Snackmas Day 7- Tesco Finest Kir Royale Sponge Pudding

Ah Christmas Pudding.. It's a glorious thing. I always make my own, fruit filled version for the Big Day but never shy away from the varieties that the Supermarkets have to offer.. Especially when they are wreath shaped and topped with cherries! We're 1 week in, it's Snackmas Day 7, it's time for the Tesco Finest special.. It's a Kir Royale Sponge!

Priced at £6, the 400g pudding is designed to feed 4 and is suitable for vegetarians - Probably best to steer clear if you are a nut allergy sufferer though! Given its nature, it also comes with a long shelf life, making it an ideal dessert to have in the cupboard for those impromptu moments.

I followed the instructions of stabbing the film lid before zapping in the microwave for 90 seconds until it possessed the heat of something worthy of third degree burns. The pudding can also be steamed over boiling water or in a saucepan trivet for those who like to make life difficult and have 45 minutes to kill. 

Inspired by the classic Kir Royale, a delicate champagne and cassis infused, light free range egg sponge with cassis-soaked cherries, plump blackcurrants, topped with a golden cinnamon sauce. 

Having whacked the plastic basin upside down and left to stand for 1 minute after heating, the pudding came out perfectly, albeit not quite as glossy as the packaging image with a poor distribution of fruit and one side being totally void of cherries. Can we also just take a minute to appreciate the gorgeous gold rimmed plate? 60 years old it is from my Nanny Dearests wedding! Hi Nanny Dearest! 

Cutting the medicinal smelling sponge, the pudding didn't have the soft and fluffy texture, I envisaged.. Instead it was more like a bit of dry, stale bread which was generally grim and claggy. Things didn't improve flavour wise either unfortunately with hardly any sauce but enough to pack a revolting throat lozenge-esque taste, thanks to the overpowering blackcurrant and cassis. No cinnamon was distinguishable along with the champagne aspect being just as MIA which meant only one thing.. I spat my mouthful out and lobbed the rest in the bin. VILE. 

So.. It is safe to say that this Tesco Finest Kir Royale Sponge Pudding is bloody awful and should be taken off Tesco shelves for incineration - I'm even willing to do a bit of Advent arson myself just so people don't have to be subjected to something so foul and nauseating! It's a big fat 0 out of 5 from me! 

Review- M&S NEW Spirit of Summer: Very Berry Cheesecake

I've said it before and I'll say it again.. Cheesecake is up there, if not number 1 when it comes to my favourite desserts. When done well, it's hard to find anything better - The biscuit base, the creamy centre, the never ending list of flavour options and toppings.. Cheesecake is an amazing thing and I'll dispute anyone who says otherwise!  

Thankfully, there are no arguments in my house as we all love it and were pretty thrilled to see MSW had bought a Spirit of Summer Very Berry Cheesecake from M&S. Part of a 2 for £6 offer, the 560g chilled dessert which is designed to feed 6, costs £4 when bought individually and is happy to be consumed by the Vegetarians of this world as well as popping into the freezer for a later date. 

A creamy baked Madagascan vanilla cheesecake on a digestive biscuit base with a fruity summer berry topping. 

As instructed, I ran a sharp knife around the inside of the plastic container and pushed the cheesecake up through the centre hole of the base. Much to my delight, I managed not to send the whole thing for a purler and it came out in one piece, albeit a bit snagged around the edges.

The cheesecake cut well into pretty, picture perfect slices, staying completely intact as well as smelling super summery. Taking a forkful, the layers were all plenty thick with the biscuit base being crisp and densely packed, the cheesecake robust yet soft and the berry topping, jelly like with a cool feel. Flavour wise, the tang of fresh berry was the initial hit in being surprisingly tart with very little sweetness.. The taste actually reminded me a bit of the kids Frube/Choob, Forest Fruit (Or whatever they were called!) yoghurts from back in the day! The middle layer was as expected - Extremely creamy and rich with tones of vanilla throughout and far superior to a non baked cheesecake. As for the biscuit, this was where most of the sweetness came into play with the signature digestive taste that just paired up beautifully with the other elements. Yum! 

Overall, this Spirit of Summer Very Berry Cheesecake is a seriously good dessert from M&S! I can find very little fault in it apart from maybe the lack of overall sweetness not being to everyones taste.. I however wasn't fussed in the slightest! I will most definitely be having to try the Sunken Caramel/Dulce de Leche Cheesecake now too! It's a 4.5 out of 5 from me today! 

Review- Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Blackcurrant Ripple Cake

I was meant to be holding out on buy this Taste the Difference Blackcurrant Ripple Cake until it came on offer but I saw it a few weeks back when popping into Sainsbury's for something totally cake unrelated and couldn't stop myself.. As usual. 

Sitting next to the EPIC Caramel Brownie Cake on the shelf, this too cost £6 - Not the cheapest but I was blown away the former so didn't mind to much! 

Plain and Blackcurrant sponges sandwiched with Blackcurrant jam, covered in buttercream and topped with a swirl of Blackcurrant jam. 

I sliced the beauty up to reveal the 3 distinct layers inside - I do like the deep purple colour, I have to say! 

A perfect slice, no matter the size, was produced each time the knife slid through the cake - Handy if you don't want a huge portion! I am greedy so I did have a big slice with much regret unfortunately.. Not one to ever be fussy when it comes to cake and things alike but after 1 mouthful, I was done - It was absolutely vile! The Blackcurrant jam was ridiculously strong to the point where it was all I could taste. It wasn't super sweet or sour just really synthetically potent and not to my liking at all. The buttercream didn't mask the flavour whatsoever but tasted separately it was nice enough in being sweet and creamy. Texture wise, it was pleasantly soft and squidgy but given it's disgusting flavour, nothing was going to save it! Yuck!

So I have had the best and the worst, supermarket bought cakes I have ever had, from the same range in the same shop - Got to love consistency! The Blackcurrant jam that goes in this thing needs to be disposed of on an industrial scale and Blackcurrant cake should never be made by anyone, ever again. Please, no one buy this - It may look pretty and smell nice but it will leave you gargling water to get rid of the taste. Its a 0 out of 5, from me!

Review- Tesco NEW Finest Mixed Red Berry Scones

Has anyone else noticed how Tesco's Bakery seems to expand ever other day? Thankfully, its not always bizarre flavours of Weirdoughs as these Finest Mixed Red Berry Scones are a NEW addition to the Fresh section - I have always been one for the classics! 

The pack of 2 scones, each weighing approximately 110g each, cost £1 - Not to unreasonable for a Finest product. 

A fluffy golden scone made with buttermilk for a lovely light texture, packed with juicy, vibrant cranberries, redcurrants and blackcurrants. 

I can't say the scone smelt of an awful lot - I couldn't even make out a berry scent. Cutting it in two, proved disappointing.. The promise of being light and fluffy was in folly as this thing was dense and nothing but! It had a very dry and stodgy texture which was prone to getting stuck to the roof of my mouth - I did have to put some butter and jam on to be able to eat the thing as it was virtually unpalatable without! The berries were about the only good element in being big and juicy with a tart yet fruity flavour - Not that, that ever could rescue a poor excuse of a scone. 

Overall, I feel quite cheated by these NEW Mixed Red Berry Scones - It certainly doesn't live up to its fancy pants description or Finest branding. There is a Plain as well as Belgian Chocolate version also NEW in store which I won't be putting myself through the trauma of trying.. Maybe I should be sticking with the Weirdoughs after all! Its a 1 out of 5 from me.