The most unnecessary stress in pastry kitchen life is usually attached to working with chocolate in some way or another. When making millionaire shortbread this usually manifests itself when trying to achieve the perfect feathered decoration before the chocolate sets.
So, rather than make more space in my life for this sort of nonsense, I opted for marbled finish which looks just as effective (we will feather, but later.) Anyway, stop ranting about chocolate Cat and let’s get baking some delicious shall we?
RECIPE:
WHOLEMEAL SHORTBREAD DOUGH
125g UNSALTED BUTTER (Cold and Cubed, you know the drill by now)
75g ICING SUGAR(Sieved, once more, let’s rid the world of icing sugar lumps)
120gPLAIN FLOUR
75g LIGHT WHOLEMEAL FLOUR (This adds a lovely nutty flavour which pairs well with the chocolate caramel, but it can always swapped out for plain flour. Full disclaimer though, you won’t be making wholemeal pastry if you do. Teehee)
CARAMEL FILLING
150g UNSALTED BUTTER
1 X 379g CAN OF CONDENSED MILK
100g GOLDEN SYRUP
PINCH OF SALT
MARBLED CHOCOLATE TOPPING
50g DARK CHOCOLATE
50g MILK CHOCOLATE
30g WHITE CHOCOLATE
METHOD:
BEFORE YOU START…
Preheat your oven to 160c, (160c fan oven, 170c for other, less powerful ovens)
FOR THE WHOLEMEAL SHORTBREAD BASE…
Mix the butter and icing sugar until there are no lumps of butter and the two are nicely homogenised. Add the flours and mix through until a crumbly dough comes together. IT WON’T LOOK RIGHT. BUT TRUST ME ON THIS.
Pour this into your tin and evenly pat down into tin, flattening with the back of a spoon or small palette knife until you are happy with how even/straight it is. Bake for 20-22 minutes until it is beginning to turn golden in colour. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin.
FOR THE CARAMEL FILLING…
Combine everything in a pan and cook on a gentle heat until the butter has melted. Increase the heat and cook until the colour of light caramel, ensuring to whisk continuously to avoid the sugar burning. Once ready pour over the cooked shortbread base and tap to level out. LEAVE TO SET AT ROOM TEMPERATURE.
FOR THE MARBLED CHOCOLATE TOPPING…
While the caramel filling is still warm (this gives you extra time to marble the chocolate before it sets) melt your chocolates separately and pour over the caramel, marbling as you please to finish. Set in the fridge before cutting with a hot knife (but look, if the chocolate topping still cracks when you cut it that’s ok, it will still be delicious!)
