But one thing’s for sure: they’re a common fixture in Christmas celebrations year after year. (Whether or not that’s a good thing depends on how you feel about them!)

For many Australians, Christmas budgets will be tighter than usual in 2023. That’s why this year, we’ve focused on budget supermarket mince pies, asking ÌÇÐÄVlog staff to put their tastebuds on the line by blind taste testing the cheapest mince pie offerings from Coles, Woolworths and Aldi supermarkets.

Here’s how they compared.

Which was the best fruit mince pie?

We asked ÌÇÐÄVlog staff to taste each fruit mince pie, then vote for their favourite. This was a blind taste test, meaning that no one knew which pie was which.Ìý

ÌÇÐÄVlog staff take their taste testing responsibilities very seriously, so everyone weighed the options carefully before casting their votes.Ìý

And for the second year running the winner is…. Aldi! Once again, it was only by a whisker.Ìý

The German giant garnered almost 42% of the votes, while Woolies was hot on its heels with 39% of the votes.Ìý

Unfortunately Coles just couldn’t keep up with the competition, with only 19% of votes going to their pies.Ìý

And while Aldi won the popularity contest, it’s also a win for bottom lines: Aldi pies cost just 57 cents each ($3.39 for a pack), compared with Coles’ and Woolies’ pies, which cost 58 cents each ($3.50 per pack). That’s good news for mince pie fans who want to spend a little less this year.

What was on the table

Here are the fruit mince pie offerings from each of the supermarkets, in order of favourite to least favourite in our staff taste test.Ìý

1. Aldi Kringle and Co Fruit Mince Pies (42% of votes)

• What the pack says: “Traditional Fruit Mince Pies with a home-style lattice top.”
• Price: $3.39 for a pack of 6 (360g)
• Price per pie: 57 cents

What ÌÇÐÄVlog staff said:Ìý“It tastes more decadent and luxurious than the others. I could easily eat a whole pack of six in one go.” – Lou

2. Woolworths Shortcrust Fruit Mince Pies (39% of votes)

• What the pack says: “Shortcrust pastry with fruit mince filling.”
• Price: $3.50 for a pack of 6 (360g)
• Price per pie: 58 cents

What ÌÇÐÄVlog staff said:Ìý“I think it has a better crunch and texture than the other two and seemed less sweet.”Ìý–ÌýEdward

3. Coles Christmas Fruit Mince Pies (19% of votes)

• What the pack says: “Shortcrust pastry filled with fruit mince.”
• Price: $3.50 for a pack of 6 (360g total)
• Price per pie: 58 cents

What ÌÇÐÄVlog staff said:Ìý“I chose this one because the flavour was niceÌý– it suited my palate. The crunch was good, too.” – Steve

So there you have it. If you’re after a classic fruit mince pie on a budget this Christmas, it’s good to know you can save a little on the Aldi option without disappointing your guests.

Unless of course, you’re one of those who think all mince pies taste like spiced insect innards, in which case we suggest you stick with the shortbread assortment.

The post Which budget supermarket fruit mince pie tastes best? appeared first on ÌÇÐÄVlog.

On this page:

• Best Christmas puddings
• Are expensive puddings better?
• What makes a great Christmas pudding?
• Top tips for cooking Christmas pudding
• Meet our expert taste testers
• How we test

We blind tasted and reviewed 18 Christmas puddings, from brands including Aldi, Coles, Itha’s and the Pudding Lady. Whether you’re a seasonal scrooge or prepared to splurge, there’s a perfect Christmas pud for you.

Best Christmas puddings

According to our experts, these were the three tastiest puddings we tested.

Coles Finest Luxury Christmas Pudding

• ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating: 84%
• ±Ê°ù¾±³¦±ð:Ìý$12.00 ($1.33 per 100g)
• Country of origin statement:ÌýMade in New Zealand
• Experts say:Ìý“Very moist but doughy”. “Rich and generous with fruit and nuts, good as a special occasion pudding”. “Looks good”. “Open texture which crumbles very easily on cutting”.

