Glamour Puds: Treacle Sponge & Passionfruit Chiffon Pie (Gluten, Dairy & Soya Free) Review

Whilst in Tesco recently I spotted these new Gluten Free puds from Glamour Puds. I'd heard about them on Twitter recently and that Tesco were threatening to de-list them, so I grabbed some whilst I still could. I prefer gluten-free products as I am somewhat gluten-sensitive and always love to see how they compare to gluten-containing products. As well as being gluten-free, these ones are also soya and dairy free.

Treacle Sponge:

The first pud I tried was this Treacle Sponge. It was rather small compared to some treacle sponges I've tried before, but still the perfect size for one person. Once I microwaved it it developed a lovely sweet aroma and smelled no different to a regular treacle pudding. I couldn't just eat it by itself so I made some custard to go with it!

It tasted delicious; the sponge was very rich and had a lovely buttery treacle flavour. The extra treacle on top added to the luxurious taste, and being honest I couldn't tell the difference between this and a regular "gluten" treacle sponge. The custard of course was the perfect acompaninment and enhanced the experience even more!

Overall, this is a delicious gluten-free dessert, and best of all you would never tell it's gluten-free! My only complaint is that I'd have liked more treacle on top of the sponge...although I suppose it's a good excuse to add some extra of your own!

RATING: 8 out of 10.

Passionfruit Chiffon Pie:

Next up I tried this Passionfruit Chiffon Pie...yes, right after trying the Treacle Sponge! My justification for this is that the puds were rather small...or maybe I just have a big mouth! The pie consists of shortcrust pastry with a passionfruit mousse filling, and is gluten, dairy & soya free. If you're wondering what a chiffon pie is there's a blurb on the pack which explains: "Chiffon pies are absolutely wonderful, rather like elegant Victorian ladies, often quivery or trembly, always delicate, but with a sound, well bred constitution."

Elegant or not...I decided to go straight in with a spoon and break it into pieces...but only so I could eat it delicately and elegantly, of course!

Whilst I enjoyed the zingy fresh passionfruit flavour, I have to say I wasn't enamoured with the pastry. I think because it's dairy free and they used vegetable margraine, which I'm not a huge fan of. I think coconut oil might've been a better choice, taste-wise. Despite that though I still very much enjoyed the pie as the filling was delicious!

Overall, despite my issues with the pastry I still thought this was a very good dessert and would recommend it to anyone avoiding gluten, dairy or soya!

RATING: 7.5 out of 10. 

Overall, I'm very impressed with Glamour Puds. Whilst many free-from desserts are inferior versions of the real thing these stand on their own as tasty desserts and don't compromise on taste. I do think the Chiffon Pie would be nicer with an alternative fat for the pastry, but I realize it's difficult to make a dessert that is not only gluten free, but dairy and soya free too. Kudos to Glamour Puds for their efforts...I just wish I'd picked up the chocolate sponge pudding now!

I hope they stick around in Tesco stores and don't get de-listed, because there needs to be more variety of desserts for those who cannot eat gluten, dairy or soya (plus, according to research one in three UK households have food allergies, so there is clearly a market for such products!).

To learn more about Glamour Puds, check out their website: http://www.glamourpuds.com/

Glamour Puds are available from Tesco Stores (at least for now!)