Millionaire's shortbread
Millionaire's shortbread, also known as caramel chocolate shortbread, is a famous three-layer bar from Scotland. There's a shortbread base (a crisp butter cookie) on the bottom, a thick, chewy condensed milk caramel in the middle and a thin, snappy layer of chocolate on top. Every small square is rich, sweet and beautiful, with three distinct colored layers.
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Rising or chilling
- 2 hr
- Total time
- 3 hr 15 min
- Method
- Oven-baked
Ingredients
Shortbread base
Caramel layer
Chocolate topping
Instructions
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 170°C and line a 20 cm square pan with parchment paper, leaving extra paper hanging over two opposite sides as handles. All three layers are very sticky, so the paper handles let you lift out the whole slab for cutting. The pan is ready when the paper covers the bottom and the corners are neat.
Step 2
Mix 200 g all-purpose flour, 70 g superfine sugar and a pinch of salt, add 140 g softened butter cut into pieces, then squeeze it together with your hands until the dough comes together. There's no need to knead for long, because shortbread is best crisp and crumbly rather than tough. The dough is ready when it forms soft clumps that stick together into a mass when squeezed.
Step 3
Scatter the dough into the pan, press it down firmly and evenly with the bottom of a glass, then prick it all over with a fork. Pressing firmly makes a solid base to support the caramel, while pricking lets steam escape so the base doesn't puff up. The base is ready when it's flat, evenly thick and reaches right into the corners.
Step 4
Bake the base at 170°C for about 20 to 25 minutes, then let it cool in the pan. The base needs to be evenly golden so it stays crisp under the moist caramel. It's done when the top is pale golden, the edges are golden brown and it feels dry and firm to the touch.
Step 5
Put 100 g unsalted butter, 100 g brown sugar, 40 g golden syrup and 395 g sweetened condensed milk in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring to a boil over medium heat and stir constantly for about 6 to 8 minutes, then add a pinch of salt. Condensed milk scorches on the bottom very easily, so don't stop stirring. The caramel is ready when it turns golden brown, thickens and a trail drawn by the whisk across the bottom of the pan closes slowly.
Step 6
Pour the hot caramel straight over the cooled base, tilt the pan to spread it evenly, let it cool, then refrigerate for about 60 minutes. The caramel needs to set firm so the chocolate layer lies flat on top. The caramel layer is ready when it feels firm and chewy and no longer sticks to your finger.
Step 7
Chop 150 g milk chocolate and 50 g dark chocolate and melt them in a bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water, stirring gently until just melted. Blending two kinds of chocolate gives a balanced flavor, neither too sweet nor too bitter. The chocolate is ready when it's glossy, flows smoothly and feels only slightly warm.
Step 8
Pour the chocolate over the caramel, tilt the pan to cover it completely, then let it set at room temperature for about 30 minutes; lift the slab out and cut it into squares with a hot knife wiped dry. A hot knife cuts through the chocolate without shattering it into pieces. The bars are ready when each square shows three neat layers and the chocolate top isn't cracked.
Equipment
- Oven
- Square pan
- Parchment paper
- Mixing bowl
- Spatula
- Small saucepan
- Thermometer
- Kitchen scale
- Refrigerator
Tips
- You can sprinkle a few flakes of sea salt over the chocolate before it sets for an irresistible salted caramel flavor.
- If the chocolate layer cracks easily when cut, leave the slab at room temperature for fifteen minutes before cutting instead of cutting it straight from the fridge.
- Using a thermometer to check that the caramel reaches about 110 to 112°C will give you a perfectly chewy middle layer.
Storage
Store the bars in an airtight container somewhere cool for up to five days, or in the fridge for up to a week. In hot weather, keep them in the fridge so the caramel doesn't run and the chocolate doesn't soften.
Common problems and how to fix them
- The caramel is runny and oozes out when cut.
- The caramel wasn't cooked long enough. Cook it for a few more minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and changes color noticeably.
- The caramel is grainy or the butter has separated.
- The heat was too high or you stirred unevenly, so the sugar crystallized and the milk scorched. Cook over medium heat and keep scraping the bottom of the pan as you stir.
- The shortbread base is soft and soggy.
- The base wasn't baked golden enough. Bake it a few minutes longer, until the edges are golden brown, before pouring on the caramel.
This recipe is based on the common ratios for this bake and is written entirely in our own words.
