Gü Hot Chocolate Soufflés: Any Güd? I should cocoa!! (Gü Hot Chocolate Souffles)

Member Name: Teteenlair

Product:	Gü Hot Chocolate Souffles
Date:	17/02/09 (223 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Delicious, free crockery

Disadvantages: Quite pricey, quite bad for you

Foraging in the aisles for a Friday treat, I spotted Gü puddings for the first time. The sleek, sophisticated black packaging stood out against the pale blues and whites of the other cream cakes. I reached up and plucked the box from the shelf and got a shock when I discovered that not only was it the size of a housebrick, it was the weight of one too. "We can't get these!" I cried "They weigh a stone before they're even digested!"

Upon closer inspection of the box it emerged that these little puds actually come in their own posh glass ramekins so that explained why they were so heavy. These cost £2.99 for a box of two in my local Tesco, but, always on the lookout for a bargain, I thought the re-useable ramekins justified this and popped them in my basket. (I had been planning to use the ramekins to try my hand at making some puddings of my own, but on reflection I'll probably just buy something from Gü!)

The puds need to be left at room temperature for an hour before heating. They can be heated up either in the oven, at 140C for 13 minutes, or in the microwave on High for 30 seconds. The box, as they always do, recommends oven heating for best results, but 13 minutes or 30 seconds?! It was a no-brainer for me at that moment in time! I ripped the foil lids off the little glass ramekins and thrust them into the microwave... whirr ... whirr ... PING! And they were ready.

The box proclaims: "Be warned: this püd is the ultimate scene-stealer. Whatever has come before it will be forgotten the moment ü break thrü its delicate crust and dip into the endlessly velvety sea of hot chocolate lava..." and the soufflés do not disappoint. The chocolate sauce does come out quite hot, while the spongy bit is just warm, so the overall temperature is hot, but not burn-the-roof-of-your-mouth hot. The sponge has a tasty crust on the top, and the inside is gooey but light enough not to be too cloying. And so tasty! They are very very rich and chocolatey - but then they are 36% chocolate - and this is 53% cocoa chocolate - so a very intense flavour. They are very rich, but not too large that you're not able to finish them, and not so small that you feel unsatisfied. At the risk of sounding like Goldilocks, they're just right.

Each 70g Hot Chocolate Soufflé contains 321 calories of loveliness, and for such an indulgent treat, I think I can live with the fact that that's 55 calories more than a bog-standard Snickers. Suitable for vegetarians.
Gü make a whole range of tempting desserts including Cheeky Choc & Liquid Caramel Pots, Chocolate Mousse, Dark Chocolate & Orange Almond Torte, Brownies, Choc and Vanilla Cheesecakes and Hot Choc Melting Middle Puds; and nibbly chocolates and snacks including Cocoa Chocolate Truffles and Naughty Rocky Road. Gü also have a sister brand, Frü, which deals with fruity desserts such as Zesty Lemon Cheesecakes, Flirty Berry Pots and Fruity Carrot Cakes. I have only tried the Hot Chocolate Soufflés so far, but this will be rectified shortly!

Find out more at: http://www.gupuds.com/

Summary: Go on - indulge yourself!