I 'm not exaggerating when I say M&S's brand-new pistachio muddles brought the office to a standstill. As the tin made its way around the room, I noticed people closing their eyes after the first bite and heard more than a few audible "mmm..."s. I was told immediately that it had "made my week"! This is a treat far too good to gate keep.
If you've not seen these before, they combine whole roasted pistachios and silky smooth caramel, all coated in creamy Swiss milk chocolate. THEN it's finished with crunchy pistachio nibs on top. Every bite is rich, nutty and incredibly satisfying, with just enough caramel and salt to balance the roasted pistachios without overpowering them.
At £10 for a 192g tin, they definitely fall into the "treat" category rather than an everyday chocolate. But the beautiful keepsake tin makes them feel worthy as a gift, and the chocolates inside have immediately made it into my top 5 favourite chocolates i've ever tried. The giftable tin also makes them the perfect Christmas present for any pistachio lover. I'd happily wrap these up this year – although I'd strongly recommend buying yourself a second tin because there's every chance the first one won't make it that far.
The pistachio muddles are just one of the standout launches from M&S's Christmas range this year. We've already fallen hard for the Gingerbread Latte Whip, couldn't stop eating the returning Dark Chocolate & Chilli Tortillas, and were hugely impressed by the retailer's giant 1.2kg Big Mix Tin, which currently offers considerably more chocolate (and cheaper) than a tub of Quality Street.
We think it's pretty safe to say that M&S is having another exceptionally strong Christmas. And if you only buy one new box of chocolates this festive season, I'd strongly suggest you make it these.
Mel is the Senior Food & Drink Writer for Good Housekeeping UK, covering all the delicious new product launches that come her way, writing about food and drink topics, and curating gift guides for the best foodie products to buy. Alongside that, she can be found developing and creating cocktails for GH and holds her WSET Level 2 in Wine and Spirits. She was part of the Good Housekeeping Institute food testing team for over four years before moving over to the digital side, so knows a thing or two about great food products. You'll find her scouring the supermarket shelves in her spare time for new and exciting ingredients to experiment with in her kitchen.