The Traditional Plum Pudding Co Homemade Plum Pudding

• ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating:Ìý78%
• Price:Ìý$36 ($6.00 per 100g)
• Country of origin statement: Made in Australia from at least 45% Australian ingredients
• Website:Ìý
• Experts say:Ìý“Very fruity and good flavour”. “Looks like a traditional pudding: good colour, aroma, fruit and nuts evenly throughout”.

Newcastle Pudding Lady Traditional Christmas Pudding

• ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating: 74%
• Price:Ìý$31 ($6.20 per 100g)
• Country of origin statement:ÌýMade in Australia from at least 90% Australian ingredients
• Website: Ìý
• Experts say: “Moist, very sticky”. “Evenly moist in fruit and pudding, pleasant aroma, colour and texture – would be happy to serve this”. “Holds together on cutting for presentation”.

Are expensive puddings better?

If you’ve ever made Christmas pudding at home, you’ll know it’s not cheap to make. The cost of quality ingredients like dried fruit, butter and alcohol adds up. And they’re generally made to a labour- and time-intensive recipe. So, if you’re buying ready-made, it’s reasonable to assume you might have to fork out a little more for a top-quality pud.

But if you’ve already blown your budget on the seafood spread or glazed ham, don’t despair – our results show you can buy a delicious centrepiece for your Christmas spread and still have change from $20.

The top-tasting pud in our test, Coles Finest Luxury Christmas Pudding, was just $1.33 per 100g (or $12 a pudding).Ìý

It was a big leap price-wise from there for the preferred puddings. Those that took second and third place, The Traditional Plum Pudding Co Homemade Plum Pudding and the Newcastle Pudding Lady Traditional Christmas Pudding, were among the most expensive, at $6.00 per 100g and $6.20 per 100g respectively.

The equal most expensive product (by unit price) in our test was the judges’ least favourite. Itha’s Puddings Traditional Pudding was $6.40 per 100g but scored just 47%. The Pudding Lane Classic Christmas Pudding costs the same per 100g but scored a more respectable 66%.

What makes a great Christmas pudding?

According to our trusted ÌÇÐÄVlog Community, the qualities to look for when choosing a Christmas pudding are lots of fruit, moistness, general flavour and strong spiciness, and it should be matured for at least a month.

Lots of fruit

The two best-tasting puddings in our review, Coles Finest Luxury Christmas Pudding and The Traditional Plum Pudding Co Homemade Plum Pudding, are more than half fruit – a mixture of raisins, glacé cherries and mixed peel.Ìý

If you’re in the “more fruit is better” camp, here are the puddings that listed their fruit content percentage and how that compared with the taste scores from our experts.Ìý

Moistness

It’s no surprise that the top three puddings were reported to have a good distribution of fruit and moistness. There are a few factors that make a Christmas pudding moist, including whether it’s steamed or baked in a water bath, the amount of fruit, and the type and quantity of fat. Steaming will keep the pudding more moist over the long cooking time, as will more fruit.

Flavour

We don’t just want sweetness from our puddings. Contributing to the flavour of Christmas puddings, other than fruit, are fat, alcohol and spice.Ìý

Fat can come from a number of different sources. Suet, a traditional component of English Christmas pudding, is the fat found around the kidneys of cows and sheep. It provides moisture and a rich flavour. Palm oil is used as an alternative to suet as it creates a similar crumbly texture. Butter is another option to improve the flavour, but it can make a pudding greasy.Ìý

Only one pud in this test contained suet – the Silver Penny Puddings Traditional Christmas Pudding with a ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating of 59%. Palm oil was specified in six of the 18 puddings, and seven contained butter.Ìý

The puddings contained a variety of alcoholic drinks for flavour with the traditional brandy in all but one. Some also contained rum, cider, stout or sherry, and two contained port. The pudding with the equal-highest brandy content was our top-scoring Coles Finest Luxury Christmas Pudding (which also contained port), with 9% brandy.

Spiciness

Overall, the expert taste testers complained that the puddings lacked the characteristic spiciness of a Christmas pudding. Surprisingly, there was one pud that didn’t list any spices on its ingredient list: The Traditional Food Company Steamed Pudding. Perhaps its lack of spices contributed to its lower score of 62%.

