Monday 4 July 2011

Ambrosia Crumble Puds- Rhubarb compote variety

Ambrosia! The food of gods and which bestows immortality. Crumble, the humble dessert with origins in Second World War rationing. And Custard, the ultimate comfort food, and the perfect addition to a British pud. All in one pot?!?! Giggle J

Right, got that out of my system. These Ambrosia custard duo pots (which sadly don’t give immortality, and to the best of my knowledge, were never eaten by Greek gods) arrived on shelves about 12 months ago, and feature a single tub of ‘crumble pieces’ with a second, larger serving of fruit compote and custard. Initially, opening up the lid, I was immediately aware of a sweet Rhubarb smell emanating from inside, and interestingly taken by the presentation. The dessert was effectively deconstructed, with the fruit compote layered beneath the custard, and had a separate crumble portion, which was to be sprinkled (or tipped if desired!) on top. This interactive element with the classic constituents of the pudding made, for me, the experience of eating all the more enjoyable.

I won't bore you with my opinions on Ambrosia brand custard, but it is a vibrant yellow fast-track to creamy diabetic shock...

The compote was remarkably sweet for Rhubarb, but was pleasingly natural in taste and odour. Its position under the custard still allowed its full flavour to be appreciated, and complemented the creamy Ambrosia perfectly. The Crumble meanwhile, was slightly salty and remarkably similar to digestive biscuits. Although very tasty and moreish, it’s not a proper crumble topping, which I always think should soften in the mouth into a rich, and buttery mix.

Aditionally, the pieces were displeasingly uniform in shape, in fact they were closer to animal feed pellets than the knobbly pieces of goodness a homemade Crumble would have, and as a result I had a unappetising associations with them even before they graced my mouth.

Whilst I may appear to not like certain elements, it is a pleasurable (if sweet) pudding, and although not the most sophisticated or accurate, it is a good mass-market interpretation that will satisfy most.

In a Word and a Number... Disassembled [74]

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