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The Times Food and Dining

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How early is too early’ for Hot Cross Buns to hit supermarket and bakery shelves

  • Written by The Times

Every year, Australians find themselves in the middle of the nation’s most delicious dilemmas - when is too early for hot cross buns? As soon as the first packs appear in supermarket aisles on Boxing Day, the country divides into two camps: the die-hards who’d happily enjoy them all year round, and the purists who believe they should stay firmly in their Easter lane.

Well fret no more, this year Amazon Australia is calling time on the hot cross bun debate - serving up a festive peace offering that’s set to please all. Introducing the Hot Chriss Pud - a bold new dessert mash-up giving this much-loved treat an official seat at the Christmas table, without the controversy.

Co-created with former Masterchef contestant Declan Cleary and lovingly handcrafted by Victorian small business Pud For All Seasons, the limited-edition pudding gives a cheeky nod to both celebrations, blending its sweet dried fruits, warm spices, and hint of citrus from a classic hot cross bun into a rich Christmas pudding, topped with the iconic cross.

Declan Cleary, MasterChef icon and co-creator of the Hot Chriss Pud, said: “Australians love to have a laugh, or a moan, about how early hot cross buns appear each year, so I thought why not embrace it? The Amazon Hot Chriss Pud is the ultimate holiday truce. As an avid hot cross connoisseur, I have always dreamt of finding a way to bring those rich flavours to our plates earlier. The Hot Chriss Pud delivers on this challenge. It's festive, it's fun, and it's an instant conversation starter at lunch.”

Now in its third year of reinventing the Christmas pudding - following the ‘Amazon Aussie Christmas Pudding’ and ‘Amazon Everything Pud’- Amazon is celebrating our nation’s festive quirks. The Hot Chriss Pud is a true all-rounder: it can be served as a main dessert with custard or brandy butter, or, thanks to its signature spiced fruit flavours, take center stage on a cheeseboard.

The Hot Chriss Pud will be available from 18 November on Amazon Australia with the launch of its Black Friday Sale event, which will run for 14 days from 00:01 AEDT, 18 November to 11:59 AEDT, 1 December. Shoppers can explore hundreds of thousands of discounted products across all categories, from electronics and toys to beauty, homewares, and everyday essentials, and of course, Christmas puddings.

Amit Mahto, Country Manager for Amazon Marketplace in Australia said: "Black Friday is the perfect time to grab everything you need for the holidays at a discount, from gifts and festive essentials to the perfect Christmas day lunch accompaniment with our limited-edition Pudding! We’re thrilled to team up again with Pud For All Seasons, one of thousands of Australian businesses that sell on Amazon.com.au, as well as Declan who is truly a culinary genius, to bring customers something that will get their tables talking this Christmas.”

Angus Walsh, Owner of Pud For All Seasons, added: "It’s been an incredible opportunity to bring Declan’s wild and wonderful idea to life. This pudding has all the hallmarks of a new Aussie classic - a little cheeky, a lot delicious, and a new potential staple for Aussie Christmas. We can’t wait to hear what people think!"

The limited-edition Amazon Hot Chriss Pud will be available exclusively on Amazon.com.au for $10 during the Black Friday Sale. Click here to add it to your Wish List, so you can snap it up before it sells out! Prime members enjoy free delivery, and new customers can unlock a 30-day free trial at amazon.com.au/prime for fast, free delivery and year-round perks.

Get ready to kick off holiday prep - and sneak a cheeky taste of Easter early.

About Amazon

Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Amazon strives to be Earth’s Most Customer-Centric Company, Earth’s Best Employer, and Earth’s Safest Place to Work. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Career Choice, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, Alexa, Just Walk Out technology, Amazon Studios, and The Climate Pledge are some of the things pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.

About Puds For All Seasons

Puds for All Seasons are a small Australian business based in Castlemaine, Victoria.. For over twenty years, the team has been delighting dessert lovers with their homestyle plum puddings made from time-honoured family recipes. Find out more about them, here: https://www.pudforallseasons.com.au/.


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