Asda is once again embracing indulgent and warming flavours in its Christmas 2024 range, but with a spicy twist on tradition this time around.
Following last year’s success of its first-ever signature flavour, brown butter & spiced dark rum, Asda’s innovation team has brought back the concept with a new flavour for 2024 – Fig, Whisky, and Spiced Honey.
It noted that the rich, fruity, and elegant flavour profile had been developed through extensive trend tracking and experimentation by the team, led by senior director of food innovation and trends Jonathan Moore. Whisky provides sweet notes of oak, malt, and dried fruit, all highly complimenting winter foods, while honey is said to be having a global moment as a natural sweetener and identified as one of Asda’s trending ingredients for 2024/25.
The combination features in 16 new products across its entire 500-strong festive range, including Christmas pudding, mince pies, and even a cheese pastry.
Marrow bone, oozing Camembert, gingerbread, sticky toffee and more are also among the inclusions of the retailer’s own-label bakery line-up, many of which are under its new premier tier Exceptional range debuted earlier this year.
Read on to discover more about the new baked goods rolling out for the yuletide period at Asda:
Asda reckons no Christmas party is complete without some novelty snacks and has included Thai Red Curry Santa Hats and Penguin Bao Buns among its new for 2024 offerings. The hats are comprised of handmade red pastry cones, filled with chicken breast, vegetables, coconut milk, and red Thai curry paste. The bao buns are handmade soft and fluffy charcoal steamed buns, with a rich oyster mushroom and hoisin filling. Also pictured are Chilli Cheese Hash Brown Cups.
A selection of hand-topped seafood canapes can be enjoyed as part of Asda’s Exceptional Afternoon Sea. These include blinis with rich truffle soft cheese and smoked salmon, and mini crumpets with Marie Rose mousse and prawns.
Catering to the vegan partygoers, meanwhile, are the OMV! Mini Cranberry Topped No Pork Pies (sold in four-packs) made up of seasoned pea protein wrapped in golden pastry, topped with tangy cranberry sauce.
The eye-catching Exceptional Bone in Beef Pie sees a decorative marrow bone proudly standing up in the centre of the all-butter pastry case, which is filled with slow-cooked Aberdeen Angus Beef, caramelised onions, mushrooms and oak-smoked bacon and salsa Truffina.
The Exceptional Champagne & Vintage Chedder Scottish Salmon en Croute, which has Scottish salmon fillet accompanied by an oozing, vintage Champagne and cheddar sauce, encased in an all-butter pastry.
Rounding off the trio of shareable bakery dishes is the Exceptional Camembert & Chutney Pastry, a whole Camembert wheel with a layer of fig, whisky and honey chutney, placed inside an all-butter pastry case and topped with rosemary and a hot honey syrup.
There’s oozing for the choosing in a pork pie format as well this year. The Exceptional Melt in the Middle Camembert & Pork Pie combines a blend of seasoned British pork, smoked bacon and gammon with a creamy Camembert centre, topped with a pastry lid and two pastry stars. Other festive pies rolled out include the Exceptional Cranberry Topped Pork Pie, the Extra Large Cured Pork Pie, and the Exceptional Turkey, Pork & Apricot Lattice Pie.
Moving onto the sweet bakery side now, and the Exceptional Whisky, Fig and Spiced Honey Mince Pies are comprised of all butter shortcrust pastry filled with a warming Scotch Whisky-infused fig mincemeat, hand-finished with a spiced, honey Florentine and sweet dusting. Serve with a dollop of Exceptional Fig, Whisky And Spiced Honey Extra Thick Cream for added indulgence.
Asda’s innovation team leader Jonathan Moore said his favourite product from the Christmas 2024 range was the Exceptional Six Month Matured Jewelled Christmas Pudding Wreath. It’s made with Turkish vine fruits, figs and dates, and topped with glacé cherries and a dash of chilli honey.
Featuring a slow-baked meringue made with free-range eggs, the Extra Special Raspberry, Pistachio, & Passionfruit Pavlova Wreath is hand decorated with a scattering of raspberries, pistachio pieces, and raspberry compote, plus a tangy passionfruit cream for pop of colour.
A final festive showstopper is the Gingerbread & Caramel Snow Cake built from three layers of gingerbread and Madeira flavoured sponge stuck together with caramel sauce. A thick covering of vanilla frosting is then the base for a festive snow scene that includes a SweetMelt gingerbread house, wintry trees, and stars.
For a festive spin on a classic favourite, the Exceptional Sticky Toffee Swirl Pudding has all-butter sponge containing luxurious Deglet Nour dates. The pudding is presented with a festive star shape on top, which allows the melting caramel sauce to encase it all when poured.
Asda’s red-nosed reindeer character, Jingle, returns in a new sweet treat range that includes bakery items such as Jingle the Reindeer Cupcakes, Jingle the Reindeer Gingerbread Biscuit, and Jingle Chocolate Sponge.
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