Mini Highland Shortbread Fingers, by Sainsbury's

After writing my post about Marks and Spencer Mini All Butter Scottish Shortbread Fingers, I discovered what appeared to be an almost identical product in Sainsbury’s. After a quick check of the calories, 27 each, they ended up in the shopping basket.

Like the M&S Mini shortbreads, Sainsbury’s shortbreads are packed into a 125g bag, predominantly coloured red. Inside the pack, they look and smell just the same. The nutritional information is also similar, both have the same amount of fat (34% butter) and are similar in calories.



Tastewise, they’re buttery, light and very moreish. I so rarely ever buy shortbread or eat it because it's astronomically high in calories. But at 27 calories a pop, eating one of these isn't going to put much of a dent in the calorie allowance.

As I still had the M&S Scottish Shortbread fingers, I decided to do a little taste comparison test. After sitting them next to each other, it becomes apparent there is a slight difference in appearance. As shown in the photo, the Sainsbury’s shortbread is a bit shorter and paler. To get an idea of the size, they're 4cm x 1.5cm on average.

Sainsbury's (left), M&S (right)

Comparing their tastes, my family all agreed they are both very nice but there is a subtle difference. The Sainsbury's is a bit lighter with a crumblier texture, whereas the M&S shortbread is a denser, more solid biscuit.

Checking the ingredients, it seems the main difference is the absence of rice flour in the Sainsbury’s shortbread. This probably accounts for the difference in texture.

Overall, a delicious biscuit and great for sharing. Sadly, they are high in fat, saturates and sugar, but since they're very small, the odd one or two as an occasional treat can be enjoyed without feeling too guilty.

Nutrition Information per shortbread finger: 27 calories, 1.5g fat, 1.0g saturates, 1.0g sugars, trace salt. Suitable for vegetarians.