M&S British Hand Cooked Hot Maple Pigs in Blankets Crisps

 

Oh no! Two crispy snacks in a row that I really don’t like.

But not to worry crisp fans, just the other day I watched Cliffs of Moher Taste Tester eat two bowls of these Hot Maple Pigs in Blankets crisps. I managed one. One crisp. 

I don’t like the smell and I don’t like the taste. I think there are just too many flavours battling for supremacy, and really and truly I prefer simpler flavours. 

I’m not sure I would want to eat pigs in blankets with hot maple syrup even before they became a crisp flavour. I don’t really like pigs in blankets. Even without hot maple syrup, chilli, and oak smoked sugar. What is this conspiracy to flavour absolutely everything with smoked salt or smoked sugar these days?

Put your trust in Cliffs of Moher and ignore my pickiness. In any case, as ever, try for yourselves.

Edited to add: much to my surprise I recently discovered that in the United States the recipe for pigs in blankets appears to be mini hot dog sausage wrapped in an enriched dough and baked. In the UK they are cocktail sausages wrapped in bacon. A totally different recipe. This crisp is from the UK.

Tesco Crispy Coated Peanuts Pigs in Blankets Flavour

I wonder if you’re already thinking “hmmm... I bet she bought this packet of nuts because she couldn’t believe this flavour would work”? I wouldn’t be a bit surprised, because I kind of did.

And if you ask me; we were right.

Oh dear. The pigs in blankets (cocktail sausages with bacon wrapped around them) flavour isn’t really a flavour at all. It’s two different flavours smashed together and it’s hard to say if the Tesco crispy snack department have got the mixture right because the flavour just doesn’t work.

And hang on, was this meant to be a Christmas flavour? There’s nothing at all to stop you eating pigs in blankets at any time of year, but the market, and (whisper it) the American influence, has conned us into believing this is a dish/side (horrid expression)/flavour for Christmastime.

The bad thing is the peanuts don’t shine through because the alleged pigs in blankets flavour gets in the way. Even where the crispy coating has fallen off you can still taste it. So you can’t really appreciate the nuts.

What were they thinking? This Christmassy combo doesn’t work. And I don’t really like the way the crispy coating just comes off. The whole concept really doesn’t do it for me.

The Chef didn’t like these nuts either. Which is not a good sign because he simply loves peanuts.

Tesco Mini Snackers Pigs in Blankets

You know, the packaging on these two Mini Snackers packets, Turkey & Stuffing (see forthcoming post) and Pigs in Blankets reminds me of old fashioned American Christmas cards. My parents knew a lot of American Navy families from the old days when we were based in Dunoon (Scotland) and we always got a load of Christmas cards which were totally different from English cards. They featured pine branches, dark panelled rooms, tartan armchairs and sometimes old fashioned globes.

I don't really know why, but the packaging here really says American greetings card to me. Although I have to say that recently the cards I have received from the USA have been quite different. I guess we have all moved on since the 1960s.

Anyway, I though that the reluctant taste testers and I should try this just after the Pringles version of Pigs in Blankets. Which I rather liked.

Compare and contrast you know.

"Quite biscuity" said Noble Friend (she's learned the taste testing jargon hasn't she?), yes, quite biscuity and a bit dry. But nonetheless they proved quite popular with the taste testers. More popular with them than with me. I don't know. I wasn't massively fetched. Quite tasty, but nothing like as good a version of Pigs in Blankets as the Pringles version. Not nasty just not... terribly exciting.

You get quite a lot in the packet, so if you enjoy these, you're in luck.

Pringles Pigs in Blankets

🎄Merry Pringles🎄says the tube. I couldn't find a holly symbol so I used the Christmas tree instead. It's not the same I know, but we have to work with what we've got.

And Pigs in Blankets as a flavour for Pringles? Well, apparently, yes. And the Pringle on the tube is shown wearing a Christmas bobble hat, skiing on actual pigs in blankets (that's mini sausages wrapped around with bacon for those of you not in the know), and with a string of Christmas lights wrapped around its neck. It must be hard to ski with no arms or legs.... and no head either. Life is so tough when you're a Pringle.

Slightly oddly the tube also says Immagini a scopo dimostrativo (for illustrative purposes only - so they don't actually expect you to believe in a skiing Pringle). Which is Italian. Also Snack Salé au Goût Chipolata et Bacon. Which is French. I've got used to the fact that Bacon is apparently a French word, but Chipolata? Very strange.

I have the say the Chef is a bit horrified. "I thought it was real pigs in blankets" he said sadly. He doesn't like Pringles.

So let's find out what the reluctant taste testers have to say.

"Delicious".
"Lovely".
"Just like crackling".
"I could taste the bacon".
"These are really good". They said.
Except Tall taste tester who said, "Well, they just taste like Pringles don't they?" He doesn't really like Pringles either.

A success then. Not unqualified, but definitely a success.