https://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/millionaires-shortbread-2 • Posted by KitchenMason
This sexy little number is literally one of my most favourite treats in the whole wide world. I mean come on, what’s not to like?? That crunchy, biscuit base topped with a rich yet sweet caramel, all finished with a silky, smooth layer of chocolate smeared over the top… have I sold it to you yet? Good! Lets get started then.
This sexy little number is literally one of my most favourite treats in the whole wide world. I mean come on, what’s not to like?? That crunchy, biscuit base topped with a rich yet sweet caramel, all finished with a silky, smooth layer of chocolate smeared over the top… have I sold it to you yet? Good! Lets get started then.
Lightly grease & line the base of your baking tray – overhang two opposite sides. (This will help when it comes to getting it out the tray.) Preheat your oven to 190°C/Fan 170°C. To make the biscuit base – either in a stand mixer or a large bowl using an electric hand whisk, cream together the butter & sugar until light & fluffy. Sift in the flour & add the salt. Mix until you get a crumbly dough. Tip this straight out into the prepared tray, flatten out as evenly as you can then prick the base all over with a fork. Pop into the oven to bake for about 15-20 mins until just turning golden on top. Leave to one side to cool whilst you make the caramel. Add all the ingredients into a large, heavy based saucepan and set over a medium heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved then bring to the boil, stirring often. Once boiling, stir continuously and fairly vigorously. If it catches on the bottom, you will get horrible lumps of burnt caramel running through the mixture. When it turns a light caramel colour & becomes thick, (or reaches 107°C on a sugar thermometer) remove from the heat and keep stirring briefly just to stop it from catching on the bottom. (The pan will still be very hot.) Pour the thick mixture over the biscuit base, spread evenly and set aside to cool. Whilst the caramel is setting, we need to make the topping. Break the chocolate into pieces and chop roughly. Either in a microwave or in a glass bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, melt gently & stir until smooth and shiny. If you want to temper your chocolate (keep its ‘shine’ even when set) melt 3 quarters of it in a glass bowl over barely simmering water then heat gently to 45°C. Have a larger bowl/sink of cold water ready. Once it reaches 45°C, remove from the heat and add in the remaining quarter of chocolate. Place the bowl into the cold water and keep stirring until the chocolate has cooled to 30°C. Be careful not to get any water in the bowl as the chocolate will seize and become unusable. Pour this over the caramel layer and smooth it out evenly using the back of a wooden spoon. If you have tempered your chocolate, allow to set completely at room temperature. If you put it in the fridge it will loose that lovely shine you worked so hard to keep. Alternatively, if you are impatient, like me, put it into the fridge to set faster before removing from the tray and cutting into 12 slices. And that’s how you make the greatest sweet treat in the history of the world! If I could offer any words of advice with this it would be to just take your time, particularly with the caramel. It took me about 15 minutes to get to the light caramel colour stage. If you rush it by increasing the heat it, chances are – it won’t end well. (Trust me, I’m speaking from experience!)