Contest Winner! Chocolate Caramel Shortbread Squares (a.k.a. Millionaire’s Shortbread)
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With a layer of shortbread, a layer of soft caramel and a layer of chocolate, these bars taste like gourmet Twix bars.
Thanks to all who participated in my holiday cookie contest! I received many wonderful family recipes but, in the end, these Chocolate Caramel Shortbread Squares of Scottish origin won me over. Known as Millionaire’s Shortbread, presumably because they are so rich, they consist of a layer of crumbly shortbread, a layer of soft caramel and a layer of chocolate. To me, they taste just like gourmet Twix bars. Congrats to Carrie H. of Rockville, MD, who submitted the recipe!
Other cookies submitted were wonderful too, particularly Dianne’s Dark Chocolate Buttercrunch with Sea Salt and Amy’s Snickerdoodles. I’ll be sharing these recipes on the site soon. (2-Tier Server by Julia Knight)
What you’ll need to make the shortbread squares
How to make them
Begin by making the shortbread layer. Simply combine all of the dry ingredients in the bowl of a food processor.
Blitz to blend, then add the butter in chunks.
Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal, then add the ice water and egg yolk.
Pulse until the dough comes together in wet clumps.
Dump the dough into the prepared pan and press into an even layer.
Prick the dough all over with a fork and bake until lightly browned.
Meanwhile, make the caramel by combining the sweetened condensed milk, brown sugar, butter, golden syrup, vanilla and salt in a medium sauce pan.
Cook until the caramel is smooth and thickened, and the temperature reaches 225 degrees.
Immediately pour the caramel over the crust and let set for about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the chocolate glaze by combining the chocolate pieces and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl.
Cook in 20-second intervals, so as not to scorch the chocolate, stirring in between, until the chocolate is smooth and creamy. Spread the melted chocolate over the set caramel.
Chill the bars for about an hour, or until the chocolate is completely set.
Then lift the bars out of the pan and cut into small squares.
Note: You’ll need a candy thermometer for this recipe to measure the temperature of the caramel. You can find one at any kitchen supply store. Don’t be intimated to use it; it’s easy!
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Millionaire's Shortbread
With a layer of shortbread, a layer of soft caramel and a layer of chocolate, these bars taste like gourmet Twix bars.
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 stick (½ cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon ice water
- 1 large egg yolk
For the Caramel Layer
- 1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons golden syrup (such as Lyle's Golden Syrup) or dark corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Generous pinch salt
For the Chocolate Layer
- 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, broken into small pieces, best quality
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
For the Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-inch square pan with aluminum foil, pushing the foil neatly into the corners and up the sides of the pan, using two pieces if necessary to ensure that the foil overlaps all edges (the overhang will help removal from the pan). Spray the foiled pan with nonstick cooking spray or grease with butter.
- In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine the flour, brown sugar, cornstarch and salt; process until well combined and no lumps of brown sugar remain. Add the butter and pulse until a coarse meal forms. Add the ice water and egg yolk and blend until moist clumps form. Dump the dough into the prepared pan and press with your fingers into an even layer (dust your fingers with flour if the dough is too sticky). Pierce the dough all over with a fork and bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.
For Caramel Layer
- Whisk the sweetened condensed milk, brown sugar, butter, golden syrup, vanilla and salt together in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, the butter melts and the mixture comes to a boil. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan and boil gently, whisking constantly, until the caramel is thick and the temperature registers 225 degrees F, about 6 minutes. Pour the caramel over the warm crust; cool for about 15 minutes, or until caramel is set.
For Chocolate Layer
- Place the chocolate and cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 20 second intervals, stirring in between, until the chocolate is about 75% melted. Stir, allowing the residual heat in the bowl to melt the remaining chocolate, until smooth (if necessary, place the chocolate back in the microwave for a few more; just be sure not to overheat or the mixture will curdle). Spread the chocolate over the caramel layer. Refrigerate the bars until the chocolate is set, at least 1 hour. Using the foil overhang, lift the bars out of the pan and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into small squares and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Note: The shortbread layer will crumble a bit when you cut it; that's just the nature of it.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: These can be frozen for up to 3 months. After they are completely cooled, double-wrap them securely with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (25 servings)
- Calories: 174
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated fat: 5 g
- Carbohydrates: 23 g
- Sugar: 17 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Sodium: 54 mg
- Cholesterol: 27 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I’m snowed in (housebound), in Western NC, and would love to make this recipe, but I don’t have corn syrup. I just read I can make my own corn syrup with 1 1/4 cups of sugar dissolved in 1/4 of water. Do you think this would work? If not, is there anything else I can use to substitute for the corn syrup.
