Millionaire's Shortbread

If you watch the Great British Baking Show, this recipe may seem familiar - it was a challenge on one season.  Don't worry, I will give you more direction that the contestants had :)

Crust
1 Cup Flour
1/4 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
3 Tsp Cornstarch
1/4 Tsp Salt
1/2 Cup Cold Butter, Cubed
1 T Ice Water
1 Large Egg Yolk

Caramel
14 Oz Sweetened Condensed Milk
1/3 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
6 Tbl Butter, softened
2 Tbl Corn Syrup
1 Tsp Vanilla
Large Pinch Salt

Chocolate
6 Oz High Quality Semi Sweet Chocolate, grated
3 Tbl Heavy Cream

Prepare Crust:  Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9 inch square pan with non stick foil OR parchment paper.  Push the paper into the corners and ensure that paper overlaps on the edges.  Spray with nonstick cooking spray.

In a food processor with blade, combine flour, brown sugar, cornstarch and salt.  Combine well.  Add the butter and pulse until it resembles a coarse meal.  Add the ice water and egg yolk - blend until moist clumps form.  Dump into the prepared pan and press into an even layer.  If the dough sticks to your fingers, dust your fingers lightly with flour.  Pierce the dough all over with a fork and bake for 20 minutes.  Set aside to cool.

Prepare Caramel:  In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, brown sugar, butter, syrup vanilla and salt.  Continue stirring until sugar dissolves and the butter melts.  Add a candy thermometer, bring to a boil, whisking constantly.  Continue to whisk and boil until the thermometer registers 225 degrees.  Pour the caramel over the crust, even if still warm.  Cool until caramel is set.

Prepare Chocolate:  Place the chocolate and cream in a microwave safe bowl.  Microwave 20 seconds at a time, stirring well in between, until the chocolate is 75 percent melted.  At this point, keep stirring until fully melted.  Spread over the caramel layer.  Refrigerate at least 1 hour.  ]

Serve:  Remove the bars from the pan with the overlapping liner and place on a cutting board.  Cut into small squares.  Store in the refrigerator.

Scottish Shortbread

Another first - I have never made shortbread.  Mainly because I do not prefer it - usually.  Apparently, this is because I do not prefer commercially prepared shortbread.  Recipe number three on the LHJ Favorite Christmas Cookies was shortbread.  It is wonderful - and wonderfully easy.  I made it easier by purchasing three non stick foil pans and using one of my own that I buttered with an empty butter wrapper.

2 Cups Unsalted butter, softened
1 Cup Sugar
5 Cups All Purpose Flour

Heat oven to 275 degrees.  Grease four 8 inch square pans, set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in flour 1 cup at a time until well mixed.  Divide dough into 4 equal pieces and pat each evenly into the bottom of a pan.  If you only have two pans, refrigerate half of the dough until the first batch is baked.  With tines of a fork, prick dough all over to prevent bubbles.  Bake for 1 hour until pale and golden - NOT brown.  Cool in pans 10 minutes.  Remove from pans and cool completely.

Toffee Shortbread

  This is a nice bar cookie for Christmas parties and cookie exchanges.  

    1 Cup Light Brown Sugar, Firmly      1 Cup All Purpose Flour

    -Packed                                               1 Cup Cake Flour

    1 Cup Butter                                       1 Tsp Almond Extract

    1 Large Egg Yolk                               1 Cup Miniature Toffee Bars

Heat oven to 325F.  Line a jelly-roll pan with non stick foil, set aside.

Combine sugar and butter in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add egg yolk and almond extract, continue beating until well mixed. Reduce speed to low; add flours. Beat until well mixed.

Press evenly onto bottom of jelly-roll pan.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned. (Bars will be soft.)

While baking, crush toffee bars.  After removing bars from oven, sprinkle immediately with crushed candy bars.  Cool 1 hour; cut into bars with sharp knife while slightly warm.  Makes 24 bars.

Per Serving: 145 Cal (49% from Fat, 3% from Protein, 48% from Carb); 1 g Protein; 8 g Tot Fat; 5 g Sat Fat; 2 g Mono Fat; 17 g Carb; 0 g Fiber; 9 g Sugar; 13 mg Calcium; 1 mg Iron; 59 mg Sodium