Recipes
Recipe: Scrumptious salted caramel shortbread
Recipe: Scrumptious salted caramel shortbread
Recipes
Recipe: Scrumptious salted caramel shortbread
This is my 21st-century twist on a classic afternoon tea treat which brings back memories of my Scottish granny, Catherine Howe, who made a mean millionaire’s shortbread. “A little bit of what you fancy does you no harm” was her motto and how right she was… the difficulty with this treat though is sticking to the “little bit” rule! My modern twist is to incorporate a quality sea salt into the caramel, a flavour combination much loved by chocolate makers the world over.
Ingredients
Shortbread
Salted Caramel
Chocolate Topping
Directions
1 Preheat the oven to 325ºF.
2 Either mix the shortbread ingredients together in a food processor or do it the traditional way by sifting the flour, cornstarch, and confectioners’ sugar into a large bowl, adding the cubed butter and using clean fingertips to rub together until a dough forms.
3 Wrap the shortbread dough in plastic wrap and put in the fridge to rest for 1 hour. Press the rested dough into a 9-inch square brownie pan with your hands, base and sides lined with a single piece of foil or baking parchment. Use the back of a spoon to flatten it.
4 Prick the top of the shortbread all over with a fork and bake in the preheated oven for about 40–45 minutes, until light brown and starting to come away from the edges of the pan. Allow to cool in the pan for at least 1 hour before you make the caramel.
5 To make the caramel, put the sugar and cream in a heavy-based saucepan and set over low heat. Heat gently, stirring with a wooden spoon as it comes to a boil. Once it is boiling, add the butter and stir. Bring the caramel back to a boil and let it bubble gently for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6 Take the caramel off the heat, add the salt, stir vigorously to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed in and then, working quickly, pour the caramel onto the cooled shortbread. Put the pan in the fridge for at least 1 hour to cool and set. Once the caramel has set, melt the chocolate following the instructions for seed tempering.
7 Pour the melted chocolate on top of the caramel and spread it evenly with a rubber spatula.
8 Leave the chocolate to set before lifting the shortbread out of the pan (using the foil or baking parchment) and cutting into squares with a hot knife.
Note: The caramel squares will keep stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Makes 16 squares.
BUY THIS BOOK
Excerpted from Chococo Chocolate Cookbook. Copyright © 2011 by Claire Burnet. Photography Copyright © 2011 by Jonathan Gregson. Excerpted by permission of Ryland Peters & Small. All rights reserved.
Ingredients
Shortbread
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1⁄2 cup cornstarch
- 1⁄2 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 stick unsalted butter, chilled and cubed
Salted Caramel
- 1-1⁄4 cups packed light brown sugar
- 3⁄4 cup heavy cream
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon crushed
- sea salt
Chocolate Topping
- 7 oz. dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
Directions
1 Preheat the oven to 325ºF.
2 Either mix the shortbread ingredients together in a food processor or do it the traditional way by sifting the flour, cornstarch, and confectioners’ sugar into a large bowl, adding the cubed butter and using clean fingertips to rub together until a dough forms.
3 Wrap the shortbread dough in plastic wrap and put in the fridge to rest for 1 hour. Press the rested dough into a 9-inch square brownie pan with your hands, base and sides lined with a single piece of foil or baking parchment. Use the back of a spoon to flatten it.
4 Prick the top of the shortbread all over with a fork and bake in the preheated oven for about 40–45 minutes, until light brown and starting to come away from the edges of the pan. Allow to cool in the pan for at least 1 hour before you make the caramel.
5 To make the caramel, put the sugar and cream in a heavy-based saucepan and set over low heat. Heat gently, stirring with a wooden spoon as it comes to a boil. Once it is boiling, add the butter and stir. Bring the caramel back to a boil and let it bubble gently for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6 Take the caramel off the heat, add the salt, stir vigorously to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed in and then, working quickly, pour the caramel onto the cooled shortbread. Put the pan in the fridge for at least 1 hour to cool and set. Once the caramel has set, melt the chocolate following the instructions for seed tempering.
7 Pour the melted chocolate on top of the caramel and spread it evenly with a rubber spatula.
8 Leave the chocolate to set before lifting the shortbread out of the pan (using the foil or baking parchment) and cutting into squares with a hot knife.
Note: The caramel squares will keep stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Makes 16 squares.
BUY THIS BOOK
Excerpted from Chococo Chocolate Cookbook. Copyright © 2011 by Claire Burnet. Photography Copyright © 2011 by Jonathan Gregson. Excerpted by permission of Ryland Peters & Small. All rights reserved.
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