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Millionaire's shortbread
Caramel shortcake: shortbread, caramel and chocolate traybake
Millionaire's shortbread, called caramel shortcake in much of Scotland and caramel squares across the water in Belfast, is the traybake of school bake sales, cafés and church teas. A crisp shortbread base is covered with thick condensed-milk caramel and a layer of chocolate, rich enough to justify the name. Chef's tip: keep stirring the caramel the whole time it bubbles; it catches on the bottom in seconds.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
For the base
For the caramel
For the top
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan) and line a 20 cm square tin. Rub the 4 ½ oz butter, 1 ¾ oz caster sugar and 6 oz plain flour together into a dough, press into the tin and prick.
8 minStep 2: Bake for 20 minutes until pale golden. Cool.
20 minStep 3: Melt the 3 ½ oz butter, 3 ½ oz light brown sugar, 2 tbsp golden syrup and 14 oz sweetened condensed milk in a heavy pan over a low heat, then bring to a gentle boil, stirring all the time, for 6–8 minutes until it turns a deep fudge colour and thickens.
12 minStep 4: Pour over the base and cool, then chill for 30 minutes until firm.
40 minStep 5: Melt the 7 oz milk or dark chocolate in a bowl over simmering water and spread over the caramel. A common mistake is spreading it on warm caramel, which makes the layers blur. Chill until set, then cut with a hot knife.
30 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
- Fat
- 18 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does millionaire's shortbread take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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