NEW! Christmas Millionaire's Shortbread (Waitrose)

Whilst I fully agree that the best tasting food isn't often the prettiest (homemade apple crumble anyone?) sight is the first sense we rely on when buying pre-packaged food. Ok, I'll be honest, I'm really just attempting to excuse myself here for the fact that just one glance at this golden white chocolate Millionaire's Shortbread on instagram was all it took to instil an innate need in me to track it down and try it for myself. Soooo pretty. So glittery. Surely so tasty...?

"A layer of salted caramel and white chocolate on all butter shortbread finished with milk chocolate and gold lustre."

The food gods must have also agreed that I definitely needed to try it too, for when I got to Waitrose all the Christmas Millionaires Shortbread were donning reduced yellow stickers, despite having a best before date of the 22nd of December. I paid £1.05 for the slice, but I can't remember how much the full price was, sorry. 

I ignored the instructions to keep it in a cool dry place, and popped the shortbread in the fridge to chill before opening. Later on I found that the knife easily and cleanly sliced through it, though I'm not sure I would've found the same if the caramel was at ambient temperature. The layers were each respectably ample; the thickest of which was -of course- the biscuit base.

The biscuit was beautifully rich and crumbly, offering the melt-in-the-mouth deliciousness that is synonymous with a great shortbread. The white chocolate, although beautiful, was less special. I'd love to report that it was gloriously creamy, but to be honest it was marred slightly by the milk chocolate swirl. The mixture of chocolates diluted the delicate flavour, and I wish that Waitrose had stuck to their guns and just used a good quality Belgian white chocolate.

Of course, the caramel has to be the star of any Millionaire's shortbread. Waitrose have been braver with this, producing a layer that was both sticky, smooth and definitely salted. Luckily they've got the salinity just right, any more and I'd have thought that Heston had stuck his oar in, but it was absolutely scrummy.

Millionaire's shortbread might not be the most traditional of Christmas snacks -but it's certainly worth buying one (or more) of these before they disappear come January. 

9/10