Snackmas Day 21- Tesco Finest Toffee & Pecan and Victoria Plum & Damson Sponge Puddings

As I mentioned in my Snackmas Intro, I have made 2 traditional Christmas Puddings this year.. Because clearly 1 was never going to be enough. They've been maturing nicely for a good few weeks now but of course, I needed something in the mean time to get that steam pud fix so went to Tesco, as usual and purchased some Finest range alternatives! 

Toffee & Pecan and Victoria Plum & Damson were the duo that appealed to me the most in the 2 for £4 offer of 200g puddings. There are Chocolate and Salted Caramel Bombes as well as a Panettone Sponge but didn't feel I could stomach any of them considering the sheer quantity of similar things I've eaten recently! 

I figure there is no point going to the effort of steam cooking something that you've already cheated in buying instead of making yourself so just whacked both in the microwave separately, once having pierced the lid as instructed - 55 seconds should do it. They came out scolding so I carefully peeled off the film.. And by that I mean, had a complete meltdown as the thing wouldn't come off for love nor money. Once I did eventually get into the thing, I let it stand upside down for about a minute before releasing the pud. 

Toffee & Pecan 

All butter sponge pudding with pecan nuts topped with toffee sauce. 

Check out the top third of the sponge - It was completely saturated in toffee sauce and there was still quite a bit left in the plastic basin which I scooped out! Very light and squidgy in texture with the most wonderful buttery taste along with the signature flavour of a traditional steam pudding, this was near perfection. The sauce itself was very sweet and sticky as well as blooming hot with a flavour of butterscotch and uncanny to that of a Quality Street penny Toffee - Always a favourite! Few and far between were the pecan pieces but the few bits I did notice had a satisfying soft crunch with a nutty edge making for a wonderful pairing to the sauce. Yum! A 4 out of 5 from me. 

Victoria plum & Damson

All butter pudding topped with Victoria plum and Damson Sauce. 

I had high hopes for this pudding after the success of above - Especially since fruity options are always a pleasant change from toffees, caramels and chocolates. Bizarrely, I thought this smelt a lot like Strawberry when I first tipped it onto the plate.. Boy, I wish it had tasted like it too as it was absolutely disgusting! It tasted just like one of the god awful, cough/throat sweets with a artificial, tart flavour that left a horrible bitterness in my mouth! A whopping throat burn also occured thanks to what was this time, way off in terms of sauce to sponge ratio. Trying the latter separately, it proved to be very nice with the same buttery flavour as seen previously with a light, fluffy texture with vanilla-y tones.. It's just it shame it was ruined by the medicinal, not Plum in the slightest, accompaniment it was drenched in! A 0.5 out of 5. 

Well, these 2 Finest Sponge Puddings as a bit like chalk and cheese - Both in, what they are and how they taste! I loved the Toffee & Pecan and would buy it again tomorrow but the Victoria Plum & Damson needs to be eradicated, as soon as possible.. That really is My Only Wish (This Year).