CHRISTMAS pudding is a staple of the big day for many, with the supermarkets serving up a bevy of microwavable, rich and dense desserts.
So which is best?
GettyWe tested the best Christmas puddings from all the top supermarkets[/caption]
We asked Lynsey Hope to try the supermarket offerings, with ratings out of ten.
Scrummy Christmas Pudding (400g) Asda, £2.25 – 5/10
AFTER cooking this in the microwave for three minutes, it had zero aroma and was much lighter in colour than all the others I tried.
It contained a lot less fruit and the overwhelming taste was of cider and brandy.
Oliver DixonAsda’s Scrummy Christmas Pudding was more like a cake than a pudding[/caption]
I found it stodgy and bits kept getting stuck on my tongue.
It was more like a cake than a pudding.
I wouldn’t expect it to be slimming but just one quarter of this pud contains a whopping 326 calories and 45g of sugar.
Holly Lane 6 Month Matured (400g) Aldi, £1.85 – 8/10
FULL of flavour with a lovely texture, it only took two and a half minutes to cook in the microwave.
It contains 36 per cent sultanas, cider, rum and sherry.
Oliver DixonHolly Lane 6 Month Matured from Aldi is Christmas in a pudding[/caption]
It gave off a lovely aroma as the microwave pinged and I liked that it was very fruity.
I reckon it would serve about eight people.
For the price this is a bargain, and very moreish.
It’s Christmas in a pudding.
No 1 Christmas Pudding (400g) Waitrose, £7 – 7/10
THIS is dome-shaped rather than having the square top and it had a lovely attractive sheen.
It looked so appetising that I couldn’t wait to dig it.
Oliver DixonNo 1 Christmas Pudding from Waitrose has a rich and creamy flavour[/caption]
You can steam for an hour, or microwave for two and a half minutes.
It’s made with plump vine fruits, cream, pecan nuts and a generous splash of Cognac, which gave it a rich and creamy flavour.
It’s juicy and light and not sickly at all and has a bit of a sweet marmalade flavour, which I loved.
The only downside is the price.
Deluxe 9-Month Matured (400g) Lidl, £3.79 – 10/10
A FIRST-class pudding here from Lidl – and my pick of the bunch.
It’s filled with juicy vine fruits, crunchy almonds and walnuts and laced with generous amounts of Cognac and sherry, giving it a rich and full taste.
Oliver DixonLidl’s Deluxe 9-Month Matured is first class and scored 10 out of 10[/caption]
It’s not as cheap as some but it’s worth that bit more, and you’d think it was from a high-end retailer.
This is a quality product at a brilliant price – a real winner for Christmas Day.
Christmas Pudding (400g), Tesco £2.40 – 5/10
A BIT disappointed with this.
First of all, after heating in the microwave for two and a half minutes I tried to tip it out and it looked like a crumbly mess.
Oliver DixonTesco’s Christmas Pudding was boozy but a bit disappointing[/caption]
I wouldn’t really want to serve this up on the big day.
You can’t really taste the spices at all and it doesn’t contain any nuts, which I’d expect in a Xmas pud to bring out the flavour.
The booziness was nice.
It’s a good price but there are cheaper ones out there which are better.
Rich Fruit Pudding (400g) Morrisons, £2 – 9/10
LOVED this one – for £2 it’s a great choice.
It has a lovely flavour and texture.
Oliver DixonMorrisons Rich Fruit Pudding is a great choice for £2 and scored 9 out of 10[/caption]
It was very moist, packed with fruit – much more than some of the others – and it went down a treat.
I finished this and will definitely buy another before Christmas day.
6 Month Matured Pudding (400g) Sainsbury’s, £3 – 4/10
I’M a big fan of Sainsbury’s products but sadly, not this.
It was a bit dry and didn’t contain as much fruit as I’d hoped.
Oliver DixonSainsbury’s 6 Month Matured Pudding only scored 4 out of 10[/caption]
I would have liked to see some cherries and almonds.
It was more expensive than many of the other supermarkets and I didn’t think it was worth the extra pennies.
Not my pick for the big day.
12 Month Matured (907g) M&S, £12 – 8/10
I WAS excited to try this pud from M&S.
It’s pricey but more than twice the size of all the others we tried so it’s still quite good value.
Oliver DixonM&S’ 12 Month Matured was delicious and very fruity, boozy and nutty[/caption]
It was very fruity, boozy and nutty, delicious really, but I’m being really picky I found some of the nuts too big and the texture a bit grainy.
It did feel like quite a treat to have this from Marks’ though, which is after all the point of Christmas!
I would buy it again.