INGREDIENTS
- 250 (1 C – 2 sticks) Butter – NOT MARGARINE!
- 250 gm (2 C) Plain AP flour
- 125 gm (1 C) caster sugar
- 125 gm (1 C) cornflour
- ½ tsp salt
STEP BY STEP
- Let butter come up to room temperature or soften butter in microwave at 30% power for 60 seconds
- Put into a Kitchen Aid with the sugar and mix with paddle attachment on high for about 5 minutes, or until it starts to become creamy.
- At a low speed, add both the flours. Mix – increasing speed a bit when flour is mixed in.
- Pre-heat oven to 300º F.
DECISION TIME: Are you making Millionaire Shortbread, or simply Shortbread Cookies?
REGULAR COOKIES
- On a floured surface roll out 1/3 of dough to about 1 cm (but not more) thickness. Cut out round biscuits and move to lightly greased trays.
- Dock cookies with the tines of a fork
- Once all the dough has been used, put trays into oven on the bottom two shelves and bake for 1 ½ hours, shuffling the trays around halfway through
- The biscuits should be pale and short, not doughy (test 10 minutes after coming out of the oven – if doughy = wet, put back and bake for further 10 – 15 minutes).
- Sprinkle with sugar immediately after coming out of the oven, leave to rest for 10 minutes before putting them on racks
- Store in air tight containers.
MILLIONAIRE SHORTBREAD
- Prepare basic shortbread dough as shown above.
- Grease a 9×12 rimmed baking sheet and line COMPLETELY with parchment paper
- Press dough onto sheet evenly and dock thoroughly with tines of a fork
- Bake at 350º for 30 minutes
- Remove from oven and press down using another baking sheet so that it is completely flat and compressed
- Let cool while you prepare the caramel
CARAMEL PREPARATION - Heat 1 can (14 oz) Sweetened Condensed Milk over medium heat to near boiling
- Remove from heat and mix in 1 C compressed brown sugar, 1/2 C corn syrup (Karo), 8 TBL softened butter, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 C heavy cream
- Continue to heat (about 16-20 minutes) until temperature is between 236º and 239º – BE EXACT – Stir occasionally
- Pour onto shortbread crust and smooth using offset spatula
- Cool on counter, then refrigerate for 90 minutes before the next step
CHOCOLATE TOPPING - Microwave 6-10 oz bittersweet chocolate at 50% power for 60 seconds. Repeat at 30 second sessions, until stirring creates a smooth chocolate mixture
- Add 2 oz cocoa powder
- Pour over top of the caramel topping using an offset spatula to smooth.
- Sprinkle very sparingly with sea salt on some, Turbinado sugar on some, and crushed graham crackers on others… or not!
- Refrigerate only 10 minutes, then remove to cut into strips or squares using a serrated knife
- Cool and wrap in plastic, waxed paper or foil pieces
