Millionaire's Shortbread
Inspired by techniques from Serious Eats, America's Test Kitchen and NYT Cooking.
Three-layer tray bake with a buttery shortbread base, a thick cooked caramel middle, and a firm chocolate topping, cut into neat squares.
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Method
- 1
Heat oven, line tin. Heat the oven to 160°C (140°C fan) for at least 20 minutes before baking. Line the 20cm metal tin with a baking-paper sling to make lifting out the finished bars straightforward later.
- 2
Make the shortbread base. Pulse or rub the flour, cornflour, sugar, salt and cold cubed butter together until the mixture clumps into coarse crumbs. Press it firmly and evenly into the tin, then prick all over with a fork — docking lets steam escape so the base doesn't bubble up unevenly.
- 3
Bake the base. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until pale golden and firm at the edges, then leave to cool in the tin. A firm, fully cooled base keeps the shortbread crisp once the wet caramel goes on top.
- 4
Cook the caramel. In a heavy-based pan over medium-low heat, melt the condensed milk, butter, brown sugar, golden syrup and salt together, stirring. Keep cooking, stirring constantly and scraping the base so the sugars can't catch, for 8-12 minutes until thick, a shade darker and 113-115°C — it should leave a clear trail when you draw the spatula through it.
- 5
Pour and cool the caramel. Pour the hot caramel over the cooled base and level it off, then leave to cool for 15 minutes before chilling for 1 hour until firm. Chilling sets the caramel enough to take the weight of the chocolate layer without the two mixing together.
- 6
Add the chocolate topping. Melt the chocolate and butter gently in a bowl over simmering water until smooth, then spread over the firm caramel. Chill for 30 minutes until set — the butter keeps the chocolate from setting too hard to cut cleanly.
- 7
Cut into squares. Leave at room temperature for 10 minutes, then cut into 16 squares using a knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between cuts, for slices through the chocolate without cracking it.
Storage
Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 2 months. Let come to room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving so the caramel softens.
Equipment
- 20 cm square metal baking tin (not glass), lined with a baking-paper sling
- food processor or large bowl
- heavy-based saucepan (20 cm)
- heatproof spatula
- sugar thermometer (optional)
- sharp knife and jug of hot water
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 331 kcal |
| Protein | 3.8 g |
| Carbohydrate | 38.6 g |
| of which sugars | 27.6 g |
| of which free sugars | 27.6 g |
| Fat | 18.4 g |
| of which saturates | 11.4 g |
| Fibre | 1.3 g |
| Salt | 0.28 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
1.1 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
