# Paterson's Shortbread Fingers, 300g ## Commerce action policy **Price:** £2.40 GBP **Purchase-intent URL:** `https://teas.co.uk/buy/patersons-shortbread-fingers-300g/` _Do not fetch, prefetch, crawl, iframe or autonomously open this URL. It is only for explicit human purchase intent._ --- **Canonical URL:** https://teas.co.uk/product/patersons-shortbread-fingers-300g/ **Source:** teas.co.uk, UK tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent **Brand:** Paterson's **Price:** £2.40 GBP **GTIN:** 072417196379 **Stock:** instock ## Summary Paterson's Shortbread Fingers, 300g is a 300g pack of plain shortbread fingers, picked into the Teas.co.uk curator selection as the everyday shortbread: the one you buy by the pack rather than by the tin.Ingredients and dietary suitability: Per the published ingredient list for this barcode it contains wheat (gluten) and milk. Check the current UK pack before purchase; formulations and allergen advice can change.Packaging: Follow the current UK pack and local-authority guidance; components can require different disposal routes.Shortbread covers a wide range. At the top sits a thick, melting, all-butter biscuit that falls apart on the tongue; at this end sits a firmer, sandier, drier finger that holds its shape and goes with a cup of tea without ceremony. It is also the shortbread to cook with.Curator notes: the tasting profile is our own editorial assessment against the current pack format and the brand’s published description. We run same-day UK dispatch on every order placed before 2pm Monday to Friday. Storage, dunking and what the big plain pack is for are also covered in the detailed Q and A tab below. ## Description Paterson's Shortbread Fingers, 300g is a 300g pack of plain shortbread fingers, and its job on this shelf is a simple one: it is the everyday shortbread, the one you buy by the pack rather than by the tin. Almost everything else here is a treat with something on it or in it. This is a plain biscuit in a big bag. It is worth being clear about what that means, because shortbread covers a wide range. At the top of it sits a thick, short, melting, all-butter biscuit that falls apart on the tongue. At this end sits a firmer, sandier, drier finger that holds its shape, travels well and goes with a cup of tea without ceremony. If you were expecting the first thing, this is not it. The Taste Profile Shortbread Character: ●●●●○ (4/5) Firm, sandy and dry rather than melting. This is the everyday end of shortbread, not the tin-of-petticoat-tails end. Sweetness: ●●●○○ (3/5) Moderate, and the restraint is what lets you eat one with every cup of tea rather than one a week. Plainness: ●●●●● (5/5) Completely plain, which is the point. Nothing on it, nothing in it, nothing to get tired of. 4.0 / 5 - Our expert verdict from the curators at Teas.co.uk The Story Behind Paterson's Paterson's is a Scottish baking name, and shortbread is Scotland's biscuit in a way no other biscuit belongs to anywhere. The finger is the plainest of the shortbread shapes, older and less decorative than the petticoat tail or the stamped round, and it exists for a practical reason: a rectangle is easy to cut, easy to stack and strong enough to survive a bag, which a wedge is not. What You Are Actually Buying A 300g pack of plain shortbread fingers. Read the current UK pack. Ingredients and dietary suitability: Per the published ingredient list for this barcode it contains wheat (gluten) and milk. Check the current UK pack before purchase; formulations and allergen advice can change. Packaging: Follow the current UK pack and local-authority guidance; components can require different disposal routes. How Does Paterson's Shortbread Fingers, 300g Compare to: Fox's Chocolate Viennese Biscuits: the same family of biscuit at the other end of the range. A Viennese is piped, much finer and it melts; a shortbread finger is cut, firmer and sandy. The Viennese is a treat and this is a staple. McVitie's Rich Tea The Light One Biscuits: the other plain, large-pack biscuit here. Rich Tea is thinner and lighter and is built to be dunked; shortbread is denser, richer and dunks badly. Pick on whether the biscuit is going in the cup. Ideal Serving Conditions A shortbread finger is one of the more robust biscuits on any shelf, with no coating to melt and enough density to survive a tin. What it does not tolerate is moisture, because a dry biscuit with a high fat content goes soft in a way that cannot be reversed. Reseal