Millionaire's Shortbread, aka Caramel Shortbread

adapted by My Baking Addiction from Nigella Lawson; further adapted by Ian Johnston | makes 117 1" square bars

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup brown sugar
1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter; divided use
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
4 tablespoons honey or light corn syrup
6 ounces (½ bag) semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup water

Calories: 52 per 1" square bar

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Put the flour and brown sugar into a bowl and rub in 12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) of the butter (note: I used my food processor for this step), clumping the dough together to form a ball.
  3. Grease a 9x13 pan with butter, and coat butter with flour.
  4. Press shortbread mixture into the pan; smooth it with either your hands or a spatula. Pierce with a fork and cook for 5 minutes, then lower the oven to 325 degrees, and cook for a further 20 minutes until it is pale golden and no longer doughy.
  5. Save aside a ¼" thick pat of butter for the chocolate.
  6. In a large microwave safe bowl, melt the remaining butter (1 ½ sticks), then add the condensed milk and honey or syrup. Whisk the mixture well until the butter is thoroughly incorporated.
  7. Heat caramel mix in the microwave at 30-60 second intervals, stirring after each interval, until just after the mixture finishes foaming. Watch the mixture constantly, as it can boil over and make a huge mess. Stop the microwave if it threatens to overboil the bowl (you'll have about 10 seconds to react). Once ready, mix well and pour over the shortbread.
  8. Allow the caramel layer to cool to room temperature or colder. The cooler the caramel, the less it will be affected by the chocolate layer.
  9. Put chocolate chips, water and butter into a double boiler and melt. It should be liquid, not paste; add boiling water to thin if necessary. Pour and spread it over the cooled caramel mixture.
  10. Once set, cut the caramel shortbread into bite-size pieces. The bars can be stored in the fridge to keep the caramel firm in warm weather.

This recipe adapted from My Baking Addiction
http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/chocolate-caramel-shortbread-bars/

Adapted 2013. Created by Ian Johnston. Questions? Please mail me at reaper at obairlann dot net.