With so many presents to wrap, hams to glaze and relatives to placate we too can get a little overwhelmed at Christmas. Alleviate some of the stress by sneaking a few store bought treats in after the feast, people will be so full, they won’t even notice the wrapping marks. Give store-bought items an at home touch by serving with a good quality ice cream or even some home-made custard or brandy sauce.
NEWCASTLE’S PUDDING LADY CHRISTMAS CAKE 500gm, $28
It’s got a good appearance and it smells good. It’s pretty dense with fruit and it could be boozier. JS 3
Great colour; it looks slow cooked. Quite complex but it could be boozier. CT 4
Looks good – nice and moist. It smelled good but it’s a little sweet after a while. LF 4
Have your cake and…
Clockwise from far left: Lisa Featherby (left), Jane Strode and Christopher Thé contemplate the Puddings on the Ritz Christmas cake; Coles iced Christmas cake; tasting notes; Phillippa’s Christmas cake; Newcastle’s Pudding Lady cake.
SIMON JOHNSON CHRISTMAS PUDDING 1kg, $56
I like the colour – it looks shiny. There’s a bit too much peel in there for me. I think you should have a light hand with peel, just because it’s so strong. It’s a bit grey and greasy; it falls apart. JS 2.5
This looks well-made. I think the flavour’s okay, but the texture is crumbly. CT 3
It’s quite sweet and really moist, almost like when you’ve been boiling something and moisture gets into it. The sultanas are nice and plump and they’re whole. Maybe the fruit needed to be cut up a little. LF 3
PUDDINGS ON THE RITZ CLASSIC MINCE TARTS Pack of 4, $14.95
It’s flat. It should be filled with fruit, I think – there’s too much pastry. The fruit is really jammy, but I do like the icing sugar on top. JS 2
It’s nice and neat, but the mince is jammy. It ends too sweet. CT 2.5
It’s quite shallow and jammy on the inside. LF 2
PUDDINGS ON THE RITZ CHRISTMAS CAKE 500gm, $27.95
It’s very dry – it even looks dry. It doesn’t cut nicely either, it just falls apart. JS 2
I like the dried figs, but the glacé cherries are too strong. CT 2
I like the colour of this one. It’s full of fruit and I can see some cherries, which is nice. It’s really dry. It’s like the sultanas haven’t been plumped properly. LF 2
PUDDINGS ON THE RITZ CLASSIC CHRISTMAS PUDDING 500gm, $27.95
It’s salty, almost minerally, like a salty mineral water. I’m not loving this one. JS 2
It looks less commercial than the others – a little chariness is nice. It looks like it has a molasses finish. The complexity is okay. I don’t mind it – it’s quite acidic though, very tangy. CT 3.5
I find the texture quite weird, and I’m picking up citric acid coming through. LF 2
PUDDING LANE CLASSIC CHRISTMAS PUDDING 1.5kg, $55
This looks promising. It cuts nicely and I really like the spice. The coin in a bag is a bit dodgy, but everything else about it is fantastic. JS 4
It’s obviously hand-done, wrapped in calico. It’s got a great colour and mouth-feel because it’s boozy. I really like it – this is what I call pudding. CT 4
I do like the look of this. I kind of like the idea of a coin in there, but in a bag it’s horrible. I love the flavour and texture. I would serve this on my table for sure. LF 5
Let the eating begin.