Maturation

Maturing is the action of leaving the pudding until the flavours have developed. Maturing causes some of the compounds in the pudding to break down to release new compounds, which taste sweet and caramelised with fruity aromas and flavours. None of the top three scoring puddings specified that they were matured.Ìý

The matured puddings in our test were the Woolworths Classic Matured Pudding, matured for nine months, earning a ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating of 68% and described as rich and fruity by the expert taste testers; the IGA Traditional Christmas Pudding (which earned 62%), matured for six months; and the Coles Christmas Festive Matured Pudding (49%), matured for nine months.

Top tips for cooking Christmas pudding

Our own home economist Fiona Mair answers some frequently asked questions about Christmas pudding (including how long it’ll keep) so you can nail it on the big day.

Can you steam Christmas pudding?

Yes, and some brands will have steaming instructions on the package.ÌýIf the pudding is packaged in a plastic pudding bowl, don’tÌýremove or pierce the seal. Place the pudding directlyÌýinto a saucepan with water halfway up the pudding bowl and put on the saucepan lid. If the pudding is not in a pudding bowl, it can be wrapped in foil tightly and use the same method. Bring the water to a boil and simmer for 1.5–2 hours.

Do you have to reheat a Christmas pudding?

Yes, pre-packaged Christmas puddings require reheating. If a small portion is needed, it’s best to heat individual servings and leave the rest covered in the fridge. The pudding will last longer, and you shouldn’t be reheating the pudding several times in the microwave as this can dry out the pudding or overcook it in areas.Ìý

How do you reheat a pudding in a microwave?

To reheat a steamed pudding in a microwave, remove the seal from the pudding container or any foil packaging. Some puddings that are wrapped in plastic will require piercing in a few spots. If the pudding is in a pudding bowl, invert it onto a plate, but don’t remove the pudding bowl.Ìý

Reheat the pudding on medium (60–70%) power for 2 minutes for a 1000W microwave, 2.5 minutes for 800–900W; or 1.5 min if the wattage is 1100–1200.ÌýAllow the pudding to stand for 2 minutes covered, then remove the packaging and serve.Ìý

Can you reheat Christmas pudding in a slow cooker or pressure cooker?

Reheating a pudding in a slow cooker is similar to steaming in a saucepan on the stove. However, the time needed will be at least 2.5 hours on the high setting.

If you’re making your own Christmas pudding from scratch, you can cook it in a pressure cooker, but I wouldn’t recommend reheating a steamed pudding in a pressure cooker.

How long does a Christmas pudding last?

Christmas pudding can last wrapped for up to a year.ÌýIf it’s opened and heated, then it will be best to consume it within a few weeks.Ìý

Can you freeze Christmas pudding?

Yes, Christmas pudding is perfect for freezing. It’s best to cut it into individual serves,Ìýwrap them in plastic and store them in a well-sealed freezer-safe container.

Meet our expert taste testers

Jan Boon is a home economist who has been involved in the food industry for more than 40 years. She is a Royal Agricultural Society (RAS)-recognised judge for the Fine Food Show and Easter Show and has been judging for local, interstate and regional shows for over 35 years. This year she was recognised by the Penrith Show Society for her continued service in judging.

Brigid TreloarÌýhas been a freelance food consultant for over 30 years. The author of eight cookbooks, she ran a cake business for 10 years for private, corporate and commercial clients and also contributes to newspapers and magazines, reviews restaurants, and judges cookery and recipe competitions, including the RAS Fine Food Professional Bakery Competition. Brigid is an industry assessor for Le Cordon Bleu, advises many of Australia’s food companies on product and recipe development, and also provides recipes and cooking information for company websites.

Adam MooreÌýis a prolific culinary judge. His credits include judging for Le Cordon Bleu cooking school and RAS Fine Food competitions across a range of categories.ÌýHe has formal qualifications in pastry, charcuterie and butchery, sensory evaluation, food styling and food photography. With more than 25 years in the industry, Adam has worked in restaurants, food service, retail, food manufacturing, marketing and sales. He’s a certified global executive chef, and culinology director at Culinary Revolutions.

How we test

Products

We tested 18 Christmas puddings, from high-end offerings by specialist producers to supermarket brand puddings that are available nationally instore or online. Price is based on the price we paid for one pudding (not including postage and handling where applicable) in October 2022.

