For more food and drink visit list.co.uk/food-and-drink
No chefs, no food critics, no pretentious comments – our Christmas taste test was performed blind by folks who know nothing other than what they like. See below for the products the people picked
VISIT LIST.CO.UK TO FIND LOCATIONS AND CONTACT DETAILS FOR ALL SUPPLIERS
Morrison’s Best Top Iced Round, £5 ●●●●● It’s all very fruity down Morrison’s way, if a little too sweet for some tastes. Moist and laden with marzipan, this is definitely a good deal for a fiver. A. Dalgetty & Sons Cake from Hopetoun Farm Shop, £6.49 ●●●●● We liked the thick layer of marzipan, but found little else to love about this cake which was lacking in flavour. Snazzy packaging though.
B E S T B U Y
Broughton Deli Cranberry Sauce, £3.25 ●●●●● Somehow the clever folk at Broughton Deli have managed to take the taste and smell of Christmas, put it in a jar and sell it to us in the form of this delicious cranberry sauce. Yum. Morrison’s Cranberry Sauce, £1.49 ●●●●● Substantial texture makes up for the slighly insubstantial taste. The chunky bits of cranberry were a hit with our List taste panel, though it’s just a bit too bland to stand out from the crowd.
Coffee, Chocolate and Tea Truffles, £10 ●●●●● There’s real variety in this well presented box of chocolates. Sadly, looks aren’t everything, and the flavours are something of a let-down in comparison to the pretty packaging. Booja Booja ‘The Gourmet Selection’ Truffles (from Real Foods), £14.99 ●●●●● It seems Chistmas chocolates can be too boozy – and in this case also lacking in taste. We had such hopes for the ‘banoffee’ truffle . . .
Vanilla Blacks Mince Pies, £1.50 each ●●●●● With their sweet, orangey filling Vanilla Black’s Mince Pies feel a little different to the norm, and they get brownie points for that, even if the pastry may be a little too cakey. Marks And Spencer’s Mince Pies (gluten free), £2.69 (for 4) ●●●●● Not just any mince pie, but a Markies mince pie. Alas, tough and chewy pastry does little to impress here, while the filling is easily forgettable. Sorry celiacs.
B E S T B U Y Champagne Taittinger, £25 (from Majestic Wines) ●●●●● Those who like their fizz on the rather dry side may find this nippy little number appealing. Others, some us included, found it a touch too acidic.
Waitrose Champage Blanc De Noirs, £18.99 ●●●●● This is a decent bottle of bubbles; flavoursome, dry and leaving you wanting just a little bit more. It gets the thumbs up from us.
BRING A TOUCH OF FAMOUS SPIRIT TO YOUR FESTIVE CELEBRATIONS
The Famous Grouse – A Whisky Companion is the ultimate guide to Scotland’s favourite whisky and the perfect gift for any foodie or whisky lover this Christmas. With sections on the history and heritage of the brand, and explanations of the distilling and blending processes used, the book offers a fascinating insight into how the whisky has grown from such modest beginnings to become famous all around the world. Their expert team of chefs have been working hard to combine two great loves, whisky and food, and have created a mouth-watering collection of new recipes and cocktails.
This great little book will help you kiss goodbye to your festive entertaining dilemmas whilst also making the perfect gift. The cookbook is on sale from The Famous Grouse Experience in Crieff and from the online shop www.thefamousgrouse.com/online-shop (RRP £9.99)
And to whet your appetite here’s one of the delicious recipes featured in the new book:
The Famous Grouse Christmas Strudel Serves 4 (makes 2 strudels)
Ingredients: 2 eating apples (preferably Cox’s), peeled, cored and diced 2 ripe pears, peeled, cored and diced 225 g mincemeat 50 ml (2 drams) The Famous Grouse Flour, for dusting 1 packet filo pastry (6 large sheets) 50 g butter, melted 2 tsp icing sugar 1 tsp cinnamon 200 g crème fraiche, to serve
Method: Preheat the oven to 200°C (gas mark 6).
In a bowl, mix together the apple, pears and mincemeat, stir in the whisky and set aside for 30 minutes. Place a sheet of filo pastry lengthways on a lightly floured surface and brush with melted butter. Place another sheet on top, brush with melted butter again and top with a third sheet. Spoon half the filling onto the pastry along the edge nearest you, about 2.5 cm from the edge. Roll the filling up in the pastry, tucking the ends in as you go. Place the strudel onto a greased baking sheet.
Repeat with the remaining filo pastry sheets and filling. Brush the outside of the strudels with melted butter and bake in the preheated oven for about 15–20 minutes until golden.
Place on a serving plate and dust with icing sugar and cinnamon. Serve with crème fraiche.
Win a copy To be in with the chance of winning one of five copies, just log on to list.co.uk/offers and tell us:
How much is The Famous Grouse – A Whisky Companion? Terms & Conditions Competition closes 4 Jan 2012. There is no cash alternative. Usual List rules apply.
15 Dec-5 Jan 2012 THE LIST 59