This recipe is taken from Mary Berry’s Ultimate Cake Bake Book (aka: The Berry Bible) – so you could say this was more like the technical challenge. However, a couple of (dare I say it) improvements to the original, makes this my family’s signature bake. Beloved of sugar junkies and reluctant sweet eaters alike you’ll be asked to make this forever after! Ingredients are costly- it’s not called Millionaire’s shortbread for nowt- but every indulgent chocolatey, caramel bite is worth it. And it’s a million times cheaper and better than shop-bought!
Millionaire’s shortbread
For the shortbread:
75g caster sugar
75g soft butter
250g plain flour
For the caramel:
100g butter
100g light brown sugar
1 397g tin of condensed milk
2 tablespoons of syrup
For the topping:
200g milk chocolate
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180C, 350F, Gas 4. Line a 33 x 23 cm Swiss Roll tin with baking paper.
To make the shortbread, mix the flour and sugar in a bowl and rub in the butter until it looks like fine breadcrumbs. Press it very firmly into the tin, or it will crumble, and bake for 20 minutes until a golden light brown. Don’t let it get too brown. Cool in the tin.
Mix the condensed milk, butter, syrup and sugar in a saucepan and heat very gently until the sugar dissolves, stirring constantly. Still on a low heat, let it bubble gently. Stir and do not take your eyes off it or it will catch and burn! After five minutes it should be thicker and a golden caramel colour. Pour it over the cooled shortbread.
Once the caramel has cooled, top with the chocolate. Melt the chocolate slowly over a pan of hot water and then pour over the caramel. Leave to set and cut into small squares as it is very rich!
