I’m going to be completely honest with you guys. Before a couple of weeks ago, making millionaire’s shortbread had never crossed my mind. I was at work and went to our back office to grab something. I swear, the second I walked into the room, one of the nurses I work with goes “BRYONY, have you ever heard of millionaire’s shortbread?”.
Now, I’d heard of millionaire’s shortbread, but never made it before. I’m more of a macaron/cookie girl than dolled up shortbread, but I never back away from a challenge so that weekend I decided I was going to make it.
I attempted my own recipe with the salted caramel that my family LOVES, but it just wasn’t stiff enough for this shortbread. The key to a good caramel in this case is sweetened condensed milk. It allows the caramel to set without having to go in the fridge and it doesn’t ooze all over the place when you’re cutting the shortbread squares.
Millionaire’s shortbread doesn’t get it’s name because it’s for the rich. It’s called millionaire’s shortbread because it tastes rich. Shortbread, caramel and chocolate makes for quite the tasty, but rich combination. You really only need a small square to be completely satisfied.
This does take time to make because you need to let the layers cool/set before you can add the next one but the result is definitely worth it.
Needless to say these will definitely be making an appearance at work in a couple of weeks when that nurse has a birthday.
I have a reputation to keep, ya know?
This shortbread would be a great addition to a potluck or dinner party, just make sure you don’t cut the squares too big. I’m not kidding when I say they’re rich.
Thank goodness we don’t all have to be millionaires to enjoy them!
Notes
Recipe from James Morton
Ingredients
Shortbread:
- 100g salted butter, softened
- 50g sugar
- 150g all-purpose flour
Caramel:
- 200g condensed milk
- 150g salted butter
- 50g sugar
- 50g golden syrup
Chocolate Topping:
- 200g bittersweet chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment and grease the sides.
- To make the shortbread, use a wooden spoon to combine the butter with the sugar in a large bowl until it forms a paste. Add the flour and gently mix it all together. Use your hands to work the mix until it mops up all the crumbs.
- Press the shortbread out flat with your hands so that it fills your prepared pan, then bake for 10–15 minutes or until it is just blushing golden brown at the edges. Leave to cool in the pan.
- While it’s baking, start the caramel. Weigh all the ingredients into a saucepan and place on a medium-high heat, stirring gently. Watch it closely as you stir – you should start to see little slivers of brown where it has stuck to the bottom of the pan. If you see these bits, stir them in vigorously and turn the heat down to low-medium. Simmer gently until it is golden brown.
- When ready, pour your caramel onto your shortbread base and spread it over the top with a knife. To even out the surface, pick up your tin and drop it onto the countertop with a bang. Leave this to cool for at least an hour (or overnight) before adding the chocolate topping, or the heat will ruin your chocolate.
- Break about three-quarters of the chocolate into a microwaveable bowl and chop the rest very finely. Microwave the larger chunks on full power for 15 seconds at a time, stirring in between (or melt over a bowl of simmering water). Once melted, add your finely chopped chocolate and stir until they are combined.
- Pour it onto your cooled caramel surface and spread gently with a knife. Leave it to set for another hour (on the counter, not in the fridge), before slicing into squares.
