caramel shortbread

Ingredients:

For the base:
200g plain flour
150g cold butter [cut into squares]
100g sugar

For the caramel:
397ml sweetened condensed milk
200g salted butter
100g sugar
100g golden syrup [you can substitute this for honey or maple syrup]
1tsp vanilla extract [optional]

For the topping:
240g  Chocolate [I use a mix of milk and dark]
50g White Chocolate [optional]

Method:

1 - Heat the oven to 160c (fan) [180c conventional]. Grease and flour a 9” x 13” baking tin.

2 - Blitz the ingredients for the base a food processor, or using a hand mixer, until they resemble breadcrumbs. Press these into the baking tin and bake for 20-25 minutes until just turning golden brown. Allow to cool.

3 - In a heavy bottomed pan, place all of the caramel ingredients and melt down. Bring to a boil and boil for 7-9 minutes, until it reaches 115c when a sugar thermometer is inserted. If you don’t have a thermometer, you can place a side plate into the freezer, and when you think the caramel is ready, place some drops onto the plate. Within 15-20 seconds it should cool to show you the consistency when set.

4 - Pour the caramel over the shortbread and allow to cool.*

5 - Melt the darker chocolates in one bowl.

6 - Melt the white chocolate in a separate bowl, and wrap in a little clingfilm ball.

7 - Pour the dark chocolate over the set caramel. Working quickly, prick your white chocolate with a toothpick and pipe lengths along the width of the tray. Turn the tray and run your toothpick perpendicular to the white streaks in order to feather the chocolates together. It helps to tap the tray on the worktop a few times now, to settle the top of the chocolate. Allow to cool.

8 - Cool and slice.

Top Tip: * You can add any number of fillings to the caramel before you pour it over the shortbread - peanuts, crystalised ginger, pistachios, dried fruit.
You can also do without the feather of the chocolate and sprinkle any of these over the top of the chocolate. Rock salt or chilli flake also work very well here!