Family Mart Sweets+ Cafe Sweets Pumpkin – ファミリーマート Ｃａｆｅスイーツ・パンプキン

The leaves are turning red, the nights are growing colder and my thoughts are all about Halloween, pumpkins and chestnuts, so I’m starting the seasonal sweet reviews with this autumnal dessert. I was surprised upon picking it up by how heavy it was, there is a considerable volume and weight to this product, despite it only costing around 300, so it looked set to be good value for money. Presentation-wise it’s a little half-hearted but at the use of real pumpkin chunks was promising.

Opening the lid I noticed that there was virtually no scent, only a strangely clean, almost soapy smell from the whipped cream topping. The cream is very light and airy – like the spongy marshmallow center of a Tunnock’s Tea Cake, but not as sweet – and melts instantly on the tongue. The smattering of cooked pumpkin cubes on top have quite a solid texture and I liked that the skin had been left on, as this provided a denseness and savouriness to compliment the fluffy cream. The little dollop of brown sugar jelly had a slightly burnt creme-caramel aftertaste, which, like the pumpkin, helped to balance out the sweet and airy whipped layer.

The consistency of the vanilla pudding beneath is like a cross between mousse and pudding: not quite aerated but fairly light. The mixture is appetisingly speckled with vanilla beans which give it a good flavour and aroma which comes through once the cream is gone. Separating this from the pumpkin-flavoured base is a thin, gloopy layer of brown sugar jelly. While I’m sure this must be the same concoction as the shiny dark goop atop the cream, I was disappointed to find that it seemed to have none of the same bitter burnt-sugar notes and was actually rather bland, any taste completely smothered by the sweetness of the pudding layers.

Finally, the all important pumpkin pudding. This is firmer and less sugary than the vanilla, and there is almost a mild graininess to it, like a thick fruit puree. The flavour is difficult to pinpoint – it’s pleasant and a sweet taste of artificial pumpkin is detectable but there’s no hint of a natural vegetable taste, which I would have welcomed after all the whip and vanilla.

I think Pumkpin Pudding was certainly worth its price, especially as it lasted me nearly an hour, but the proportions were completely out. The topping, with its combination of flavours and textures, was satisfying, but as I worked my way to the bottom I began to find the innocuous sugariness of the deep pudding layers a little sickly. More real pumpkin flesh, more flavourful sugar jelly and perhaps the introduction of a crunchy element could really improve this. Nice, but once was enough for me.

6/10

Family Mart Cafe Sweets Pumpkin – ￥298     345kcals

Family Mart Sweets+ Parfait Aisu: Kinako/Murasakiimo – ファミリーマート きなこ・紫いもパフェアイス

It’s rather late to start writing about ice cream when I’ve already noticed Halloween costumes in shops, but I wanted to introduce some of the best things I’ve eaten this summer while they’re still around, starting with Family Mart’s Sweets+ Parfait range. Due to its proximity to my house, I’m biased towards 7-eleven for conbini desserts, but when browsing in the Tsutaya branch of ‘famima’ I spotted some attractive ice cream pots and picked up four different flavours. I wasn’t disappointed. It’s not often that a product like this actually matches the picture on the packaging but on peeling back the lid of the Kinako Parfait Aisu I was pleasantly surprised:

Flour-dusted mochi, deep red anko and dark, glossy syrup nestle atop a swirl of kinako ice cream, just as promised. On top of this, the quality is excellent – the mochi are mildly sweet, soft and gooey, the an is rich and earthy and the syrup provides a hint of molasses flavour. The delicate yet distinct toasty aroma of kinako comes through in the ice cream, which has a good, thick consistency and melts slowly enough to give you time to savour this dessert.

8/10

Murasaki Imo (purple sweet potato) Aisu

 

Again I thought the presentation was great, especially the deep purple potato chunks. This parfait has fewer flavour components than the kinako aisu, so the robust sweetness of candied murasakiimo the central element, with roasted and salty background notes provided by the black sesame sprinkles.

The frozen potato has an indulgent fudgy texture and the ice cream, also murasakiimo-flavoured, is rich and gelatinous. The extra touch that made this my favourite was that the inside of the pot had been coated with a thin layer of sweet potato paste,so that each spoonful of ice cream was complimented by its smooth texture and condensed sweetness, all the way to the bottom.

8/10

The Sweets+ Parfait Aisu range also features Marron, Matcha and Yuzu/Honey/Ginger.