Millionaire's Shortbread

We invited some friends/family over for dinner this week, which made me choose dessert more carefully. This recipe didn't include a picture, and since I'm not particularly excited by shortbread, I didn't even give it a second thought last week. This time, I actually read through the ingredients.

Wait, chocolate?

Wait, dulce de leche??

It turns out, millionaires really do have it better than the rest of us.

UNTIL NOW*!

Today, the rest of us can have something usually reserved for millionaires! This is apparently a Scottish dessert, shortbread topped with a layer of caramel and a layer of chocolate. Baked also called these rich man's Twix. Whatever you want to call them, you will feel richer and happier.

They are a messy bar (crumbly, gooey, and melty all at once), but it is worth it. They are very rich, of course, so a small piece goes a long way. All of our guests liked them, so I think it was a hit. And they were even better the next day! How do they do that?

Millionaire's Shortbread (printable recipe)

Yield: 24 bars
Ingredients

• 1/2 c sugar
• 1 1/4 c (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg yolk
• 28 oz. (2 14-oz. cans) sweetened condensed milk
• 6 oz. dark chocolate (60% cacao), coarsely chopped
• 1 tsp light corn syrup
• 1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened, cut into cubes

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9x13-in. baking pan.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar and butter together until blended. Add 2 cups of the flour and beat until well combined. Add the egg yolk and beat for a few seconds, or until just combined.
3. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Dust the top of the dough and your hands with a little flour. Use your hands to gently work the dough into a 6x6 square. You will have to turn the dough and sprinkle the top with flour as you go. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 c flour on the surface of the dough. Fold the dough over and knead until incorporated, then flatten the dough into a rectangle. Transfer the rectangle to the prepared pan and press it into the pan.
4. Prick the dough all over with a fork and bake in the center of the oven for 20 to 22 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
5. To make the caramel filling, put the sweetened condensed milk in a large microwave-safe bowl. Cook on 50% power for 4 minutes, stirring briskly halfway through, until smooth. Cook on 30% power for 12 to 18 minutes, until very thick and caramel colored, stirring briskly every 2 minutes, until smooth.
6. Pour the caramel filling over the cooled shortbread and place the pan in the refrigerator until cool, about 2 hours.
7. To make the chocolate glaze, in a large nonreactive metal bowl, combine the chocolate, corn syrup, and butter. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook, stirring with a rubber spatula, until the mixture is completely smooth. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir for 30 seconds to cool slightly. Pour the mixture over the chilled caramel layer and use and offset spatula to spread it into an even layer. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or until the glaze hardens.
8. Remove the pan from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving so chocolate does not crack. Cut into squares and serve. Bars can be stored in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to 4 days.

Recipe by Recipe courtesy of Baked: New Frontiers in Baking by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito. Copied with permission.
* Let's see if I can incorporate a big "UNTIL NOW!" into every post, shall we?