Yesterday I tackled the main courses and sides I picked up with the Valentine's meal deal from Tesco, and today I'm moving onto the desserts. It's a hard job, but someone's gotta do it. I chose some pretty nice looking offerings, and although you can't quite see the chocolate heart torte in the picture there, let me tell you, it certainly looks the part.
Tesco Finest Heritage Raspberry & Sicilian Lemon Dessert
This is one I picked up mainly because it looked a bit different from the various forms of cake on the shelf. Raspberry and lemon seemed like an interesting mixture, and the topping with white chocolate curls looked pretty nice too. In essence, it's nothing fancy, it's a lot like a trifle. There's a raspberry jelly at the bottom, which is nice, smooth and fruity. On top of that, there's the lemon curd. I'm assured it's Sicilian lemon, but it doesn't taste particularly fancy. Nice though. The topping is probably the best part, a nice creamy mousse infused with mascarpone and lemon, that really adds flavor on top of other ingredients. The white chocolate is a welcome addition too, providing a nice bit of texture to the creaminess. All in all, it does seem a lot like a jumped up trifle, but it's definitely tasty, so while it's a little bland, it's certainly worth a go.
My rating: 4/5
Tesco Finest Belgian Chocolate Heart Torte
This is the dessert that really had me salivating. It's a nice thick wedge, in a perfect heart shape, with the main body consisting of a fantastically creamy chocolate cheesecake. On top there's a layer of dark chocolate, which isn't overly noticeable but is a nice touch. The only thing I wasn't sure of was the base. Having a cheesecake centre, you'd expect a bit of digestive on the bottom, but instead it's a fairly ordinary chocolate sponge. It's nice, sure, but I wasn't expecting it, and I found it didn't go too well, and just blended into the cheesecake without adding much to the dish. Still, this dessert is very nice, and there's a lot of it too, especially compared to the other dessert I picked up.
Tesco Finest Chocolate Hearts Box
Neither me or the missus are big wine drinkers, so I opted for this chocolate box to round off the meal. It's nice to have an alternative for those who don't want to get boozy, and the packaging certainly gives off a romantic air. But it's what's inside that counts.
Well, top marks for presentation. Every one of these is perfectly decorated, from the dusting on the champagne chocolated to the oddly compelling white etchings on the back of the dark vanilla chocolate. I often find with big fancy boxes like this that there a few I have to choke down, and I certainly wasn't looking forward to eating some of these. But I was pleasantly surprised. The champagne chocolate isn't too heavy on the champagne, and has a nice thick white chocolate shell to add some creaminess. There's a darjeeling tea chocolate that I was certain I'd hate, but it actually works extremely well, a lovely subtle tea flavor that blends in very nicely with the dark chocolate surrounding it. There wasn't one chocolate in this box that I didn't like, they all have lovely balances of chocolate and filling, with top notch praline, vanilla, raspberry and more that make for a great variety of flavours. The centrepiece is a simple chocolate heart, but it's huge and thick. Definitely one for you to split with your significant other, and the perfect finish to a great box of chocolates.
My rating: 5/5
So if you're feeling frugal this Valentine's Day, or just don't fancy battling the crowds and want a nice meal indoors with minimal effort, have a look at the Tesco Finest Valentine's Meal For Two. There's quite a wide selection of dishes that all look pretty damn good, and the price is nothing to be sniffed at. I would try and make a tentative pun regarding "sniffed" and flowers, but you guys don't deserve to be punished.
