Asda and Marks & Spencer reveal festive bakery line-up. Here British Baker presents a round-up of the festive baked treats set to appear on supermarket shelves in the coming months.

Asda

Asda’s Christmas range focuses heavily on sweet treats, from an Extra Special Chocolate Reveal Cake, a chocolate sponge layered with profiteroles revealed when a hot salted caramel sauce is poured on top, to a Giant Éclair - below right. Other additions include an Extra Special Clementine & Ginger Melt in the Middle Pudding, Microwave Snowman Centrepiece Cake - below centre - and Roddy the Reindeer.

Savoury festive fancies are far from absent, though, with innovative canapés such as Extra Special BBQ Pulled Pork Waffles and a Mexican Selection comprising pulled chicken wraps, spicy bean tacos and chicken sliders. An Extra Special Festive Pork & Cranberry Jumbo Sausage Roll - pictured below left - rounds off the range. 

Marks & Spencer

Tudor Pie (1.5kg) - pictured below right - has made a comeback after featuring on an episode of last year’s Great British Bake Off. Now, M&S has added a festive version, made with pork, turkey, cranberries, stuffing and chestnuts encased in a hot water crust pastry. Vegan Butternut & Beetroot Filo Parcels (350g) lead the charge for those avoiding meat and dairy this Christmas.

When it comes to pudding there is plenty to choose from, even for those avoiding gluten. These include the Six Month Matured Extremely Fruity Gluten Free Christmas Pudding (454g) and Gluten Free Mince Pies (205g), with variants containing gluten also available.

M&S is offering a Melting Belgian Chocolate & Toffee Sponge Pudding (562g), Chocolate Christmas Pudding Cake (1.3kg) - below centre - filled with golden chocolate coins and a Luxury Salted Caramel & Chocolate Yule Log (660g) as centrepieces. Meanwhile, the Santa Stuck in the Chimney Cake (1.2kg) - pictured below left - provides some family fun this festive season.

Tesco

The toffee and buttercream Winter Woodland Cake (pictured below left), which costs £10 (1.04kg) is a real showstopper. “Layers of rich, toffee-flavoured sponge sandwiched with a sweet toffee-flavoured buttercream. Finished with piped ganache, crunchy pecans, festive holly-leaf motifs and shimmering ‘gold dust’.” The Black Forest Wreath Cake (789g) for £8 is another reinvention of a retro favourite. “Combining the traditional dark chocolate and black cherry flavours, our creation is then baked in a seasonal wreath shape for an extra festive touch.”

The Finest range also includes a Christmas Pork Pudding Pie (780g), which retails for £5; Special Delivery Cake (1.5kg) – a traditional Christmas cake that costs £15; Free-From Vanilla Christmas Cake Kit (585g) for £4.50 (free from milk, wheat, gluten and egg); Free-From 3D Gingerbread Star Kit (525g) £4, which Tesco says is the first egg-free gingerbread mix to market; and a Selection of Mini Festive Pastry Tarts for £2, which are all-butter mince pies infused with Courvoisier VS Cognac and port. 

Iceland

This year’s offering includes Ten Extra Mature Vintage Cheddar Souflettes (250g) - pictured below right - which have been four years in development. The retailer describes them as “a frozen world first”.

Also new in the frozen range are Eight Fruity Éclairs (120g), in apricot, raspberry, blackcurrant and lemon. Last year’s award-winning Six Luxury Mince Pies are back too: “All-butter pastry filled with a luxury mincemeat of plump vine fruits laced with brandy and cider.”

Scallop & Champagne Pastry Crowns - pictured below centre - (2 x100g) are another highlight of this year’s festive bakery range, alongside Twelve Bruschetta Collection, Roast Parsnip & Portobello Mushroom Pithivier (600g), Luxury Melt in the Middle Christmas Trees (2 x 75g), Twelve Macarons (132g), and a Christmas Pudding Melt (800g).

Waitrose
Heston Blumenthal has created a black forest panettone, which is a cherry-scattered bread, topped with dark chocolate and kirsch-soaked cherries. The Heston from Waitrose Black Forest Panettone will retail for £12.50, and a Black Forest Sparkle Bar dessert, which it claims is a modern twist on the classic 1970s pudding, will cost £13.

Waitrose executive chef Jonathan Moore said: “It was back in October 2016 as part of our annual Food and Drink Report that we noted that foodie trends from the 1970s were set to make a resurgence.

“Flavours of Black Forest [gateau] bring back fond memories for many and it’s most definitely enjoying a revival.”

New Ginger Spiced Mince Pies are made with all-butter chocolate pastry, and will cost £2 for a pack of four. 

Lidl
A Deluxe 24 Month Matured Christmas Pudding (907g) leads the charge for Lidl this year, which it claims to be a British supermarket first, alongside a croquembouche that can be constructed and decorated at home.

Other new additions are Favorina 4 Gluten Free Mince Pies, Favorina Gluten Free Christmas Pudding (454g), Favorina Mini Panettone, chocolate chip or plain (100g), Deluxe 6 Super Premium Mince Pies.

Other highlights include a Favorina Panettone Classico (1kg) and a Deluxe Luxury All Over Iced Christmas Cake (1kg).

Aldi
This year’s Deep Filled Festive Sandwiches will be available in Brie & Cranberry; Turkey Feast With Pigs Under Blankets; and Ham Hock, Cheddar & Chutney.

There will also be three pies: Specially Selected Slow Cooked British Steak & Stilton; Specially Selected British Beef Brisket Burrito; and Specially Selected Slow Cooked Beef & Merlot Pie.

Other highlights include Specially Selected Festive Tiffin; Gluten-Free Mince Pies; Specially Selected Gingerbread Topped Mince Pies; and Specially Selected Sloe Gin Mince Tarts.

Sainsbury’s
A Taste the Difference Tiffin Wreath (pictured below centre) is the star of the show at Sainsbury’s, made of crunchy shortcake biscuit pieces along with a mix of dried cranberries and juicy raisins, encased in smooth Belgian dark and milk chocolate. Moulded into the shape of a wreath, it is finished with a shimmering gold lustre effect.

There’s also an 18 Month Matured Christmas Pudding; a By Sainsbury’s Penny the Penguin Cake; a Taste the Difference Tomato, Mozzarella & Pesto Puff Pastry Tree; and a Make Your Own Gingerbread House (pictured below right), and Shortbread Reindeer Biscuits.

Morrisons

The Best Pedro Ximénez Sherry and Pear Christmas Pudding (pictured below left), and the Free From Polar Bear Cake (pictured below centre) steal the show, but the range also includes Christmas Tree Crumpets (pictured below right); The Best Dark Chocolate and Caramel Fudge Teacakes; The Best Chocolate Christmas Tree; The Best Yule Log; and The Best All Butter Deep Filled Mince Pies.

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