Millionaire's Shortbread

Finally something very English to share with you all! Alan has been telling me about this shortbread before but I never had found a recipe until a recent cookstore trip. One day I was out with a girlfriend and we ended up in a new cookstore and she walked out with a bottle of wine and me a Leiths Baking Bible holding the magic recipe. That very day I went home to experiment. There are many steps to this recipe so that day we started to call it the dog walker shortbread since we walked Daisy a bunch while the different parts cooled before the next step in the recipe.

My first attempt was good but not great. I took my first attempt to an experienced Millionaire Shortbread taste tester on Alan's team and he gave me the low down. He also advised me that the chocolate should break Before the official taste test could start first he had to go and get a cup of coffee to go with it since no sweet dessert is ever complete without a cup of coffee in his hand. His first bite he described how the bottom shortbread was not quite crunchy enough but the caramel was perfect but it needed more chocolate so that when you bite into it the chocolate would break apart and be crumbly and yet stay together. He really liked it but it needed some work. It was all good for me so I went back to the drawing board.

Try number two I worked with a different shortbread bottom to test to see how to get it to a good consistancy. This version never worked right and the taste for the shortbread didn't come out according to plan. While making the second version I added more chocolate but still not enough so it was time for the third time.

Three times the charm and I finally nailed it!! Alan took it to work to share and got feedback that I had finally got it just right as the faces of enjoyment he said were perfect! Here is the recipe and my notes to go with it.

Millionaire's Shortbread

adapted from Leiths Baking Bible

For the Shortbread

200g/7oz butter, softened

115g/4oz caster sugar

285g/10oz plain flour

For the Filling

115g/4oz butter

115g/4oz caster sugar

2 Tablespoons golden syrup

1x400g/14oz can condensed milk

For the Topping

The book calls for 115g/40z plain chocolate...go much bigger!

Meg calls for 400g plain chocolate, I did a mixture of 70% & 80% cocoa so fairly dark.

Heat the oven to 180C or 350F. Grease a 9x13 tin.

Make the shortbread: Cream the butter in a mixing bowl, add the sugar and beat until pale and fluffy. Add the flour and bring together to form a dough.

Press the dough evenly into the prepared tin, using the back of a spoon.

Bake in the center of the oven for 20 minutes or until golden-brown. Mine took about 40 minutes until it got just right. It will vary by the oven so watch it after 20 minutes and make sure it gets cooked all the way through. Having a good crust will make a difference! Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the tin.

Good time to walk the dog for cooling!

Make the filling: put all the ingredients into a saucepan and heat gently to melt the butter and dissolve the sugar, stirring occasionally. Increase the heat and boil rapidly for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. There will be little brown bits when it starts to boil so don't panic, and keep stirring! take care not to touch the filling it will be very hot. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 1 minute. Pour over the cooled shortbread and allow for the filling to cool and set.

Good time for walk number 2 for the dog!

For the chocolate topping: melt the chocolate in a small, heatproof bowle set over but not touching a saucpan of gently steaming water. Spread the melted chocolate carefully over the cold, set caramel filling.
Mark into fingers and leave to set before removing from the tin. Cut into fingers only once they are cold.