A sweet treat with a cuppa. Millionaires Shortbread, or caramel shortbread if you will is a chocolate and caramel covered shortbread biscuit that has graced tea plates for many a year.
Millionaires shortbread (or do you call it caramel shortbread?) always used to be one of my favourite treats whenever I was at the bakery for Mum. That was way back in my youth about a hundred years ago.
However, it’s still something I tend to reach for when at a coffee shop nowadays. Guess the tastes of our youth never leave us, though having said that I’m glad I’ve lost my addiction to sherbet dabs and all those other seriously dodgy sugary treats!
Shortbread Notes;
I wrote this recipe for Millionaires Shortbread for the shortbread section of my book Simply Scottish Cakes & Bakes which is when I discovered just how many different types of shortbread there are in Scotland.
From the traditional Petticoat Tails that took their name from the Elizabethan underskirt patterns to shortbread fingers. Ayrshire shortbread that contains cream for added richness to jammy shortbread sandwiches.
Good old shortbread did of course originate in Scotland and it was a Mrs McLintock in 1736 who penned the first recipe for posterity.
Caramel Shortbread
I guess good old shortbread just got richer and richer here. It started as plain shortbread. Then it became caramel shortbread. But then it really hit the jackpot with that rich layer of chocolate and became the millionaires shortbread we know today.
Ingredients for millionaires shortbread?
For the shortbread base it is just flour, butter and sugar really.
On to the middle section and you will require the really sweet, rich and creamy caramel layer. Butter, golden syrup, golden caster sugar and condensed milk. There I told you it was sweet!
For the topping it’s just chocolate all the way. I used a mixture of milk and plain chocolate then added swirls of white chocolate as a finishing touch.
How long will it keep
This caramel shortbread or millionaires shortbread whatever you want to call it, will keep for a few days in a sealed tin. Remember with home baking there are none of those preservatives found in store-bought shortbread and biscuits.
Things deteriorate quicker when you make them at home. But, hell, they taste so much better!
Can you freeze millionaires shortbread?
Yes. Wrap it well in cling film and then pop it into a freezer-proof bag or box and freeze for up to 3 months. Remember to defrost thoroughly.
Let’s make shortbread!
Although this easy Millionaires Shortbread recipe is a calorific nightmare, everyone deserves a wee treat now and then. Just resist the temptation to eat the whole lot, remember sharing is caring and all that……
Looking for some more easy shortbread recipes? Then check these out before you go;
Finally, if you do try this recipe don’t forget to leave a comment/star rating below as I just love to hear from readers. Want more Larder Love? Then follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter and sign up for my newsletter too of course.
Millionaires Shortbread/Caramel Shortbread
Ingredients
- 115 g unsalted butter
- 175 g plain flour
- 55 g golden caster sugar
Topping
- 175 g unsalted butter
- 115 g golden caster sugar
- 3 tbsp golden syrup
- 400 g condensed milk
- 200 g chocolate I use a mix of plain and milk then swirled some white chocolate on top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F and line a shallow 23cm tin
- Make the shortbread base by whizzing together the base ingredients in food processor and then press into the prepared baking tin
- Bake for approx 25 mins till golden on top
- Topping
- Heat butter, sugar, condensed milk and golden syrup in a pan till sugar has dissolved
- Raise the temperature to a boil then simmer for 8 minutes till thickens but keep stirring so it doesn’t stick to bottom of pan
- Pour over the shortbread base and place in fridge to set completely
- Melt the chocolate in a double boiler/bain marie and pour over the chilled solid caramel topped shortbread
- Swirl on melted white chocolate to decorate
- Pop back into the fridge to set and then cut into squares with a sharp knife
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