Monday 23 June 2014

Chocolate and Caramel Shortbread : Millionaire's Shortbread

I'm usually so much better at updating this blog, than I have been recently! I've been busy with research. I worked both Saturday and Sunday to do research prep and to take data. As a side note about data, everyone should watch this science parody video!
It's a parody of "Get Lucky" Instead of "Up all night to get lucky" this version is "Up all night to get DATA!" I showed this video to my housemates last night after we talked about making a SERC intern parody music video!

Last week, I made Millionaire's Shortbread, which I thought was a quite well-known, but may be just a British term. Essentially it's short bread, covered in caramel, covered in chocolate. . .
Let that thought sink in for a moment.
Doesn't it sound absolutely decadent? Maybe that's why it's called Millionaire's Shortbread!
Here's the recipe! 
Ingredients
Shortbread:
2 sticks butter, plus more for preparing pans
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for preparing pans
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Caramel Layer:
2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoons butter
Chocolate Topping:
3/4 pound good-quality milk chocolate
 
 
Directions
Shortbread:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter 2 (8-inch) square nonstick pans and coat with flour, tapping off excess. Place the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse once. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles peas. Press the shortbread mixture into prepared pans and bake until golden brown around the edges, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

Caramel Layer:
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the condensed milk and 2 tablespoons of butter. Slowly bring the mixture to a boil, stirring continuously. Continue stirring over the heat until mixture becomes thick and amber in color, about 15 minutes. Pour the caramel over the cooked shortbread and spread evenly using an offset spatula. Cool to room temperature.

Chocolate Topping:
In a glass bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate. Once chocolate has melted, pour it over the cooled caramel layer. Cool at room temperature for about 10 minutes, and then place in the refrigerator to cool completely, allowing chocolate to slightly harden but not get hard. Cut into 2-inch squares and enjoy, or store in an airtight container

I will be the first to admit that the chocolate was not as smooth and glossy as I wanted it to be. But they tasted delicious. Decadent is definitely a good word to use to describe these bite-sized treats! I made a big dish of Millionaire's Shortbread. I let them solidify overnight, then took them into work, offering them to everyone I know and work with. Let's just say the whole dish was gone really fast, with plenty of people asking for seconds, thirds, or more. That's what I love about baking - sharing the results with others! 

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