it would have cost me quite a lot of money and I was not willing to part with my hard earned cash for products that would replace some fantastic existing items already in my basket.

The price of each product is not out of the ordinary for free from food. However, has anyone noticed that these products are already being offered by existing companies at similar cost and better quality? We love Alpro, Provamel, Mrs Crimble's, Humdinger, Kinnerton, Bute Island, Pure, Lactofree (for lactose inloerant only) and many more smaller non supermarket suppliers. Some of these suppliers have been removed from Tesco shelves due to their new range being introduced. The second point I have noticed is that the new range is being stocked in just 178 of Tesco stores out of a massive 2318 (from wikipedia statistics). To be reviewed and rolled out to more stores on the back of its success.

It is quite obvious that the free from market is growing and Tesco want a slice of the pie. Its great that the supermarkets want to get involved but lets hope it isn't at the cost of the smaller, established specialist suppliers that we have already grown to love.

Mulu Raw Chocolate

Here I am again enjoying dairy free (also gluten, soya, refined cane sugar and chemical free) chocolate which is raw, made in the UK and extremely tasty.

Mulu Raw Chocolate have a fabulous product range which ticks all the boxes when looking for free from chocolate. The chocolate comes in Silk (milk chocolate equivalent), dark, dark with raw cacao nibs and buttons (big and chunky with child friendly packaging).

"handcrafted using natural ingredients at low temperatures, the high concentration of antioxidants and multiple nutrients found in raw cacao reach you virtually intact, optimised by our unique recipes which are free from dairy products, raw cane sugar, gluten and soya."

The description tells you many reasons why Mulu is the chocolate for you but above all these chocolate bars are well packaged, in great chunky solid bars or buttons, at a reasonable price and are meant to be eaten and enjoyed. When you open the box the smell is divine and mouth watering. The flavour is sweet, creamy (for buttons and silk versions) and genuinely chocolatey with no nasty aftertaste. The texture is smooth and addictive with a great crunch when bitten into. Prices range from £1.00 for buttons and £2.79 for boxed bars.

You are certainly rewarded for your purchase from this fantastic little company. Thank you Mulu.

www.muluchocolate.co.uk



Tesco stop selling Dairy Free Chocolate Buttons!

Much to the disappointment of myself and other dairy free consumers Tesco Customer Service has informed me this evening that they are stopping selling Dairy Free Chocolate Buttons.

Boo Hiss to Tesco, what will go next?

Tesco Free From Chocolate Bar

How disappointing!

Having been unable to find my favourite dairy free buttons (see earlier post) today I stumbled across this effort from the Tesco Free From Range. However, I'm not sure I should have bothered. I hate to sound ungrateful when a Free From product is offered but this was very disappointing. At a whopping 75p for just 35g you would expect a tasty chocolate bar, but although sweet and chunky this bar tasted very little of chocolate and was gone far too quickly. Come on Tesco stop promising products for a growing market if you can't deliver!