Millionaire's Shortbread

Well holiday cooking has started, with the first family party this weekend. I've made a few treats to bring along, and thought I would post the recipes and pictures. This shortbread is delicious, but you almost want to enjoy the shortbread separate- I'll have to make plain shortbread soon. The chocolate and "caramel" make this a very decadent dessert, but the shortbread keeps it from being overwhelmingly sweet (for overwhelmingly sweet see "Sugar Bombs" and "Magic Bars" :-).

This was easy to make, but it takes a while since you have to let each layer cool completely.

Millionaire's Shortbread

Ingredients:

for shortbread bottom layer

1 1/2 cups flour

1 stick butter

3 1/2 tbsp light brown sugar

for caramel center

4 tbsp butter

3 tbsp light brown sugar

can condensed milk

top layer

6 oz dark chocolate chips or bar finely chopped

Directions:

Grease a 9 inch baking pan and preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl rub bits of the butter into the flour and mix with your fingers until it looks like bread crumbs.

Add the brown sugar and mix with your hands, pressing together to form a more firm dough. Press the dough into the greased pan and use a fork to prick in a couple spots.

Bake in oven for 20 minutes, bottom layer should be lightly golden. Let this cool completely.

For the "caramel" middle layer, cook butter, sugar and condensed milk over a gentle heat. Make sure to keep stirring until it comes to a boil. Lower the heat and keep cooking until the caramel is coming away from the sides of the pan and is a light golden color. Pour over the shortbread bottom layer and let cool completely.

When the middle layer has firmed up enough, melt the dark chocolate in a double boiler (or in the microwave I suppose).

Spread the melted chocolate over the caramel and then refrigerate the whole thing. Later cut into squares (like bars) and serve!

Yum, I wish I had one right now!