I loved the idea of these little continental treats. It's an assortment of 5 croissants, 5 pain aux raisins, and 5 pain au chocolat, providing an eye catching variety and something for everyone.
Because pastries lose their allure so quickly after they've been baked or bought as they go dry and stale, these are perfect for those wanting freshness. What could be better than tucking into a warm, flaky pastry literally straight from the oven. They're also convenient as you only need to take out what you want and then can be stashed away for whenever you next want one at a moment's notice.
Taking them out of the packet, I chose a pain aux raisins and a pain au chocolat. Although small, you could see they were packed with plump little raisins and a generous filling of rich chocolate. All I needed to do was bake them in the oven for 12 minutes, making them quick and convenient as well.
In no time at all, the house was filled with a buttery bakery smell that had me salivating. The pastries were cooked to perfection. Rich and golden in colour, puffed up and crisp and with a lovely warm, fresh baked feel. You couldn't have had anything more fresh without going to a bakery. The pain au chocolat had lovely flecks of rich, gooey melted chocolate streaked throughout but was still intact rather than a splogy mess.
With a spot on aroma, feel and look, the only thing left to deliver on was taste and they more than met expectation. The use of Charentes butter was evident - the pastry was deliciously buttery, sweet and rich with the perfect texture. The pastry was flaky and crisp without being dry and so satisfying to eat.
The fillings were also done to perfection. The pain au chocolat had a deep, dark and silky chocolate inner that blissfully melted on the tongue. The pain aux raisins meanwhile was full to bursting with sticky sweet and juicy raisins.
I thought these were far better than the croissants and pastries you can get from the bakery aisle. They're convenient, quick and don't cause any waste. You get choice and variety and because they're so small, they're not too sinful. And yet they taste utterly decadent. Definitely worth having a stash of these in the deep freeze for when you want a French breakfast.
Price: £2.99
Available: Waitrose
Pros: Authentic, flaky pastry made with real Charentes butter. Something for all tastes. Quick, fresh and convenient. Can be stored in the freezer for whenever you want them. Mini so great for portion control.
Cons: Obviously not that healthy
Score: 8/10
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