Tasting

We re-heated puddings in the microwave according to the directions on the pack.Ìý

Our experts tasted the Christmas puddings ‘blind’ (without knowing the brands). They assessed the puddings for appearance and quality of finish, moistness, flavour and aroma, texture, and quality of the mixture.

The experts were looking for good shape; weight; balanced fruit, spice and alcohol flavours; even distribution of good-quality fruit ingredients; and puds that held their shape when cut.

Scores

The ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating is made up of 90% sensory attributes (appearance/quality of finish 30%, flavour and aroma 25%, mixture quality 25%, moistness/texture 20%) and 10% nutrition (determined solely by the Health Star Rating).

We recommend products with a ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating of 70% or more.

The post Which Christmas pudding tastes best? appeared first on ÌÇÐÄVlog.

But if you don’t have the time or inclination to bake the gingerbread pieces from scratch, you don’t have to miss out on the festive fun, as most supermarkets or department stores have a DIY kit on offer. But which is best?Ìý

To find out, we bought, built and tasted six gingerbread house kits from Aldi, Big W, Coles, IKEA, Kmart and Woolworths – and assessed them on how easy they are to build, as well as how good they look and taste.

Overall verdict

The kits ranged in price from $6 to $14 and in size from 300g to a whopping 1kg. Although I did prefer one slightly more than the others, overall they were all very fun to build and I was pleasantly impressed with how well they turned out.Ìý

That said, none of them blew me away in terms of taste – so if this is important to you, you might be better off baking your own gingerbread house from scratch.

The best gingerbread house kit

Big W Make Your Own Gingerbread House (630g)

• Price: $10
• Price per 100g: $1.59
• Health star rating: 0.5 stars
• Country of origin: Made in China from at least 29% Australian ingredients.

Contains

• 6 pieces of gingerbread house cookies
• 3 types of lollies
• Piping bag pre-filled with icing
• Plastic base.

Extra ingredients needed

None.

Verdict

Overall, this was my favourite gingerbread house to build, decorate and eat.Ìý

The instructions were clear, and told you to ice and decorate the pieces before constructing the house. I was a bit dubious at first, thinking it would get ruined when it was time to put the whole thing together, but it worked well and meant there was no risk of the lollies sliding off while the icing dried.Ìý

The icing itself was quite thick, and I had to really squeeze the piping bag to get it out, but it glued everything together nicely and didn’t take long to set. I also really liked the variety of included lollies –Ìýthis was the only kit that came with candy canes to really sell the festive look.Ìý

Once it was decorated, building the house was quick and easy, and really just a matter of slotting the house into the plastic base and attaching the roof. I only needed to hold the pieces together for a few minutes before it set nicely.Ìý

The completed house looked cute and colourful, and the gingerbread itself had a nice golden colour. I also enjoyed the flavour. It had a firm (but not hard) texture and a subtle gingerbread smell and flavour – just enough to feel Christmassy without being overpowering.Ìý

How the other kits performed

Here’s how the other five gingerbread houses fared, listed in alphabetical order.

Aldi’s Kringle and Co Pre-built Gingerbread House (650g)

• Price: $12.99
• Price per 100g: $2
• Health star rating: 2 stars
• Country of origin: Made in Germany.

Contains

• Pre-built gingerbread house and base with tree and gingerbread manÌý
• Piping bag pre-filled with icing
• 2 types of lollies.

Extra ingredients needed

Optional: A base board is useful because the kit’s gingerbread base isn’t very firm.

Verdict

If you’re worried your children may not have the dexterity to construct their own house, this could be the kit for you. It comes pre-fabricated, meaning you can skip straight to the fun bit – decorating.Ìý

It’s a bit tricky to get out of the box – you’ll either need to tear the box open or gently flip it upside down to remove it – but the house has plenty of grooves baked in and arguably the tastiest of lollies (gummies and candy coated chocolate buttons).Ìý

Decorating the house was easy, and although the icing was easy to pipe and set nicely, I would have liked more of it. I used up the entire bag, but it still felt a bit sparse compared with the other kits. I liked the house’s A-frame design too – A for Aldi, perhaps? And the lollies looked colourful once it was all put together.

