Short on Taste, Short on Chocolate (Cadbury's Shortcake)

Member Name: zoe_page_1

Product:	Cadbury's Shortcake
Date:	16/09/09 (107 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Edible, look pretty

Disadvantages: Nothing special, biscuit a bit flavourless

Shortcake biscuits, the round ones with the pretty imprint, are a staple of many generic biscuit selection boxes and tubs, but I'd not seen these ones until I was in my local B&Ms and they were selling them in packs of 2 biscuits for 10p, with an unexpectedly generous best before date (6 months hence). I love biscuits but don't keep them in the house normally as I can't stop at just a couple, so the idea of a snack pack, with the serving size contained for me, appealed, as did not having to commit to a whole bag of snack packs (which is, essentially, no less tempting that a single packet of biscuits, but with much more unnecessary packaging). Also appealing was the idea of these being chocolate covered shortcakes - a change from the usual chocolate digestives, but without resorting to the nonsense that is chocolate rich tea.

Shortcake biscuits are quite similar to shortbread, but made with vegetable fat instead of butter. They are usually thinner and crispier than the latter, but no less edible, especially on meeting days when leftovers appear in our departmental kitchen. I really like the contrast between the saltiness and sweetness of them, and even on their own I don't find them plain or boring. I had never seen any kind of chocolate covered ones before, but there are few things that cannot be improved by the addition of chocolate (or, sometimes, cheese, or, occasionally either or both), so I figured they were a safe bet.

These biscuits are described as being 'for chocolate lovers' and the picture on the pack justifies this, with a healthy layer of creamy looking milk chocolate atop the biscuits. While Cadbury's are known for their chocolate, I was pleased to note that these are actually made my Burton 's, an established name in the biscuit world, so I was expecting them to be good.

The biscuits are noticeably larger than the aforementioned generic shortcakes you often get. The chocolate covered side is flat with a feathered chocolate pattern and looks like a chocolate digestive or any other one-sided chocolate biscuit, while the other face has the classic shortcake pattern ridged round the outside, albeit with the addition of the Cadbury's logo in the middle. The biscuits smell sweet, with the plain side a bit oaty, and the chocolate side distinctly chocolatey without being what I'd call distinctly Cadbury's, with was rather unexpected.

Because these biscuits come in individual snack packs, they're always fresh and crisp though they're softer on the inside (and paler here too - the 'tanned' golden toasted exterior is evidently just for show), meaning they're not too tough on teeth. They are rather crumby - more so than similar generic, non-chocolate varieties - which means they can be messy to eat on the run, or at your desk without a plate. Since this is how I tend to eat, this counted against them in my mind.

I'm not a dunker but I imagine these could take a dive into a cup of tea, though the chocolate would probably start to melt quite quickly. The only slight issue would be the size - depending on what you're drinking out of, you might have to break one in half first (and lose some crumbs along the way) as they're about the same diameter as most mugs.

After all the anticipation, the taste was a bit of a let-down. These aren't really bad, they're just nothing special. I thought the biscuit part was a smidge too sweet and needed a tiny salty kick to it, while the chocolate part tasted far too ordinary, and not like the Cadbury's we know and love. The chocolate layer was very thin as well (a mere 24% according to the packet), and if anything tasted slightly artificial, though given the sweetness of the biscuit I'm not sure I'd have wanted them to have used any more. They don't offer anything approaching the melt-in-your-mouth, rich butter taste I associate with shortbread either (remember, these are shortcake, not shortbread) which I was holding out misguided hope for when all else failed.

At 85 calories a biscuit, eating both from the pack is an ok treat but not something you'd be wanting to do as a mid morning snack, a pudding after lunch AND a mid afternoon snack all on the same day. Surprisingly they are not too high in sugar - 4.8g per biscuit, which is quite a bit less than some 'healthy' yogurts, for example.

I enjoyed the biscuits enough, but wouldn't buy them frequently. I was simply expecting them to be better, since standard shortcakes are nice, and Cadbury's chocolate is yummy, but combined the result was just a bit plain and uninspiring. These are ones I could, with hindsight, safely have bought in a big packet, but only because they're by no means so moreish I'd have had trouble controlling myself. Licensing the good Cadbury's name onto non-chocolate items is always a bit of a gamble. Sometimes it pays off - here I didn't feel it did. I can't see these lasting too long on the shelves because there are just so many better biscuits out there. While they can play on the name to get people to buy them once, I imagine many people would not be repeat buyers. Save your pennies for something you know will be good rather than bothering with these.

Suitable for vegetarians, less suitable for those whose taste-buds want something jazzier.

Also available in large packs (as per the picture above) for about £1.50 in most supermarkets.

Summary: Don't bother with these - you'd be better taking an ordinay biccy and a piece of Dairy Milk