PHILLIPPA’S MINCE PIES Pack of 6, $14.90
I like the fact that there’s a cut-out and you can see the mince. To me there’s a bit too much pastry compared with fruit, and the mince is all the same. JS 2
The mince looks pasty and there’s not much spice. The pastry is okay. No flakiness. CT 2
I love a little star on top of a mince pie, but it doesn’t taste like a real mince pie to me. The mince filling is a bit pasty and the pastry is not that great. LF 2
PHILLIPPA’S TRADITIONAL PLUM PUDDING 900gm, $39.95
I’m not so keen on the colour. It just looks a bit grey. The mouth-feel’s not great, and it really crumbles. JS 2
Greasy and quite eggy. There’s not much complexity – it eats like an over-cooked brûlée. CT 1
This smells good. It’s fatty – after a heavy meal, feeling that fat on your tongue wouldn’t be enjoyable. LF 2
PHILLIPPA’S CHRISTMAS CAKE 750gm, $32
The colour of the cake is good. It’s very sweet and the chunks of gluggy fruit are overwhelming. I reckon it could have a bit more spice and it should be a bit moister. JS 2.6
It’s a little claggy and one-dimensional. It’s not punchy enough to call special. JT 3
It’s a bit dry and that big chunk of fruit is a bit off-putting for me. There’s little spice. LF 3
HARRODS MINCE PIES WITH CRANBERRIES Pack of 6, 24.95
There seems to be more fruit – and nuts. There’s almost a spritzy sensation, like a fruit tingle. It’s not a bad sensation but it’s strange. JS 2
The balance of pastry to fruit is good. There’s some booze present (finally!). But there’s a fermented quality. CT 3
All round, a better pie. I like the nuts in this. I like the mix of fruit too, and there’s a sourness which is good. Apart from the slightly rancid butter taste – all good. LF 3
GEORGE & SIMPSON LUXURY FRUIT MINCE PIES Pack of 6, $12.95
There’s an overriding flavour in the fruit mince, almost like orange marmalade. It tastes like an intensified orange to me, and not much else. The pastry’s got character. JS 2.5
Very cute. The shortbready pastry is quite nice, but the filling tastes lolly-like. CT 3.5
What I like about these is that they have different decorations on top, so they’re not all the same. The fruit is lolly-like and pasty. I don’t mind it. LF 3
DAVID JONES UN-ICED FRUIT CAKE 700gm, $22.95
I like that it’s square, so you can have a slice – as opposed to a wedge – with your cup of tea. There’s a flavour in there I don’t like – almond essence. It seems to have more flour and a lot less fruit than the other ones. JS 1.5
Some of these had paper on the sides, which makes you think someone’s lined the tin – that only happens in small places. A bit cloying. CT 2
It looks quite rustic – I don’t mind a rustic-looking cake. Too much almond essence. The ginger powder and cinnamon are too strong and it’s too sweet. LF 1
COLES BUNDABERG RUM MINCE PIES Pack of 6, $4
The filling-to-pastry ratio is good, but the pastry is an odd yellow colour. I quite like the filling; there’s plenty of mince, which is good. JS 3
The yellow is like a fake yellow. The pastry tastes of lolly bananas, but the mince is not bad CT 2.5
That custard colour is a bit off-putting. There’s a strong fig taste. The filling is very moist, which is great. I didn’t like the aftertaste with this – it’s really quite strong, quite tangy. LF 3
COLES ICED CHRISTMAS CAKE 1kg, $10
The icing has been applied over the paper around the cake, which is annoying. It’s a bit bland. What’s missing? Booze, spice. I wonder how it would be with a cup of tea JS 2
The colour is good. It has the right look but it’s a bit flat. The icing is dried out – you wouldn’t go back for more. CT 3
The icing is very hard – it’s difficult to keep the fondant soft. People are taking a risk putting it on there. The cake lacks anything; there’s not much flavour. LF 3
COLES LUXURY CHRISTMAS PUDDING 900gm, $14
I like that they’ve left the almonds whole and the peel chunky. It’s got a great mouth-feel, it’s got punch. There’d be no shame in rocking up with this to somebody’s house. JS 4.5
Great presentation. It has character, it has life. The taste is intense and perfectly balanced. It’s got grog in there which I like. I only don’t like the soft texture. CT 4
Presentation: gorgeous. Definitely the most character. The candied orange on top is beautiful, but I don’t like the texture. It’s quite intense, for sure. LF 3
The taste test: how they were rated
The judges tasted each product blind and commented as they tasted. They awarded a star rating of one to five stars, five being the highest rating.
Short on time this Christmas? We asked a team of experts to rate a selection of shop-bought puddings, fruit mince pies and cakes. Consider this a cheat’s guide.