The gingerbread was soft, chewy and slightly cake-like in texture, with a gingerbread smell and flavour so faint they were barely there. Not terrible, but you might prefer to stick to the lollies.

Coles Festive Gingerbread House Kit (1kg)

• Price: $14
• Price per 100g: $1.40
• Health star rating: 1 star
• Country of origin: Packed in Canada with ingredients from multiple origins.

Contains

• 7 pieces of gingerbread house cookies
• 1 gingerbread man
• 1 gingerbread snowman
• 1 gingerbread tree
• Plastic base
• Piping bag pre-filled with icing, plus nozzle
• 4 types of lollies.

Extra ingredients needed

Verdict

The instructions were straightforward, and the house slotted nicely into the grooves of the plastic base board. But the icing took longer to set than for the other kits, so I had to hold everything together for longer so that it didn’t fall apart. But, once assembled, it was structurally sound.Ìý

The slow-drying icing also proved a problem when decorating, as the heavier pinwheels kept sliding off (the smaller, lighter lollies adhered easily).Ìý

The baseboard was quite large and flimsy, but overall I liked the look of the house – there was a nice variety of lollies and the addition of the gingerbread tree, snowman and man was a nice touch.Ìý

Taste wise, the biscuit was aromatic with a mild gingerbread flavour and firm in texture.Ìý

IKEA Vintersaga Gingerbread House (300g)

• Price: $6
• Price per 100g: $2
• Health star rating: None shown
• Country of origin: Made in Sweden.

Contains

Extra ingredients needed

• Icing (IKEA includes recipe in the instructions, using 250g icing sugar, 1 egg white and 5mL lemon juice/vinegar)
• Piping bag
• Lollies
• Base board.

Verdict

IKEA claims that this is “probably Sweden’s most iconic Christmas decoration”. So I couldn’t help but feel sorry for Swedish shoppers when I realised this DIY kit doesn’t come with any icing or lolly decorations.Ìý

But it does come with a simple recipe for icing. Once I’d made up a batch, the house was surprisingly easy to build, in stark contrast to some of the furniture giant’s other products, and didn’t take long to set.

Decorating the house was relatively simple – the gingerbread comes with decorative grooves baked in to give you a design guide – and although you can supply your own lollies, I tried to mimic the style on the packaging and was pleased with the more minimalist look.Ìý

The gingerbread itself was dark golden brown in colour and had a much stronger aroma and flavour than the other kits’ gingerbread. But when I bit into it, it did crumble more than the other ‘firm’ biscuits. Not a dealbreaker, though.Ìý

Kmart Gingerbread House Kit (830g)

• Price: $12
• Price per 100g: $1.45
• Health star rating: Not stated
• Country of origin: Made in Ukraine.

Contains

• 10 gingerbread house pieces
• Icing sugar
• 1 type of lolly.

Extra ingredients needed

• 1 egg white
• Optional: A base board is useful as the kit’s gingerbread base isn’t very firm.

Verdict

As with the IKEA version, you need to make the icing yourself for this gingerbread house – although the kit does give you enough icing sugar to make up a batch (just add one egg white).Ìý

Constructing the house was straightforward, but the bendy, cake-like texture of the house meant I had to be extra careful so it wouldn’t break. The instructions also suggest using some of the icing to make a glaze, and painting the house with it to stop the gingerbread from going stale. Great in theory, but I wasn’t quite sure how much water to add, how thick the glaze should be, or how generous I should be with the ‘paint’.Ìý

Happily, there was no confusion when it came time to decorate: the pre-baked grooves worked as a bit of a template and I really liked that the finished product had more of a ‘grown up’ winter cabin look.Ìý

On the downside, I was a little disappointed that the only lolly option was light blue sugar sprinkles – I would have preferred a bit more variety – but it fit the wintry theme, as they did look like snowflakes.

Because the gingerbread was soft, it was very easy to pull off a section to taste. I found it very similar in smell and taste to the Aldi version – pleasant, but with only a very mild gingerbread flavour.Ìý

Woolworths’ Bailey & May Gingerbread House Kit (719g)

• Price: $10
• Price per 100g: $1.39
• Health star rating: 1.5 stars
• Country of origin: Packed in Canada.