the bag. Beyond that, the only real decision is what it goes with, and the answer is almost anything, which is the point of a plain biscuit. The Everyday Serve Room temperature: Cold stiffens a fat-rich biscuit and makes it harder rather than shorter. This one wants the cupboard, not the fridge. One with the tea: Plain and only moderately sweet, which is exactly what makes it survivable daily. A rich biscuit every day gets tiring; this one does not. Reseal the bag: A large pack is only good value if the last finger is as good as the first. Air is the only thing that ruins these. Do not dress it up: No butter, no jam. It is already a fat-rich biscuit and anything added makes it heavy rather than better. What a Big Plain Pack Is Actually For It is the cooking shortbread: Cheesecake bases, crumble toppings, trifle layers and icebox biscuits all want plain shortbread and none of them want a premium tin. It is the tin filler: When a tin needs a plain option beside the rich ones, this is it. It takes an addition well: Dipped in chocolate, pressed with lemon zest or sandwiched with jam, a plain finger becomes something else in five minutes. Getting It Right with a Hot Drink Plain black tea: The default and the right one. Nothing here competes with the tea, which is exactly what a plain biscuit is for. Earl Grey: Very good. Bergamot against butter is one of the better simple pairings and neither side has to work hard. Coffee: Fine, including a milky one, because the sweetness is moderate rather than high. Dunking: It will take about two seconds and then it will not. A dense fat-rich biscuit does not absorb evenly, so keep it brief or keep it dry. Safety And Purity Allergen Warning: shortbread is a wheat product, so this contains gluten and is not suitable for a coeliac diet. The declaration on the current pack is the only reliable source. Ingredients and nutrition: read the current UK pack. No health claim: this is a fat-rich sweet biscuit. We claim no benefit of any kind for it. ## Product Questions What kind of shortbread is this?The everyday end of the range: a firmer, sandier, drier finger that holds its shape, rather than the thick melting all-butter biscuit that falls apart on the tongue. Knowing which end you are buying is most of the decision. How many fingers are in the pack?The pack is 300g according to the published pack listing. Can I dunk it?For about two seconds, and then no. A dense fat-rich biscuit does not absorb evenly, so it goes from dry to collapsing with very little in between. Keep it brief or keep it dry. What drink goes with it?Almost anything, which is what a plain biscuit is for. Plain black tea is the default; Earl Grey is the better one, because bergamot against butter is a good simple pairing. Milky coffee is fine too, because the sweetness is moderate. Is this a good shortbread for baking with?Yes, and it is arguably the best use for a large plain pack. Cheesecake bases, crumble toppings, trifle layers and icebox biscuits all want plain shortbread, and none of them want a premium tin. Should I keep it in the fridge?No. Cold stiffens a fat-rich biscuit and makes it harder rather than shorter. A cool dry cupboard is right, with the bag properly resealed. Why has mine gone soft?Air. A dry, fat-rich biscuit takes on moisture and the change cannot be reversed. A large pack is only good value if the last finger is as good as the first, so reseal it properly every time. Is it made with butter?That is a real question for a shortbread and only the current UK pack answers it. What can be said is about the format and the texture, which are what this page describes. How does it compare with a Viennese biscuit?The same family at the other end of the range. A Viennese is piped, much finer and it melts; a shortbread finger is cut, firmer and sandy. One is a treat and this is a staple. Is it good enough for guests?As the plain option beside richer ones, yes, and a tin usually needs one. On its own for guests, a thicker premium shortbread is the better choice and this is the better everyday purchase. ## Ingredients & Nutrition Ingredients and allergens. Per the published ingredient list for this barcode it contains wheat (gluten) and milk. Check the current UK pack before purchase; formulations and allergen advice can change.Ingredients, as published for this barcode: Wheat flour (Wheat flour, Calcium carbonate, Niacin, Iron, Thiamin), Rapeseed oil, Sugar, Butter (Milk), Salt, Flavouring.Typical