Millionaire’s Shortbread

By Samantha Seneviratne

Millionaire’s Shortbread
Craig Lee for The New York Times
Total Time
1¾ hours
Rating
4(3,036)
Comments
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Plain shortbread, a combination of the most basic ingredients in the baker’s pantry, is an understated sweet, but millionaire’s shortbread is a spectacle. It’s a flashy cookie, topped with swoops of chocolate and chewy caramel made from condensed milk, butter and Lyle’s Golden Syrup. A British confection made from cane sugar, Lyle’s is found near the honey and maple syrup in any well-stocked supermarket, but if you can't find it, corn syrup makes a fine, if slightly less flavorful, substitute.

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Ingredients

Yield:32 bars

    For the Shortbread Layer

    • 12tablespoons/170 grams unsalted butter (1½ sticks), at room temperature but not too soft
    • ½cup/100 grams granulated sugar
    • 1½cups/190 grams all-purpose flour
    • ½teaspoon kosher salt

    For the Caramel Layer

    • 1(14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
    • 4tablespoons/55 grams unsalted butter (½ stick)
    • 2tablespoons Lyle’s Golden Syrup or light corn syrup
    • ½teaspoon kosher salt
    • ½teaspoon pure vanilla extract

    For the Chocolate

    • 8ounces/226 grams semisweet chocolate, chopped
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (32 servings)

162 calories; 9 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 20 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 14 grams sugars; 2 grams protein; 77 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Make the shortbread layer: Heat oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add flour and salt, and beat on low just until the mixture is evenly combined and the texture of coarse sand.

  2. Step 2

    Tip mixture into prepared pan, and press down firmly into an even layer. Bake until top is dry and light golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.

  3. Step 3

    Make the caramel layer: In a medium saucepan, combine condensed milk, butter, Golden Syrup and salt. Cook mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, until it has thickened and changed from a milky yellow color to the color of butterscotch pudding, 10 to 20 minutes. It should read 220 degrees to 225 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Adjust the heat as necessary to keep the bottom from scorching. Stir in vanilla extract. Immediately pour the caramel over the baked crust and spread it into an even layer.

  4. Step 4

    Prepare the chocolate: In the microwave or over a double boiler, melt the chocolate in short bursts, stirring often. Spread melted chocolate in an even layer over caramel. Chill until chocolate is set, about 30 minutes. To serve, cut the parchment-free sides away from the pan with a sharp knife, then transfer the shortbread to a cutting board using the parchment overhang. Cut into 32 small bars.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
3,036 user ratings
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Comments

Andrea

Paul Hollywood uses la different recipe that I like better. I use this shortbread recipe and his caramel. Makes a perfect cookie. ¾ cup packed light brown sugar ⅓ cup sweetened condensed milk 3 tbsp. golden cane syrup (such as Lyle’s Golden Syrup)

Margaux Laskey, Staff Editor

You can pop it into the fridge while you melt the chocolate, but it's not 100% necessary. It's more important that you allow the shortbread to cool before spreading the caramel on top.

Adrienne

Delicious and easier than I expected! Next time I may actually increase the amount of chocolate—maybe do 8oz semisweet plus 4-6oz bittersweet or unsweetened—because the chocolate layer was pretty thin and I am a fiend.

Lisa

Made as directed and didn't care for the result. I used a thermometer to get the caramel to 225 degrees, but it remained milky and pale. The finished bars were just overwhelmingly sweet without much taste contrast between the layers. I think next time I'll make Eagle Brand magic cookie bars instead.

Lzlz

I followed the recipe exactly except I added a light sprinkle of flaky salt on top. I agree with other reviewers that the caramel could be better. It had a milky quality, hard to describe. Not silky as would be expected. Will use a different caramel recipe mentioned in comments for next time. Also this morning I sampled right out of the fridge. Later tried a piece that has come to room temp and it was more enjoyable! The texture of the caramel was improved. Highly recommend a little salt to the top - it helped cut the sweetness and added a little pop.

Sam

I love this recipe. I've made it many times and it always comes out perfectly. Embedded pretzels into the caramel layer is great (as suggested by others) but they are also excellent without. I used light corn syrup and it makes a great caramel.

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