This was always a favourite of mine when I was younger and I still love it just as much today! It’s a popular coffee shop bake here in the UK and loved by people of all ages.
It has a lovely buttery shortbread base topped with smooth caramel and a layer of milk chocolate. You can put a dark chocolate on the top to cut through the sweetness a bit but I much prefer milk chocolate.
Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees centigrade (160 fan) and line a 9” square tin with baking parchment.
Put the butter, caster sugar and plain flour in a large bowl.
Rub the butter into the dry ingredients until it has the texture of fine breadcrumbs.
Tip the mixture into the prepared tin.
Then press down with a spatula until it is level.
Bake in the pre-heated oven for 25 minutes - it should be just starting to slightly colour around the edges.
Set aside to cool.
To make the caramel put the butter, sugar, golden syrup and condensed milk in a large heavy based pan.
On a low heat melt the butter and sugar.
Once the sugar and butter have dissolved set a timer for 6 minutes and turn the heat up high and the mixture will boil and bubble extremely vigorously.
Keep stirring with a metal whisk - if you stop it will burn so keep stirring. The colour will change from a light creamy colour to a caramel colour with a fudgy consistency.
After 6 minutes take off the heat and continue to whisk for a minute.
Then pour the caramel on top of the shortbread base and level - be careful as it is very hot!
Set aside to cool and set for at least 1 hour.
Put the cooking chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of boiling water making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water or melt in a microwave for about 1 1/2 minutes in 30 second bursts so it doesn’t burn and mix between bursts.
Pour the chocolate over the caramel and level.
Set aside to cool and set.
Cut into 16 slices with a sharp knife. If you put the caramel shortbread in the fridge to set it will make it much harder to cut and get clean slices.
Caramel Shortbread
Sarah’s servings: 16
Sarah's skill: Medium
Baking time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
Shortbread
150g Unsalted butter
55g Caster sugar
225g Plain flour
Caramel
180g Butter
80g Caster sugar
40g Golden syrup
397g Condensed milk
Topping
200g Milk Cooking Chocolate
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees centigrade (160 fan) and line a 9” square tin with baking parchment.
Put the butter, caster sugar and plain flour in a large bowl and rub the butter into the dry ingredients until it has the texture of fine breadcrumbs.
Tip the mixture into the prepared tin and press down with a spatula until it is level.
Bake in the pre-heated oven for 25 minutes - it should be just starting to slightly colour around the edges.
Set aside to cool.
To make the caramel put the butter, sugar, golden syrup and condensed milk in a large heavy based pan.
On a low heat melt the butter and sugar.
Once the sugar and butter have dissolved set a timer for 6 minutes and turn the heat up high and the mixture will boil and bubble extremely vigorously. Keep stirring with a metal whisk - if you stop it will burn so keep stirring. The colour will change from a light creamy colour to a caramel colour with a fudgy consistency.
After 6 minutes take off the heat and continue to whisk for a minute.
Then pour the caramel on top of the shortbread base and level - be careful as it is very hot!
Set aside to cool and set for at least 1 hour.
Put the cooking chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of boiling water making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water or melt in a microwave for about 1 1/2 minutes in 30 second bursts so it doesn’t burn and mix between bursts.
Pour the chocolate over the caramel and level.
Set aside to cool and set.
Cut into 16 slices with a sharp knife. If you put the caramel shortbread in the fridge to set it will make it much harder to cut and get clean slices.
Equipment Used
Sarah’s extra slice…….
Makes 16 slices.
Place in the fridge after you cut it if it’s a warm day.
This will keep in an airtight box for 3-4 days.
You can use dark chocolate on the top if you prefer.
Comments