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The best shortbread to buy, from £1.99
As tried and tested by The Good Housekeeping Institute
Shortbread is a sweet and buttery Scottish biscuit, that has been a household favourite since the 1700s. Once considered an expensive luxury, only to be enjoyed on special occasions, today shortbread is an everyday dunkable favourite.
Though traditionally made up of only three simple ingredients — flour, white sugar and butter — shortbread has gone through many adaptations to keep up with the times. However, the traditional bake continues to satisfy our taste buds with its satisfying crunch, and tempting buttery, sweet vanilla flavour.
How we test shortbread
The Good Housekeeping Institute tried 11 types of shortbread, to find which had the best melt-in-the-mouth, buttery flavour.
Score: 81/100
Presented in a pretty box designed by Yorkshire artist Emily Sutton, Betty's shortbread would make a lovely gift. Inside you'll find buttery shortbread with a freshly baked aroma. Testers loved the soft crumbly bite and rich, yet subtle sweetness.
Score: 79/100
Presented in a traditional finger shape, this Scottish shortbread had a well-baked even colour and a rustic crumbliness that our panel loved. Mildly sweet, with a hint of salt, most thought this was a great bake, and excellent value for money.
Daylesford Organic Scottish Mini Shortbread Hearts 125g
Score: 79/100
These adorable heart-shaped biscuits were a hit with our panel, thanks to a rich sweetness, vanilla notes and delicious buttery taste. Soft and crumbly, the bite-sized, golden-brown treats are organic too.
Score: 77/100
These thick, indulgent square slices of golden brown shortbread are finished off with a light dusting of sugar. If the appearance wasn't enough to impress, the well-balanced buttery sweetness will do the job. The biscuit crumbles wonderfully in the mouth, but some felt it lacked the melt-in-the-mouth texture usually associated with a shortbread.
Score: 72/100
This biscuit caused quite a stir with the panel, with some favouring the homemade appearance, and others thinking the bake was a little too dark in colour. Similarly, some enjoyed the buttery, vanilla flavour whereas others found it lacked depth.
Janet Leigh is the acting food testing manager at the GHI. From Easter in January to Christmas in July (and all that falls in-between), she leads the taste test team as they munch their way through sample after sample trying to find you the best products on the market. Whether it’s the latest trending foods or your cupboard staples, she covers it all. She now writes for Digital Spy
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