Duchy Originals Organic Shortbread Cookies

As an American growing up in the United States I was aware that the Royal Family of England always positively contributed to society by goodwill actions. Though I never knew that they had started their own food company, Duchy Originals. Back in 1992 Prince Charles of Wales decided to create food that was of the highest quality, with the best natural ingredients, considering sustainable practices and produced in harmony with the environment.

These practices also support worthwhile causes via The Prince of Wales Chartiable Foundation. $5 million has been raised via the sale of these cookies annually, supporting charitable causes in the United States and all over the world. In partnership with the United Kingdom’s premium grocery chain, Waitrose, they are available in 272 stores in the United Kingdom.

All Duchy Originals are 100% USDA certified organic, using non-GMO and all-natural ingredients. They are also kosher and vegetarian. If butter is an ingredient, such as in their all butter shortbread cookies, the butter has no bovine growth hormone.

Duchy Originals not only makes cookies and other treats, they also have a full line of foods. Including free range meat, dairy and eggs, jam and marmalades, bakery products, even including beer and ciders. Most of which were organic products as well!

Hopefully by now you are wondering how they taste, that I can help you with. They are fantastic! Though the oaten biscuits (see photo above) are nothing like what I was expecting, they are nothing like our American oatmeal cookies, which is what I was hoping for. The texture is much more finely ground oats and is very crumbly (dry). Though I believe that their “biscuits” (cookies) are exactly that style, making these very authentically British.

The Highland, Lemon and Ginger All Butter Shortbread cookies were all wonderfully light and also crumbly. Though all of these cookies fall apart when you bite them and my personal preference leans towards a soft chewy cookie. Their ingredient list boasts easily recognizable ingredients, which are common pantry ingredients, which I like.

The Highland All Butter Shortbread has 5 simple ingredients and a simple tasty flavor that would be enhanced when jelly or peanut butter is added. All of these cookies are pre-sliced so you feel like you’re getting even more cookie from just one serving. It is also helpful to make your cookies into a sandwich cookie too!

Lemon All Butter Shortbread has a wonderful taste of bright citrus lemon. If you enjoy lemon, this cookie is for you. With the addition of lemon to these cookies it doesn’t need any added elements, which the All Butter cookie would have benefitted from.

Stem Ginger All Butter Shortbread is quite the spicy cookie. I don’t often get the chance to cook with ginger, so I probably don’t use enough to be comfortable with the taste, but this cookie has enough to make up for that. It’s not spicy hot, but tangy that gives your tongue a nice tingle. It will wake up your tastebuds for sure. Of all of the cookies from Duchy Originals this one is the one with the most flavor.

Overall these cookies are a wonderful treat and in my opinion a much better option (health wise) than many popular brand named cookies available. To order your own cookies and other sweet treats check out their website here.