Aldi/Lidl best Xmas buys?

[Littlepleasures]

On a restricted budget this year. What are your best buys from the budget supermarkets to make Xmas more affordable?

It's a swirly danish pastry with raisins and, um, some flavouring or other. Vanilla maybe? It is compulsory to unwind them and break bits off to eat.

Actually, given its name, I suspect it is a French pastry rather than Danish... some kind of croissant perhaps.

The deluxe aisle in lidl = freeze dried sour cherries in dark chocolate. Soooooooo good

Lidl mini stollen are half price.

Going off piste but the Iceland luxury mince pies are amazing!! Lots of lovely stuff in
Lidl too. Meats, cheeses, pate! And the prosecco!! Do a stock up there then head to larger supermarket to fill the gaps.

Thank you Soupdragon must get some in!

I've just tried the Aldi Cocoa Dusted Truffles.

Oh
My
God.

Without a will of iron these could be gone in 30 seconds.

As an aside, I had a Pai aux Rasins from Starbucks today - bigger than Aldi but nowhere near as nice. It was far drier.

I've done some extensive testing and I can now confirm that the aldi mini stollen are much nicer than the Lidl ones. CAUTION: NOT the chocolate ones. A disappointment.

And the Aldi sea salt and chocolate fudge was amazing. I've bought it 3 times already, and went back for more, bit it is all gone. I've been back back a couple of times to check. And asked my mum to check hers. Christmas is ruined now.

Were there Apple stollen inAldi or did imagine/misread that?

LIDL do an apple stollen, Soup - not seen one in Aldi.

Were the truffles the ones in a triangularish box, Soup ?

Because I tried the other sort and disliked them enough to pass the rest of the pack to DP to finish for me.

The box is kind of narrower at the bottom.

And kind of emptier than it was before.

Thanks Zebra...ive only been to Aldi so it definitely wasn't Lidl. I can't decide whether Apple stollen would be nice or not.

I might venture back tomorrow to stock up on truffles

I bought the cocoa dusted truffles for one of his presents, for my nephew in law. He is having a pouch of celebrations now mwah haha

Soupdragon ....sob no pains aux raisins stocked in my Aldis

I am venturing into Lidl tomorrow for a frozen goose 18 quid we had one last year and it was amazing, to think normally they are 60 quid and up will also get some lebkuken if its still available.

Its the queues that are a killer in mine, so long all the time. Will check out the other stuff peeps have mentioned - good tip re alcohol...will check out sherry and vodka

Those truffles look the exact same shape as some Monty Bojangles ones that I oinked just the other day.
Hmmmm.

I think I ought to try them, in the name of research.

I hope no one bought the black truffle hand cooked crisps from Aldi they are horrible. I want to take them back and get me money back they are so bad

www.goodhousekeeping.co.uk/consumer-advice/news-views/go-to-aldi-for-the-best-value-christmas-dinner Take a look the best buys here.

Mrsmadevan they were loose in the "freshly baked" section in mine.

Having tested a few more of the truffles, I wonder if they leave a slightly odd feel in my mouth. I can't be sure if it's just me as I do have problems with certain random foods doing this to me.

I will, obviously, check the rest of the box to see.

ahh thank you Soupdragon I have not got a bakery in mine .......thinking I will find the nearest one to me with a bakery asap
let us know the results of your valient research on behalf of Mankind/MB re the truffles

There was an article in the guardian where foodie types taste tested various Christmas foods. They rated the Lidl Favorina panettone as the best, better than some £18 versions.

One of the Sunday supplements had chefs doing a taste test of lots of different festive goodies - including high-end stuff like Selfridges and Fortnums. Lidl and Aldi did very well (often better than the high-end!)

Top purchases according to that included:

Lidl panettone (better than Selfridges for 1/5th of the price!)
Aldi truffled Brie
Aldi cheddar truckle

Iceland's luxury mince pies were also top rated - and nearly £10 cheaper than Fortnums!