Contains

• 6 pieces of gingerbread house cookies
• Pouch with pre-made icing (snip to squeeze)
• Plastic base
• 3 types of lollies.

Extra ingredients needed

Verdict

This kit comes with clear instructions and is very straightforward to build, although the icing does take longer to set than for some of the other kits.Ìý

There were quite a few similarities between this house and the Coles version: the gingerbread pieces were of a similar size, the lollies were similar (although this kit didn’t have pinwheels) and it even tasted near identical, with a firm texture and mild gingerbread flavour.

But I really liked that this kit added a bit more detail to the gingerbread, in particular the stonework grooves that were etched into the walls, although I did find those sections difficult to decorate once the house was built.Ìý

Regardless, I was really happy with the finished product and thought it looked festive and colourful.

Tips for building a gingerbread house

Plan your design

Generally, the icing starts to set as soon as you’ve piped it, so there’s not much room for error once you get started. Sketch out a rough plan before you start, or replicate the image on the packaging if (like me) you’re not much of a designer.

Choose a kit with a piping nozzle

Snipping the end off a plastic piping bag does work, but I found a piping nozzle makes a big difference in how easy and how neatly you can apply the icing.Ìý

Decorate layers first

The Big W kit was the only one that suggested doing this, but I found it much easier to fix lollies to a flat surface than a vertical one. Then, once they’re dry, you can build the house without ruining your design.

Make or buy extra icing

One of the benefits of buying a DIY kit is that, in most cases, it comes with pre-made royal icing. But only you know if the amount included will be enough for your design, so if you think you might run out, add an extra packet of readymade royal icing from the baking aisle of your local supermarket.Ìý

Alternatively, make a large batch from scratch by whipping two egg whites and gradually adding in 450g of icing sugar with two tablespoons of lemon juice.

How we tested gingerbread house kits

We bought readily available gingerbread house kits from supermarkets and discount department stores. (Note: Target is advertising a $20 kit on its website, but we were unable to find it instore or online.)

As we built each gingerbread house, we recorded how easy each one was to build and decorate, how happy we were with its appearance, and how similar it looked to the picture on the box.Ìý

Once we’d finished building, we tasted the gingerbread from each house and made notes of its aroma and flavour.Ìý

The post Gingerbread house kit review appeared first on ÌÇÐÄVlog.

On this page:

• Best tasting shortbread
• Shortbread ingredients
• ÌýOur easy shortbread recipe
• How we test

It’s the perfect treat to give your neighbours or your kids’ teachers, contribute for your office morning teas, or just have in the bickie tin at home during the silly season.

So which store-bought Christmas shortbread is best? We tested 10 festive shortbread products from brands including IGA’s Signature Collection, Mac’s, Walkers, Coles Bakery and Woolworths Gold to find out.

Our ÌÇÐÄVlog Score is based on the overall taste rating (see How we test for details).

Best tasting shortbread

The highest rating shortbreads, all with a ÌÇÐÄVlog score of 70% or more, are:

IGA Signature Decorated Shortbread Cookies

• ÌÇÐÄVlog score: 77%
• Price: $9.50 for 180g pack ($1.58 per biscuit)
• Tasting notes: “Perfectly round, neat icing decoration. Not too sweet, slightly buttery. Slightly crumbly, with slight resistance to chew – not so melt in your mouth. Vanilla flavour and aroma. Pale golden appearance. A pretty ornament for the Christmas tree.”Ìý
• Need to know: This product is the most expensive on test, but also received the highest appearance score of all the products we looked at. The decorative icing contains egg white.

Walkers Homebake Shortbread Festive Shapes

• ÌÇÐÄVlog score: 75%
• Price: $5.00 for 175g pack ($0.42 per biscuit)
• Tasting notes: “Pale golden, with a little sugar sprinkled on top. Assorted shapes, with a homemade look. Buttery, not too sweet, slightly salty. Crumbly, crisp, crunchy, melt in your mouth at the end.”Ìý
• Need to know: This product received the highest flavour score. It’s 32% butter, one of the most buttery shortbreads in our test.

