This Millionaires Shortbread Tart is a modern take on a classic bar cookie made of shortbread and caramel covered with chocolate. For this bar I’ve added crunch to the caramel layer and a bit of heat and salt to the chocolate.
The origin of this bar has said to come from Australia, Scotland and Great Britian. So take your choice Wherever it came from it is luxurious and rich, hence the name Millionaires Shortbread which has been accredited to Scotland because of its indulgent layers. Other names such as caramel square, caramel slice or caramel shortbread have been attributed to other countries.
Here are some other bar cookies you’re sure to enjoy: Mexican Chocolate Brownies, Easy Brookie Recipe, Mocha Kahlua Brownies (The frosting is worth the whole recipe), Hazelnut Crunch Bars, and the always popular Pecan Bars. These were a favorite at the bakery. We would cut them in half for petit four trays.
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Why are Millionaires Shortbreads so loved?
Basically each component part can stand on its own but when combined they make an unbelievably opulent cookie. The butter-rich shortbread base melts in your mouth while the homemade caramel is the definition of decadence and the smooth chocolate ganache glides across your tongue. Why have them individually when you can put them together in one outstanding bar.
What does short mean in cookies and crusts?
Short refers to the large amount of some kind of fat (think butter or shortening) in these recipes making them very tender. The fat surrounds the gluten strands preventing them from becoming long and stretchy and/or absorbing water which makes the dough chewy such as in bread. A short dough is tender, breaks easily and is crumbly with limited gluten development giving them a melt-in-your-mouth texture. Shortbread cookies and crusts such as Pâte Sucrée and Pâte Sablée are perfect examples of short crusts.
The classics shortbread cookie consists of only 3 ingredients – sugar, butter and flour in a 1,2 3 formula. 1 part sugar, two parts butter and 3 parts flour. That it!
Don’t fear making caramel
There are building blocks or base recipes that are used over and over in baking and pastry. Caramel is one of them. It goes from a sauce to a hard candy in a matter of minutes and is invaluable. Caramel can make a sauce, soft or hard candy, coat a cake or top a tart. For a complete tutorial please see my post Caramel – A Building Block of Pastry.
As long as a few simple rules are followed, it is so easy to make and any store bought caramel pales next to it. The biggest problem is caramel turning grainy after making. In my recipe I have reduced that possibility by substituting corn syrup for part of the sugar. Corn syrup is an invert sugar which helps control the sugar returning to a granular state after cooling or if stirring at the wrong time.
The only thing you need for success is a few simple ingredients and a candy thermometer to make sure the temperature is what is needed for whatever recipe is being used.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Each part is simple to make.
- When combined there are few recipes as indulgent and luxurious as this one.
- The ingredients are probably on hand or easily obtained.
- My additions to update this can be omitted if you want the classic version.
Recipe Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
FRONT ROW: Unsalted Butter
BACK ROW: All-purpose flour, granulated sugar
Caramel
FRONT ROW: Unsalted butter, vanilla extract
MIDDLE ROW: For this bar I’ve added a bit crunch to the caramel layer and a bit of heat and salt to the chocolate. Light Corn Syrup, Rice Krispies
BACK ROW: Water, granulated sugar, heavy cream
Hot Honey Ganache
FRONT ROW: Cayenne peper, unsalted butter and honey
BACK ROW: Semisweet chocolate, heavy cream
Important Ingredients
- Unsalted Butter is key to the taste of the shortbread crust.
- Heavy Cream is thicker than regular whipping cream.
- Raw Honey is used but a flavored one can be used.
- Although the chocolate looks like chocolate chips it is not. My chocolate of choice is Callebaut Calets #811. At the time of writing this post, this was the best buy.
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full ingredients & instructions.
Step by Step Instructions
Caramel
Step 1. Microwave the cream to hot. Set aside. Combine the water, granulated sugar and corn syrup in a medium size saucepan. Step 2. When the mixture comes to a boil, cover the pan with a tight fitting lid for 3 to 4 minutes to make sure there are no sugar crystals clinging to the side of the pan. Alternatively, (this is my favorite way), Wash the sides of the pan down with a brush dipped in cold water. Step 3. Bring to a rolling boil. Step 4. Boil hard until the syrup changes a bronze color.