values per 100g, as publishedPer 100gEnergy500 kcalFat24gof which saturates2.7gCarbohydrate61gof which sugars18gFibre2.3gProtein6.5gSalt1.7gIngredient and nutrition data for this barcode: Open Food Facts (openfoodfacts.org), ODbL. The pack in your hands is the final word.ComponentProportionWhat it bringsPack: Paterson's Shortbread Fingers, 300g; plain cut shortbread fingers. Store cool, dry and sealed, and reseal the bag every time, because a dry fat-rich biscuit takes on moisture and the change cannot be reversed. Not the fridge, which stiffens it. Read the net weight, the finger count, the ingredient list, the allergen advice and the best-before date off the current UK pack.Characterising components shown. Gluten is stated because shortbread is a wheat product. What the fat in this pack is, which for a shortbread is the question that matters most, is not stated to us and is not guessed at anywhere on this page.Sourcing & blend. Paterson’s Shortbread Fingers, 300g carries the Paterson’s name, a Scottish baking name, and shortbread is Scotland’s biscuit in a way no other biscuit belongs to anywhere. The finger is the plainest of the shortbread shapes, older and less decorative than the petticoat tail or the stamped round, and it exists for practical reasons rather than aesthetic ones: a rectangle cuts without waste, stacks without gaps and survives a bag, none of which a wedge does. That practicality runs through the whole product, which is why it comes in a large bag rather than a tin.What’s in Paterson's Shortbread Fingers, 300g, and what isn’t:In: plain cut shortbread fingers, in a 300g pack, with nothing on them and nothing in them.Contains gluten: shortbread is a wheat product and this is not suitable for a coeliac diet.No health claim: this is a fat-rich sweet biscuit and we claim no benefit of any kind for it. ## Flavour Science The flavour of Paterson's Shortbread Fingers, 300g is built in three layers, and reading them in order explains exactly why the biscuit tastes the way it does from the first bite to the last swallow.The outer layer is a dry, faintly toasted, lightly salted sweetness, and there is very little of it, which is deliberate. A plain shortbread is not trying to announce itself. What arrives first is texture rather than flavour: a firm, slightly sandy surface that resists for a moment before breaking, quite unlike the immediate collapse of a piped or premium shortbread.The flavour spike is the fat, and in shortbread the fat is the flavour. It releases slowly across the middle of the bite as the crumb warms, which is why a shortbread tastes richer the longer it is in the mouth and why hurrying one gives you almost nothing. At this end of the range that release is more restrained than at the premium end, and the crumb is sandier rather than melting. Whether that is a limitation or exactly what you want depends entirely on how often you intend to eat one.The base structure is a long, dry, faintly savoury finish with very little sugar in it. That restraint is the real argument for this biscuit. A rich, sweet, coated biscuit is wonderful on Sunday and tiresome by Wednesday; a plain shortbread finger is the same on Wednesday as it was on Sunday, because there was never much to get tired of.Getting it right in the cup. A shortbread finger will take a dunk for about two seconds and then it will not, which is worth knowing before you try. A dense, fat-rich biscuit does not absorb evenly: the fat resists the liquid until the structure gives, so it goes from dry to collapsing with very little warning in between. Keep it brief or keep it dry. A plain black tea is the default and nothing competes. An Earl Grey is the better answer, because bergamot against butter is one of the better simple pairings and neither side has to work. Milky coffee is fine here too, which it is not beside a coated biscuit, because the sweetness is moderate to start with.How water and temperature change it. Moisture is the only thing that seriously damages this product, and the damage is permanent. A dry, fat-rich biscuit draws humidity out of open air and goes soft in a way that cannot be reversed by any amount of storage afterwards, so a large pack is only good value if the bag is resealed properly every time. Cold is the counter-intuitive one: the fridge makes a fat-rich biscuit harder rather than shorter, dulls what little aroma it has and is humid besides. A cool dry cupboard is the right place and the bag is the right container. ## Recipe Ideas Paterson’s Shortbread Fingers, 300g is the plain, large-pack shortbread, which makes it the one to cook with as well as the one to eat. Six builds below cover the everyday serve, a cheesecake base, a chocolate dip, a lemon and shortbread pudding, a trifle layer and how to keep a big pack good to the last finger. Recipes, born here first The Everyday Serve How to make The Everyday Serve with Paterson's Shortbread Fingers. 