Thank you!
Jennifer
I heard about the snowstorm you got in NC – hope all is well and things are starting to get back to normal! I don’t think that the sugar/water mixture you described would work as a replacement for corn syrup – sorry! There are other ways of making the caramel layer, such as melting down caramel squares with some heavy cream. In a small saucepan, melt 2 cups caramel squares with 3 tablespoons cream over low heat. Pour the caramel over the cooled crust and set in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to chill and firm up. (If you don’t have corn syrup at home, you may not have caramel squares and/or heavy cream, so not certain it solves your problem…) 🙂
I made my own using this recipe. Very time consuming, I had to cook it almost an hour, not 45 min. as described, but it worked perfectly. I cut the recipe in 1/2, which meant I did not do the first step as long as described or the sugar would have crystallized. http://www.internationaldessertsblog.com/make-golden-syrup/
Hi, I see these can be frozen. If you are keeping them for eating now, would you store them in an air tight container at room temperature or in the fridge?
They should be stored in the fridge – enjoy!
I made these for my husbands work Christmas Party. I had carefully read the reviews and was a little concerned about how my caramel layer would turn out. I bake almost everyday, but very rarely use a candy thermometer. I am excited to share that it turned out perfectly. These treats are also a great addition to a buffet of sweet bites. They are not only delicious, but also very attractive on a platter! Thanks for another wonderful recipe.
Hi there – I made this recipe and initially I thought I nailed it! But after I allowed the finished product to cool in the fridge – when I pulled it out the caramel layer was incredibly difficult to cut through (very firm!). Did I somehow over-heat the caramel? I used a candy thermometer and I pulled my pot off the stove just as it hit 225F. It poured out great onto the crust layer so I assumed it was good to go.
I allowed the dish to sit at room temp for 3 hours to try cutting through it again and it was still super firm – perhaps a tiny bit easier but still not what I imagined. Quite a work out on the jaw muscles to eat a piece! Anyways if you have any thoughts on where I went wrong that would be great – thanks!
Sorry you had a problem with the caramel, Rose! If the caramel hardened, it sounds like the temperature got too high (even if it didn’t read that way on your thermometer). It may be time to replace your candy thermometer.
Hi. I cannot find dark corn syrup. May I substitute light corn syrup and molasses? If so what are the measurements? Thanks! I’ve been dying to try this recipe as all your recipes are fantastic!!
Hi Denise, it’s fine to just substitute the dark corn syrup with light – they’ll still be delicious!
Tasty recipe, but lacks the true British taste I grew up with. Also from following the recipe and quantities precisely my caramel was twice as thick as the shortbread, which should not be the case.
Incredible. Saved in my permanent recipe files. Worth the 3-step process (not hard).
This recipe turned out great! I had never made millionaire shortbread before. I struggled the most with the caramel, where it started to burn a bit so I changed pots and kept going. I do not have a candy thermometer so I followed the timing provided in the recipe (6 minutes). The caramel’s consistency became noticeably thicker at this stage. There was a bit of crumbling of the shortbread layer, but it stayed well together. These were a hit at work. Thanks for the recipe!
Scrumptious and rich, a little square will satisfy that sweet craving you’re having. Wonderful to give to a host as a thanks
Hello!
My name’s Wojciech and I’m Polish student who loves to travel. In england I spend 6 months. There was first time I ate millionaire bites and after going back home – there wasn’t any month I wouldn’t think of making one by myself, but there was no chance of finding any recipe on the internet 🙁
It’s about 2 years after suffering without these god-tier sweets, but thanks to your recipe I can make them every week 🙂
Reading comments really helped with caramel problem, but using canned caramel and mixing it with a bit of butter and flour give the same taste and a little harder consistency (and it’s easier to do). I also had problems with sweetness, so I decided to add only a little bit of sugar to dough, that way sour base and sweet caramel with semi-sweet chocolade are rally good combinatin 🙂