8 Festive Season Pantry Must Haves
The increased demand for healthier, authentic and multi-functional food products continues to skyrocket since lockdown reminded people of their love for preparing meals and experimenting with new flavours and recipes. Plus, with the festive season looming, people are looking for healthy meal options for their holiday tables, but also products that will make meal prep quicker and easier. No one wants to spend ages in the kitchen over the festive period, we would all much rather be spending quality time with family and friends.
To make your life easier, we’ve put together a list of our top pantry picks for the festive season. These are guaranteed to make cooking a breeze during the holidays, giving you more time to relax!
Cook ‘n Bake non-stick sprays
Cook ‘n Bake has launched two new non-stick sprays, just in time for the festive season. Both home cooks and food service chefs will no doubt consider these new additions a necessity in their kitchen. Setting these non-stick sprays apart is the new Cook ‘n Bake Reduced Fat Mist-Free Spray formulation, which boasts a unique and first to market ‘non-cough’ formulation. It is also trans-fat-free and lower in sodium, and only 10 kJ per spray.
For the more health-conscious, the new Olive Oil Spray is perfect for cooking meat, fish and vegetables, giving you a heart-healthy alternative to frying.
Cook n Bake 500l Olive Oil Spray retails for a recommended price of R49.95 and the Cook n Bake Reduced fat Spray for R49.95.
Chuckles Smash Celebration Cake
No one has the time, or inclination to bake a cake over the festive season, and why would you when you can just buy this oh-so-decadent Chuckles-inspired cake? We’ve all been obsessed with Woolworth’s Chuckles for a long time now, and this festive season Woolie’s is taking things up a notch with a cake so divine you won’t be able to resist serving it at your next holiday party. The one-of-a-kind cake is made of decadent chocolate and malt flavoured sponges, layered with all butter malt icing over a crunchy milk chocolate centre and is finished with chuckles malted puffs underneath a chocolate dome.
Preparing this Chuckles Celebration Cake is super easy too. Simply release this giant from its packaging, smash the chocolate dome using the back of a large stainless steel spoon, and then cut with a gentle sawing action, using a serrated knife previously dipped in hot water. The 1KG cake serves 10 – 12 people and is sure to impress family and friends this festive season.
Chuckles Smash Celebration Cakes are available at Woolworths food stores at R299.99.
Cook ‘n Bake flavoured sugars
Another winner from Cook ‘n Bake is the new Cook ‘n Bake flavoured sugars. These delicious dessert toppers are sure to be super popular this festive season. The unique product is already inspiring people to create personalised dishes with unique flavours in their kitchens at home. The range includes four new flavoured sugars including French Vanilla, Salted Caramel, Decadent Cocoa, and Sweet Cinnamon.
Imagine French Vanilla-sprinkled whipped cream or Salted Caramel popcorn! Even the most mundane everyday snack, dessert or drink transforms into a taste discovery with these innovative flavoured sugars! Whether it’s Decadent Cocoa on pancakes or Sweet Cinnamon on waffles or cupcakes, the possibilities are endless.
Cook n Bake Flavoured Sugars are available at a recommended price of R29.99 per 75g shaker.
Goldcrest Coulis
Speaking of dessert, Goldcrest has launched three delicious new Coulis dessert toppings. A thin sauce derived from puréed and strained fruits, Coulis can be used to add a zesty sparkle to many different dishes this festive season, from ice-creams and waffles to cakes, meringues and even smoothies and cocktails.
Made from handpicked and sun-ripened fruit, the flavour-packed Granadilla, Mixed Berry and Mango Coulis offers versatility limited only by the imagination. If you have never tried a Coulis before, then experimenting with these delicious new products is the ideal way to wow your loved ones with new taste sensations as we head towards the festive season. These Coulis sauces will perfectly compliment any dessert this festive season and are a must-have in the pantry.
Goldcrest Coulis flavours are available at a recommended price of R29.99 per 150g pouch.
Forage And Feast All Butter Hertzoggie Fruit Mince Pies
These ready-to-devour sweet pies will make for a quick and easy dessert that the entire family will enjoy. This buttery short crushed pastry is loaded with premium fruit mince and a delectable meringue that everyone will love. When you need a simple and quick approach to save your Christmas table, all you have to do now is place these scrumptious pies in the oven and wait for them to bake. They will be ready in a matter of minutes. When all the textures and flavours are blended, you will get a sweet and crispy taste that you will be sure to like. You can enhance your tasting experience by adding ice cream, custard, cream, or any other dessert topping.
This 4-pack of delicious, easy-to-use fruit mince pies form part of Checker’s incredible Forage and Feast range. The luxury range offers all sorts of decadent and delicious convenience foods that will take pride of place at any festive table.
The Forage And Feast All Butter Hertzoggie Fruit Mince Pies are available for a limited time only at Checker’s stores at R79.99.
Rhodes Quality Peach Slices
Another pantry must-have for desserts as well as savoury dishes is a few tins of high-quality sliced peaches. From fruit salads to delicious baked desserts, and even savoury chicken dishes, tinned peaches are a convenient way to add a little bit of excitement to any dish, without too much hassle.
Looking for an easy mid-week meal this festive season? Try this easy recipe for Sweet Chilli Peach Chicken using Rhodes Quality Peach Slices and Rhodes Quality Peach 100% Fruit Juice. The fruit juice boxes are another must-have for the pantry this festive season, whether for cooking or for enjoying over breakfast with the family.
Rhodes Quality Peach Slices are available at a recommended price of R19.99 per 410g tin.
Just Egg Folded
Africa’s Infinite Foods and Eat Just, Inc. have come together to launch Just Egg Folded in South Africa. This plant-based egg alternative is the ideal convenience food for vegans and is perfect on top of toast and inside breakfast sandwiches. The innovative product will be launching at all Wellness Warehouse retailers across South Africa and online from Infinite Foods’ eCommerce site.
The product is the first plant-based egg to launch in Africa and will be sold in retail as a box of four in the frozen foods aisle. The key ingredient is protein from the mung bean, and Just Egg Folded is free of cholesterol, has as much protein or more protein as many animal proteins (7g) and can be easily heated up in a toaster, oven, pan or microwave.
Just Egg Folded is available at a recommended price of R79 per box of 4 Folded Eggs.
Forage And Feast Limited Edition KWV Brandy Fig & Almond Fruit Loaf
Nothing screams Christmas like fresh fruit loaf, and this gem from Checkers is as good as it gets! Improved with the flavours of figs and almonds and enriched by South Africans favourite brandy, this yummy fruit loaf is a must-try this festive season. Bite into the rich flavour combination of fig and almond fruit loaf with a dash of brandy this festive season and take your festive lunch to new flavour heights.
Serve a few slices of this ready-to-eat loaf with custard or ice cream for a quick dessert the whole family will love!
Find the Forage And Feast Limited Edition KWV Brandy Fig & Almond Fruit Loaf at Checker’s stores now at R119.99.