The Sydney Morning Herald logo
Advertisement

Christmas taste test: Eight of the best of the supermarket sweets

Callan Boys
Callan Boys

These gin-infused fruit mince tarts might be Woolies' best effort to date.
These gin-infused fruit mince tarts might be Woolies' best effort to date.Supplied

For the past fortnight, the Good Food team has been working through all the Christmas supermarket exclusives for 2021 and we're still only halfway there.

The retailers haven't even launched their complete festive ranges yet – Coles' first turducken won't hit stores until December 18 and Woolworths has a few more savoury offerings under embargo for the same day.

Advertisement

Next week, we'll publish a full list featuring the good (Aldi's ham), the bad (cheese and salmon pastry puffs) and the ugly (turkey kiev balls) to help guide that final Christmas shop but, in the meantime, here are the top supermarket sweets we've discovered to date.

Coles' fruit mince tarts with a crumble topping.
Coles' fruit mince tarts with a crumble topping.Supplied

Coles Finest Luxury Fruit Mince Crumble Mini Tarts

220g six-pack, $6

The worst part about supermarket mince tarts – besides cloying fruit and oily pastry – is too often the massive gap between pie filling and roof. Sometimes you can fit a whole extra tart in that space.

Advertisement

Coles has rectified this fault in 2021 by topping cherry brandy-soaked vine fruits with a coconut and almond crumble rather than a standard pastry lid. Smart. Also, pretty delicious!

Woolworths Gold Gin Infused Fruit Mince Tarts

220g six-pack, $9

Photo: Supplied

Sticking with mince tarts, these guys might be Woolies' best effort to date. Davidson plum buzzes over the top of a warming apple and sultana fruit mince, cased in all-butter pastry made by Buonissimo, a family-owned bakery based in Sydney that has been supplying Woolworths since 2016. Attractive star-shaped lids and a light dusting of icing sugar makes these tarts more than suitable for a table display too.

Advertisement

Aldi Curated Collection Luxury Milk Chocolate Burnt Butterscotch

Photo: Supplied

125g, $5.99

The kind of hard candy butterscotch we don't see enough of these days, chopped into odd-sized bits and pieces and coated in chocolate. These will absolutely get stuck in your teeth and are essentially a fancy Fantale without the Michael Douglas biography.

Coles Finest Australian Cream with St-Remy Brandy

Advertisement

250g, $4

Properly thick, delivering a dollop that stands to attention. The brandy and cream balance is bang-on to soften a boozy pud or brighten a dull one.

Milky Bar meets dulce de leche: Woolworths' white chocolate and macadamia tarts.
Milky Bar meets dulce de leche: Woolworths' white chocolate and macadamia tarts.Supplied

Woolworths Gold White Chocolate and Macadamia Tarts

220g six-pack, $9

Advertisement

Another tart made under commission by Buonissimo Bakery, these pucks are filled with a sweet and fudgy mix of white chocolate, honey and Murray River salt flakes. A tumble of roasted macadamias top each treat and the end result tastes like a Milky Bar got fresh with dulce de leche.

Aldi's iced Christmas cake (top left).
Aldi's iced Christmas cake (top left).Supplied

Aldi Curated Collection Luxury Iced Christmas Cake

900g, $17

If you're one of the 8 per cent of Australians who actually enjoy a wedding-style iced Christmas cake, then hi – welcome to the club! We meet once a year at the Cooma Multifunction Centre. A hot topic for conversation at the next AGM will be Aldi's admirable dabble in the marzipan-covered art, rich with glace cherries, sultanas and rum.

Advertisement
This mousse log will keep you coming back for more.
This mousse log will keep you coming back for more.Supplied

Coles Finest Indulgent Mirror Glaze Mousse

570g, $20

Well done, Coles. This is a super decadent (and very shiny) dessert log to whip out for afternoon tea over the holidays. Belgian dark chocolate provides the mousse with a depth of flavour uncommon to the supermarket sweets section, and of all items tried this is the one we keep returning to for seconds.

Woolworths Gold Roasted Almond Shortbread.
Woolworths Gold Roasted Almond Shortbread.Supplied
Advertisement

Woolworths Gold Roasted Almond Shortbread

500g, $14

These buttery little moons are a little on the sweet side, but nothing a strong espresso or bitter amaro can't solve. Bonus points for the logo-free gold tin perfect for storing buttons.

Callan BoysCallan Boys is editor of SMH Good Food Guide, restaurant critic for Good Weekend and Good Food writer.

From our partners

Advertisement
Advertisement