Millionaire shortbread
rich / chocolate
I always thought that making millionaire shortbread must be pretty difficult, but it turns out to be quite easy. Cutting it is actually the trickiest part - but find some tips about that at the end of this recipe. These rich treats can be ridiculously sweet, so I like to play around with the three layers in order to achieve a nice balance in flavours. This version combines a mix of slightly bitter dark chocolate and milk chocolate, chewy caramel with a hint of salt and crumbly shortbread.
8 June 2015
For 9 generous squares:
- 125 g unsalted butter, softened
- 50 g golden caster sugar
- 175 g self-raising flour
- 190 g condensed milk
- 120 g butter
- 120 g caster sugar
- 2 tbsp golden syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 heaped tsp maldon sea salt
- 100 g dark chocolate
- 75 g milk chocolate
Steps
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and line a 23 x 23 cm baking tin.
Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy, this can take a couple of minutes. Fold the flour into the mixture until it is combined, it will look crumbly. Transfer the mixture into the prepared baking tin, try to spread it out as evenly as you can and press firmly. Prick all over with a fork. Bake in the centre of the oven for 12 minutes until slightly golden. Put on a wired rack to let it cool down a bit while you make the caramel.
Place the condensed milk, butter, sugar, golden syrup, vanilla extract and salt into a heavy based saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Simmer for 10 minutes while stirring constantly. Take off the heat when it has turned a warm caramel colour.
Immediately pour the caramel over the cooked shortbread base. Leave to cool down to room temperature.
Melt all the chocolate together au bain-marie and pour it over the cooled caramel layer. Leave to cool again and cut into 9 large squares. Best eaten at room temperature.
Millionaire shortbread will keep for 5 days in an airtight container, refrigerated.
Tips for extra neat squares:
- Grease your tin, then line it with baking paper and make sure to leave the ends hanging over the edge of the tin. That way you can lift the shortbread out in one piece and transfer it to a large cutting board.
- Don't use a spatula to spread out the caramel and chocolate layer, this will only result in an uneven surface. Instead, just pour them down in the middle of the tin, then tip it to each side - perfectly even layers every time.
- Leave the chocolate to cool and set, but not completely. I usually leave it for 2 or 3 hours at room temperature, then cut it with a thin, non-serrated knife. Clean your knife with a dry cloth after every cut and your squares should end up pretty neat.
Recipe adapted from Millionaire’s Shortbread by Lisa Faulkner.