IGA Signature Festive Shortbread Cookies

• ÌÇÐÄVlog score: 70%
• Price: $4.50 for 180g pack ($0.50 per biscuit)
• Tasting notes: “Perfectly shaped, good size and thickness. Slightly darker on points. Vanilla flavour, not too sweet. Firm, crunchy, slight melt in your mouth. Good, consistent quality of finish.”Ìý
• Need to know: This product scored amongst the top three for appearance and baked quality.

Taste scores for all 10 shortbreads we tested are included in the table below.

Shortbread ingredients

The origin of shortbread dates back to Scotland in medieval times. The traditional recipe is one part sugar, two parts ‘shortening’ (usually butter) and three parts flour (originally fine oatmeal – a staple Scottish ingredient – but now more commonly wheat flour).Ìý

Other ingredients are sometimes added for taste or, like cornflour or rice flour, to lighten the texture. Interestingly, our three top tasting shortbreads are the only products we tested that contain cornflour in addition to wheat flour (and the Walkers shortbread also contains rice flour).

Amongst the shortbreads in our test, additional ingredients used include margarine, egg, salt, cinnamon, vanilla, lemon, almonds, macadamia nuts and fruit fillings.

Did you know?Ìý

The word ‘shortening’ has been used since the early 19th century to describe fats (such as butter) or oils that ‘shorten’ dough, making the final product more crumbly or friable – hence why buttery, crumbly shortbread got its name.

ÌýOur easy shortbread recipe

Make your own delicious shortbread to share with friends and family at Christmas using our home economist Fiona Mair’s simple shortbread recipe.

Ingredients

• 250g butter, slightly softened
• 1/3 cup (80g) caster sugar
• 2 ½ cups (375g) plain flour
• 1 tbsp water, (if needed)
• 2 tbsp white sugar

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160°C (fan-forced). Grease and line a 23cm square tin. Extend the baking paper to overlap 2 sidesÌý–Ìýthis will assist in removing the baked shortbread.Ìý

2. Place butter, caster sugar and plain flour in a food processor bowl. Using the processor blade, process until dough comes together to form a ball. If too crumbly, add the water.ÌýIf using a hand mixer,Ìýplace butter and sugar in a large bowl and cream together on medium until light and fluffy. In two batches, fold in water and flour. Turn onto a lightly-floured surface and knead until smooth.

3. Press the shortbread dough into the tin evenly, pressing firmly. With a light hand, use a knife to cut a 6 X 3 grid in the doughÌý–Ìýthis makes cutting easier after baking. Prick the shortbread with a fork five times for each portion. Sprinkle with white sugar.

4. Bake shortbread for 40 minutes. Allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes.Ìý

5. Gently remove the shortbread onto a cutting board and cut along the markings with a sharp knife to cut into portions. Place onto a cooling rack.

6. Once cooled, store in an airtight container.Ìý

TipsÌý

• To help to get an even layer of dough, roll out the dough gently on the baking paper lined for the tin, as close to the size of the base as possible, then gently lower the dough into the tin with the baking paper and flatten the dough evenly over the base.
• If the dough is too soft, place in the fridge to firm for 15 mins. Soft dough indicates that the butter is starting to melt, and this can create a hard texture which won’t melt in the mouth.
• The shortbread will be very delicate when removed from the oven. Allow to cool slightly before cutting and moving.Ìý
• Optional: Add lemon zest, chopped nuts or candied citrus peel after processing the dough if desired.

How we test

Products

We tested 10 Christmas shortbread products sold in major supermarket chains.

This included products that say ‘Christmas’ or ‘Festive’ in the product name, are in festive shapes, have Christmas imagery on the pack and/or have been promoted in the supermarket’s Christmas range.

Price is based on the pack size specified (not on special) in November 2021.

Tasting

Our judge, Fiona Mair, tasted the shortbread ‘blind’ (without knowing the brands), then scored and wrote tasting notes for each coded sample.

Fiona has cooked more than 8000 scones, 4000 chickens, 3000 sausages, 1000 meringues and 500 pizzas, to test more than 3000 appliances, in the years she has worked at ÌÇÐÄVlog as a test coordinator. She develops the recipes for testing kitchen appliances, helps conduct food taste tests, and has judged coffee in the testing of coffee machines.Ìý

Fiona has a finely tuned palate and has been on the judging panel for a number of taste tests for ÌÇÐÄVlog, including strawberry jam and pesto. More recently she has judged in the specialty food category for the Royal Agricultural Society Fine Food competition.