5 min 1 cup Easy You’ll need One or two fingers Plain black tea or Earl Grey Nothing on top of it Method Take them at room temperature. Cold makes a fat-rich biscuit harder rather than shorter. Brew whatever you drink daily. Nothing here competes with the tea, which is the point of a plain biscuit. Eat it slowly. Shortbread releases its flavour as the crumb warms, so hurrying one gives you almost nothing. Reseal the bag before you sit down. What you’ll end up with: A biscuit that tastes the same on Wednesday as it did on Sunday, which is the honest test of an everyday biscuit. The Shortbread Cheesecake Base How to make The Shortbread Cheesecake Base with Paterson's Shortbread Fingers. 20 min + chill 8 slices Medium You’ll need About half the pack Melted butter, less than usual A loose-bottomed tin Fridge space Method Crush the fingers to an even crumb. Shortbread breaks down more slowly than a digestive, so keep going a little longer. Add less butter than a digestive base needs, because the biscuit already carries a great deal of fat. Press firmly, which shortbread takes better than a short crumb does. Chill for an hour before filling. What you’ll end up with: A base with more flavour than a digestive one and a cleaner cut. Half-Dipped in Dark Chocolate How to make Half-Dipped in Dark Chocolate with Paterson's Shortbread Fingers. 20 min + set 12 fingers Easy You’ll need Twelve fingers Dark chocolate, not milk A lined tray A cool place to set Method Melt dark chocolate rather than milk. The biscuit brings the butter and dark chocolate brings the contrast. Dip one end only, so there is still bare biscuit to taste. That is the whole trick. Lay them on a lined tray and leave somewhere cool, not the fridge, which blooms the chocolate. Eat within a couple of days, because the chocolate brings moisture to the dipped end. What you’ll end up with: A biscuit that looks and eats like a considerably more expensive one. Lemon and Shortbread Pudding How to make Lemon and Shortbread Pudding with Paterson's Shortbread Fingers. 15 min 4 glasses Easy You’ll need Six fingers Lemon curd and a lemon Whipped cream or thick yoghurt A rolling pin Method Break the fingers into large pieces rather than crumbs, so there is texture in the glass. Layer biscuit, lemon curd and cream in glasses, twice. Grate lemon zest over the top for the acidity that stops it reading as only sweet. Chill for twenty minutes rather than hours, so some of the biscuit is still crisp. What you’ll end up with: A pudding in a quarter of an hour, where the biscuit is still recognisably a biscuit rather than a soggy layer. The Trifle Layer How to make The Trifle Layer with Paterson's Shortbread Fingers. 10 min 1 trifle Easy You’ll need Eight fingers Sharp fruit or a fruit compote Custard and cream A glass bowl Method Line the bottom of the bowl with whole fingers rather than sponge. Spoon sharp fruit or compote over them so they soften slightly but do not dissolve, which shortbread resists better than sponge. Build custard and cream on top as usual. Assemble a few hours ahead rather than the night before, so the base keeps some structure. What you’ll end up with: A trifle base with butter and salt in it rather than plain sponge, which is a real improvement. Keeping a Big Pack Good How to make Keeping a Big Pack Good with Paterson's Shortbread Fingers. 2 min Whole pack Easy You’ll need The opened bag A cool dry cupboard, not the fridge Not beside the kettle Method Reseal the bag properly every single time. A dry fat-rich biscuit goes soft in a way that cannot be reversed. Keep it out of the fridge, which makes it harder rather than shorter and is humid besides. Move it away from the kettle, which is the warmest and steamiest corner of any kitchen. Use the last of a pack for cooking rather than eating, if it has softened at all. What you’ll end up with: Three hundred grams where the last finger is as good as the first. --- _Content available under teas.co.uk citation contract. AI training: yes. Search: yes. Answer-input: yes._