Chocolate Caramel Shortbread

Officially hailed as ‘one of the best things you’ve ever made Mum!’ I reckon this is a recipe you don’t want to miss out on. A twist on the classic Millionaires Shortbread but with a brilliant chocolate caramel instead. Four full batches in our house this week (and I’m sorry to admit I only gave one of those away) – better add the ingredients to your shopping list! xx

Ingredients:

Shortbread

125g butter, softened

50g caster sugar

175g plain flour

Chocolate Caramel

315g condensed milk

90g soft brown sugar

90g butter

3 level tbsps cocoa powder

Topping

200g white chocolate

25g dark chocolate

25g milk chocolate

Line an 8” square tin with non-stick baking paper and preheat the oven to 160c (fan)/180c/Gas Mark 4.

So to start off we need to make the shortbread base. Cream together the butter and sugar until well combined.

Add the flour and mix it together until the dough comes together and looks nice and even.

Transfer it to the tin and press it out, with your hands or the back of a spoon until it fills the base of the tin and is pretty level.

Prick it over with a fork and bake in the oven for 15-18 minutes until it is just turning a golden colour at the edges.

Take it from the oven and set it aside to cool.

Now for the chocolate caramel. In a medium sized pan, a non-stick one is best, place the condensed milk, soft brown sugar and butter.

Measure out the cocoa powder but keep it in a separate dish for the time being.

Heat the pan nice and gently, stirring the mixture frequently – a silicone whisk is ideal, until the butter and sugar have melted.

Continue heating the pan, stirring it with the whisk the whole time to prevent the mixture at the bottom of the pan from scorching. Once the mixture is bubbling, heat it for 1 minutes, keep on stirring.

Add in the cocoa powder , keep whisking – don’t worry the lumps of cocoa powder will disperse as you do a whisky-stir.

Bubble the mixture for a further 4 minutes. Set a timer!

By the end of the 4 minutes the chocolate caramel will be glossy and smooth and pulling away from the sides of the pan as you mix.

Take is straight off the heat and pour over the shortbread base. It may need some encouragement to spread and level by tilting the tin or with the back of a spoon.

Now leave it to cool again before adding the chocolate topping.

Melt the white chocolate in a bowl, melt the small quantities of milk and dark chocolate and place them in separate disposable piping bags.

For the marbling decoration it’s best if the chocolates are all of the same liquid consistency. The small piping bags can be placed inside a mug of warm water to keep them liquid if you need to.

Ready to go? Pour the white chocolate over the cooled chocolate caramel. Snip a small piece from the end of each the milk and dark piping bags and drizzle them over the top of the white chocolate in a random pattern.