This Millionaire Shortbread is pure rich indulgence, and so worth the extra effort to make!
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: British
Keyword: bars, chocolate, cookies
Author: Beth Cato
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
1cupunsalted butter 2 cubes, softened
1/3cupwhite sugar
1/3cuplight brown sugar packed
1egg yolk
3/4teaspoonvanilla extract
2 1/4cupsall-purpose flour
1/2teaspoonsalt
Caramel
2 14-ounce canssweetened condensed milk
14Tablespoonsunsalted butter
1cuplight brown sugar packed
1/3cuplight corn syrup
1teaspoonvanilla extract
1/4teaspoonsalt
Chocolate Ganache
11ouncessemisweet chocolate chips
4Tablespoonsunsalted butter 1/2 stick
Maldon sea salt flakes for top, optional
Instructions
Shortbread base
Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a 13x9 baking pan with aluminum foil and apply nonstick spray or butter.
In a large bowl, beat butter until creamy. Add both sugars and beat until light and fluffy. Follow up with the egg yolk and vanilla extract. Scrape bottom of bowl to make sure everything is incorporated.
Gradually work in flour along with the salt. Don't overmix. It should still be crumbly. Drop dough into prepared pan and compress into an even layer. (A piece of waxed paper and a heavy glass make this easier.)
Bake shortbread layer for 20 to 25 minutes, until edges are turning golden brown. Set pan aside to cool while the next layer is made.
Caramel
In a large saucepan at medium heat, stir together the condensed milk, butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup. Stir constantly as it rises to a boil. Immediately drop heat to low, and continue to stir nonstop for about 10 to 15 minutes, until mixture turns a deep caramel color and thickens up; watch out, the caramel can spit out of the pan at times!
Remove pot from heat and promptly stir in vanilla extract and salt.
Pour caramel over the shortbread, using an uneven spatula or knife if needed to smooth it into an even layer. Cool pan for several hours until it reaches room temperature, or set in fridge to chill.
Ganache topping
In a microwave-safe bowl (or, alternatively, on the stove top in a pot) melt together the chocolate chips and butter. Once it can be stirred smooth, pour over the caramel. Spread out into an even layer. If desired, sprinkle Maldon sea salt flakes over the top.
Chill in fridge to let chocolate harden for at least 30 minutes. Use foil to lift contents of pan onto a cutting board. Let chocolate warm again, just a touch, perhaps for 5 or 10 minutes, before slicing into bars (otherwise, the chocolate will crack rather than be sliced through).
Store bars in fridge with waxed paper between layers. Keeps for days.