Millionaires Shortbread

Walk down just about any main street in Oxford and you'll walk past a pastry or tea shop of some kind filled with all sorts of guilty pleasures.  My favorite treat is a delicious indulgence called Caramel Bars or Millionaires Shortbread.  It is a rich layered bar with shortbread on the bottom, a lush creamy caramel in the middle, and sweet milk chocolate on the top.  I’ve sampled several caramel bars and the best are found at Taylors Deli on High Street.  

Millionaires Shortbread or Caramel Squares

Shortbread:

·       2 sticks butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for preparing pans

·       2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for preparing pans

·       2/3 cup sugar

·       1/2 teaspoon salt

Caramel Layer:

·       2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk

·       2 tablespoons butter

Chocolate Topping:

·       3/4 pound good-quality milk chocolate

·        

Shortbread:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter 2 (8-inch) square nonstick pans and coat with flour, tapping off excess. Place the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse once. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles peas. Press the shortbread mixture into prepared pans and bake until golden brown around the edges, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

Caramel Layer:

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the condensed milk and 2 tablespoons of butter. Slowly bring the mixture to a boil, stirring continuously. Continue stirring over the heat until mixture becomes thick and amber in color, about 15 minutes. Pour the caramel over the cooked shortbread and spread evenly using an offset spatula. Cool to room temperature.

Chocolate Topping:

In a glass bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate. Once chocolate has melted, pour it over the cooled caramel layer. Cool at room temperature for about 10 minutes, and then place in the refrigerator to cool completely, allowing chocolate to slightly harden but not get hard. Cut into 2-inch squares and enjoy, or store in an airtight container, at room temperature.

Happy Valentine's Day!