Scores

The ÌÇÐÄVlog Score is made up of:Ìý

• appearance (35%)
• flavour (25%)
• baked quality (20%)
• quality of finish (20%).

We recommend Christmas shortbread with a ÌÇÐÄVlog score of 70% or more.

The post What’s the best Christmas shortbread? appeared first on ÌÇÐÄVlog.

It’s the ‘It’ pudding of 2019 – a juicy, glossy fruit-laden luxury showstopper that’s infused with booze and dusted with a sparkling shower of gold glitter.Ìý

Amidst a wide range of store-bought puds on offer from supermarkets and independent retailers, there are two gold-dusted spectacles on offer this year, one from Coles and the other from Aldi. Each comes with a little sachet of edible gold glitter that you sprinkle over the pudding once it’s heated and ready to serve.

The Coles Finest Luxury Pudding ($12/900g) has been winning fans for a few years already – it’s a regal pudding infused with French brandy, topped with cherries, almonds and Valencian oranges, ready to dust with the sachet of sugared gold glitter.

But this year Aldi has come to the table with their own version, the Aldi Luxury Golden Champagne Pudding ($10.99/900g), made with its own budget yet award-winning Veuve Monsigny Brut Champagne, also topped with cherries, and also with gold glitter for that touch of magic.

Aldi takes gold!Ìý

In a glittering finish, Aldi was crowned by our experts as overall queen of the gold-dusted puds. It received 89%, with the Coles pudding scoring 72%.Ìý

The Aldi pudding also came top of all the 13 puds that were blind tasted by our experts.Ìý

One of our testers, food consultant Brigid Treloar, says: “The Aldi pud is a bit of glitz, a bit of fun. It’s a nice, rich, fruit pudding without being sticky and it’s not overly sweet, which I found the Coles one to be.”Ìý

“It’s great value considering the generous fruit topping and it looks a bit special on the table – an easy Christmas centrepiece at a time when things can get quite busy and expensive, and all you have to do is whack it in the microwave to heat it up.”ÌýÌý

Another of our experts, CWA judge Alison Mutton, says: “If you don’t have time to do a complicated Christmas dessert, this is a good option. I ate absolutely everything that was on my plate!”Ìý

But if you’re swayed by the fancy Champagne hook, don’t be fooled. Our experts say: “You can’t taste the Champagne – I think it’s just a marketing gimmick, although the fruit could be marinated in it…”

How does the Coles pud compare?

When compared side by side with its Aldi counterpart, the judges noted that the fruit topping was not as generous on the Coles pudding, and it didn’t hold its shape as well when it was cut.Ìý

“It’s a good product though – it’s well presented with an interesting topping,” they say. “It’s moist and full of fruit, with a good, sweet flavour and a slightly bitter aftertaste.” It’s also a tad pricier than the Aldi version, but not by much.Ìý

Although it’s arguable that there’s nothing better than a homemade Christmas pudding (you can’t beat that dose of love and attention that goes into baking your own, after all), our experts noted that buying all the ingredients yourself, including the alcohol if that’s your cup of tea, can be quite expensive. Not to mention the time required to bake and ‘feed’ your pud with booze in the weeks leading up to Christmas to keep it moist and flavourful.Ìý

These store-bought versions are quick, easy and also hit the spot when it comes to flavour.

What makes the perfect pud?

Our experts put both the Aldi and Coles puddings to the test in a blind tasting, alongside 11 other puddings, ranging from high-end to budget. Each was independently judged on:

• shape
• weight
• balance of spice, fruit and alcohol flavoursÌý
• whether there was an even distribution of good-quality fruit ingredientsÌý
• whether they held their shape or collapsed when cut (because no-one wants an unidentified mess on the table once the first person takes their slice).

Our tasting panel then gave each pudding a ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Score, made up of appearance/quality of finish (25%), flavour and aroma (40%), texture/baked quality (20%) and mixture quality (15%).

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