Luxury Christmas Food from Aldi - Part 2 !

After my recent enthusiastic review of the low budget but nevertheless luxurious Christmas fayre on offer at Aldi, their press office got in touch to ask if I'd like to try some more goodies. Well, of course we would ! Everyone in The Madhouse was drooling when we unpacked their latest offerings and, until I reached the bottom and saw the compliments slip, I had no idea it was from Aldi as it looked far too expensive and high-quality to be from a budget supermarket chain.

First up was this impressive-looking box of Moser Roth Finest Milk Chocolate Truffles. The glossy octagonal box really looks the business and these would be perfect to keep tucked away in case you get unexpected Christmas visitors or neighbours calling who need a last-minute gift ! This sense of no-expense-spared luxury is continued when you take the lid off the box and discover the sweets inside. As well as being individually foil-wrapped, each sweet is ensheathed in a piece of cream-coloured tissue paper that - as Sophie said - makes them look like miniature Easter eggs ! But on to the most important thing - the truffles themselves. Having already tried Aldi's Choceur chocolate (here) and chocolate reindeer (here), I already knew that Aldi make seriously nice chocolate and they haven't let the side down with these truffles either, which are smooth, creamy and rich. As usual, the price is amazingly low with a 129g boxful costing just £1.69.

Keeping on the chocolate theme, we decided to try out the Specially Selected Chocolate Bombe. Now, I admit, I used the official photo from the Aldi website because my own wouldn't do it justice but just look at it - I barely need to use any words at all ! The chocolate sponge pudding just oozes with gorgeously molten chocolate sauce when you dig into it. It's decadent, rich and delicious and the kids - who aren't keen on Christmas pudding - have asked if they can have this instead for their Christmas dessert ! (RRP £1.79 for 227g)

From one totally decadent pudding to another - the Salted Caramel Sponge Puddings. These are absolutely to die for. They come in a twin pack of individual puddings so would be perfect for dessert at the end of a romantic meal or - ahem - for eating in secret for a fabulous moment (or two !) of mid afternoon me-time ! The puddings are moist and the caramel sauce is gooey with just the right balance of sweetness and saltiness. In a word - yum ! (RRP £1.99 for 2 x 115g)

 

Last but not least was a bottle of Oliver Cromwell 1599 Gin. Now, although I have drunk the odd glass of G&T in the past, it's not a drink that I turn to regularly so I can't really give you an expert opinion on this Aldi gin. It smells and tastes as I would expect gin to, with a distinctive juniper aroma, seeming quite potent but that's probably normal. I'll definitely be bringing this out over Christmas and I can also tell you that it has been awarded the Gin and Vodka Trophy at the International Wine and Spirit Competition, beating off some stiff competition. At just £8.99 for a 50cl bottle, it's certainly lighter on the pocket than most similar products so it definitely deserves a place on your Christmas booze shopping list !

Once again, I've been highly impressed by the quality of the products - in particular those absolutely gorgeous puddings. If you're looking to put on a fabulous festive feast for Christmas and New Year while working to a tight budget, they are exactly what you need so you'd be crazy to be put off by the Aldi label. Give them a go and the tastes will speak for themselves.

star rating : 5/5

RRP : see above for individual items

for more information : http://www.aldi.co.uk/

Other reviews you may be interested in :

Luxury Christmas Foods from Aldi review

Aldi Choceur Fairtrade Belgian Milk Chocolate review

Aldi Magnum Premium Original Washing Up Liquid review