THREE WHICHES: It's nearly Easter so it's hot cross bun time (From News Shopper)

THREE WHICHES: It's nearly Easter so it's hot cross bun time

11:51am Wednesday 8th April 2009 in

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It will be Good Friday on April 10, traditionally the time when hot cross buns are toasted and tucked into.

But they don’t need to be a naughty treat as some supermarkets now offer low-fat versions.

Could the THREE WHICHES tell the difference?

Morrisons Hot Cross Buns, 69p for 4

Alison Masters: Never mind hot cross buns, buns of steel might be more apt for these rather hard offerings.

That and the absence of a decent glaze makes eating them just too much effort.

The distribution of fruit was also very inconsistent. 2/5

Helen Backway: Dry and stodgy and missing the main staples of a good hot cross bun: fruit and stickiness.

A disappointing start for my taste buds. 3/5

Carole Hoggan: These seemed a bit hard but when I tucked in, there was a lovely taste of spice and just the right amount of fruit.

They were a little bit on the dry side but otherwise I really enjoyed these ones. I could scoff the lot. My favourite. 4/5

Waitrose Richly Fruited Hot Cross Buns, £1.29 for 4

AM: Despite a rather pathetic-looking attempt at a cross on the top, these buns are actually pretty tasty, soft and with a sweet glaze.

Reminiscent of the ones you make at home. Everyone makes their own, don’t they? 4/5

HB: These buns are practically glowing with shininess and of such stickiness I practically had to rip the remnants off the roof of my mouth.

No sugar and spice but packed full of fruit. 3/5

CH: These were quite sticky, but tasteless and bland.

There was an uneven distribution of fruit too.

Perhaps they might be nicer toasted. 3/5

Tesco White Hot Cross Buns (less than 3 per cent fat) 99p for 6

AM: The key elements of my tasting criteria are a decent glaze (the stickier, the better), a moist texture and a generous dose of spices — this one ticks every box. 5/5

HB: I was put off by the big bogey-like sultana sitting in the middle of my piece and it didn’t get any better — a smattering of cinnamon was the only flavour I could taste in these buns.

As my least favourite, I am guessing they were the healthiest. 1/5

CH: These were very stodgy and bland, there was an even amount of fruit but they weren’t at all spicy.

I was left with a horrible aftertaste. 3/5

Sainsbury’s Hot Cross Buns — Be Good to Yourself 99p

AM: With a crispier top and a darker colour, these ones immediately strike me as a healthier product.

They were quite chewy and don’t do much to promote a low-fat hot cross bun. 3/5

HB: Again got to be a low-fat version of my favourite Easter snack as these were wholemeal and a bit dry. 2/5

CH: These were wholemeal but they didn’t have enough fruit for my liking and were quite dry and tasteless.

Sorry, these weren’t nice enough for my Easter table. 2/5

The low fat products didn’t score highly with The Three Whiches and it was Waitrose’s full-fat option which was an Easter hit.