Another jolly good find in the new British import section at Hub Cigar in Edmonton. Shortbread is one of my guilty pleasures (I usually make a big batch around Christmas), and I have a soft spot for organics. Easy sell.
The Look: Considering the number of shortbread tins and packages that have a Scottish motif, this little baby is much more stark and modern. The cookies are thin with a nice golden tone, and they’ve got a little logo stamped into them. They’re just about the same size as the photo on the box. Inside the box there are two packages of six cookies — good for portion control and freshness.
The Pitch: “At Waitrose and Duchy, we share a belief in the value of British organic food, grown and produced sustainably.” There’s also a logo and blurb about contributions being made to The Prince’s Charities Foundation. They’re aiming for the eco set, clearly.
The Taste: Greasy with butter, plus much sugary sweetness. They’re thinner than I was expecting, and are baked to a degree that gives them a crisp, crunchy texture, further accentuated by sugar crystals. Good shortbread depends on good butter and flour, and you can really taste that quality here.
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RATINGS AND DETAILS
Cost: $4.95 (on sale) for a 150-gram box at Hub Cigar in Edmonton.
Value for cash money: Not cheap, but not terrible.
Availability: I’ve only seen these at Hub Cigar. No idea where else to find them locally.
Nutrition?: Per two biscuits (25 grams): 130 calories, 7 grams of fat, 75 mg of sodium, 1 gram of protein. They’re cookies, not salad. Note that it’s VERY easy to eat two cookies.
Vegetarian friendly?: Yes! The package says so. But with loads of buttery goodness (29 per cent, says the ingredient list), they’re certainly not vegan.
Ducky?: That’s what I keep accidentally typing whenever I try typing Duchy. Odd.
The verdict: A very tasty organic cookie that isn’t exactly healthy, but at least reduces eco-guilt by a few percentage points.
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*Homer Simpson-esque voice*Mmmmmm, c-ooo-kies!! Thanks, just what I need(more-or-less)to get me psyched-up for my visit to Duchess tomorrow*drool*Florentines…Macarons…:-)
Psyched up for Duchess? Me, I normally have to psych myself *down* before a visit, or I’ll wind up taking home $60 worth of pastries. 🙂 (ie. “Calm down, Iain. Four macarons, a key lime tart, some madeleines and an Earl Grey shortbread will be enough for today. You can always come back for more later.”)
Like getting right back in line for more Florentines after having one with coffee. I had only bought two(silly me!) along with a few other things & a table was free, so I ordered a coffee…& decided to have a Florentine with my java. After that first bite I immediately thought-with some alarm ‘wait, this one’s as good as gone…I Only have One more, this simply Won’t do!!’
And thanks, now I suddenly have a craving for Madeleines, a few Ginger Cookies & a Key Lime Tart.;-)