I distinctly remember that one of the first treats that I had when my braces came off as a teenager was a slice of millionaire shortbread (I was a good girl and followed the rules on what I wasn't meant to have. Or was it that mum was pretty strict?... probably both!) It's one of my all time favourite sweet treats and so satisfying to make from scratch. It's probably easier than you think it is too, as each stage is fairly straightforward. For this batch I used a BBC Good Food recipe, but added extra chocolate and used a mix of dark, milk and white. If I was going to go all out with it I would have tempered the chocolate to get a good shine and snap, but to be honest I couldn't be bothered with the extra faff! If you've got the time and the know-how I'd recommend it, but it's delicious all the same.
Ingredients
For the shortbread:
250g plain flour
75g caster sugar
175g butter, cut into small piece
For the caramel:
100g butter
100g light muscovado sugar
397g can condensed milk
For the topping:
200 - 300g chocolate of your choice
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease and line a 20-22cm baking tin.
2. To make the shortbread, mix the flour and sugar together and then rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Knead together until it forms a dough. You can do this by hand or in a food processor/ mixer.
3. Press into the baking tin, prick with a fork and bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned and firm. Leave to cool while you make the caramel.
4. To make the caramel, combine all ingredients in a medium pan and heat gently until melted and the sugar has dissolved. Turn the heat up until the mixture is boiling, then reduce back down to a simmer. Stir continuously throughout so the mixture doesn't burn on the bottom. Simmer while stirring for 10 minutes or until the mixture is golden brown and has thickened. If you have a baking thermometer then you can check the temperature - you're aiming for 170-175C. Once ready, pour over the shortbread and leave to cool.
5. Once the caramel is cool, melt the chocolate in a glass bowl over simmering water or in the microwave. Pour over the caramel and leave to set. If using different types of chocolate, spoon these on separately and swirl together with spatula or fork. Leave to set and then cut into squares with a hot knife.
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