Millionaire Shortbread *you're welcome* :)

I remember millionaire shortbread from back in the day.  I don't know if my mother, my aunts or my grandmother made it.  I think my mother made something similar to these, I just remember eating them.

It's my party piece.  No one in my house eats it but me so I make it to take away, sneaking the edge bits or a slice for myself of course.

It's best kept in the fridge and left to room temperature to serve.

It lasts a long time, well, if there's no one in your house.  Otherwise, sorry for your luck!

This is one of my favorite things.

I took it to a party last night and was delighted to over hear, "don't go near those chocolate things on the end, they're like crack! you'll be addicted immediately, I have to go outside to get away from them".


Here's some beauty shots
  
you can make it in a tart pan and cut it in wedges
 


in a square pan, cut into chunks
 
the chocolate cracks and the caramel oozes
 
dark chocolate or milk chocolate, oh look how flaky
 

The recipe:

BASE:

1 1/4 cups a/p flour
tsp salt
1 stick butter or margarine (YES! margarine works just fine here)

MIX with your fingers and press into an 8x8 prepared pan and prick it all over with a fork.  I prepare the glass dish with a stripe of parchment paper so I can lift the entire thing out in one piece for slicing.  And for slicing off the edges, in the name of square-ness, so I can eat them.

BAKE 350 about 20 minutes, until it's pale light golden around the edges.

COOL  (yes, I shove it straight from the oven into the fridge on either a rack or a tea towel. My patience? Not great)

CARAMEL LAYER

1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
1 can evaporated milk  (NOT sweetened condensed!)
tsp salt

Put all this in a medium sized pan on the stove.  Medium high heat.  Get a glass of wine and stir.  Stir some more and keep stirring, slowly, until the mixture looks and smells like caramel.

You just have to know how to do this, the mixture will boil like mad, get huge bubbles then smaller ones then suddenly, about 15 minutes later, it'll be lava.  The odd blurp and it'll color and thicken fast.  This is not the time to check your email or even talk on the phone.  I stand, with a glass of wine and stir.  I think about things sometimes but mostly I stir and cocktail.

When the caramel is the colour you like and thick, pour it over the cooled shortbread base. Straight back in the fridge if you have no patience, leave it out to set if you do.

CHOCOLATE LAYER:

1 cup chocolate chips, dark or milk or mix
1-2 tsp plain oil.

Nuke until it's melted, don't scorch it!  Stir it smooth and pour it over the caramel layer.  Score the chocolate layer immediately.

These are very very VERY rich so tiny is fine

Make these, love these, and let me know how it goes.  If you're one of the inner sanctum, keep inviting me to functions and I'll keep bringing these!  :)

/enjoy!