Step 5. Remove pan from the head and add the butter to hot syrup. Stir until it melts. Stir in the hot cream and vanilla. Step 7. Return the caramel to the heat, clip on a thermometer if possible, bring to a rolling boil and take to 228°F. Remove from the heat and let it cool while preparing the rest of the recipe.
Shortbread Crust
Step 9. Cut the cold butter into small pieces and add it to the flour in the bowl of a processor. Step 10. Process until it it indistinguishable. Step 11. Add the sugar to the bowl and process until it comes together. It won’t form a ball. Step 12. Pour it out on a work surface and push it together.
Step 13. Distribute the dough evenly in the pan. Step 14. Press it into a smooth, even crust. Step 15. Dock the crust with a fork to keep it from rising too much or bubbling up. Step 16. Bake it to a medium brown.
Step 17. Add the rice krispies to the caramel. Step 18. Spread it over the cooled shortbread crust in an even layer. Step 19. Place the heavy cream, unsalted butter, honey and cayenne pepper in a small saucepan. Step 20. Heat it over medium heat to very hot but not boiling.
Step 21. Off heat, add the dark chocolate to the hot mixture. Stir to mix completely. Be careful if using a whisk as it is easy to incorporate air bubbles. Step 23. Spread the ganache over the caramel layer with a small offset spatula. Let set up at room temperature or chill it in the fridge briefly, Use a small straight metal spatula to release the two uncovered side. Remove the bars from the pan and cut as desired. I cut 6 across and 3 down for a total of 18 bars. Step 24. Sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt. I used Maldon but any good brand will do.
Recipe FAQS
It can. In fact we used a shortbread crust for our cheesecakes at the bakery because it held up better than a graham cracker crust when held in the refrigertor.
Caramel has an undeserved reputation of being hard to make. There are two ways to make it – the wet method which combines sugar and liquid. The mixture is cooked at a rolling bowl until it is deeply colored. Off heat, butter, cream and vanilla are added. It is brought to a boil again and a thermometer is used to obtain the desired temperature. The dry method simply puts sugar directly in a heavy, wide shallow pan such as cast iron and heating it until it melts and colors which is the tricky part. Then the cream and butter are added. The wet method is more dependable for most people as it is easier to control.
Ganache is a rich mixture of cream and chocolate. The chocolate can be dark, milk or white. It can be used in various thickness such as for a sauce, which is pourable, a thicker version using less cream and more chocolate for filling and frosting cakes as well as the thickest version used for truffles. It is endlessly variable with liqueurs often added for flavor, honey substituted for sweeteners, hot pepper, etc.
Expert Tips
- When making the caramel, the color to which the sugar syrup is taken will determine the depth of flavor. The darker the color (within reason), the deeper the taste.
- The possibility of the caramel becoming grainy is reduced with the addition of corn syrup. The consumer corn syrup in the grocery stores is not the same as the high fructose corn syrup used commercially.
- As long as attention is paid to the few steps and the caramel is taken to the temperature required for the recipe is is quite easy and so much better than store bought caramel.
- Bake the shortbread base to a medium brown to ensure flavor and so it is not too crumbly,
- I have given instructions for making the shortbread in the food processor as well as the mixer.
Be sure to check out these other bar cookies
Love these Millionaires Shortbreads? It would be hugely helpful and so appreciated it if you would take a moment to leave a star rating. Thank you.
Updating Millionaires Shortbread
This Millionaires Shortbread Tart is a modern take on a classic bar cookie made of shortbread and caramel covered with chocolate. For this bar I’ve added a bit crunch to the caramel layer and a bit of heat and salt to the chocolate.
Instructions
Caramel
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Heat the cxream until hot to make it easier to mix with the sugar syrup. Set aside.
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Place the water, sugar, and corn syrup in a 2 quart saucepan.
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Stir over heat until the sugar is dissolved completely. Bring to a boil. Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid for 3 minutes. Alternatively, brush the sides down with a pastry brush dipped in cold water.
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Boil without stirring until the mixture becomes a medium golden color.
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Off heat, immediately add the butter to the saucepan and stiruntil it is melted.
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Pour the cream inn all at once and stir. If some of the cram lumps up, don’t sorry. The next step will melt it.
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Clip a thermoeter onto the side of the pan if possible. Otherwise, have one on standby.
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Return to medium high heat and bring to a hard boil.
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Cook to 230°F. Cool in the pan.
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When cool, stir in the rice krispies and set aside.
Processor Method
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For both methods Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9″ square pan with parchment paper, leaving the excess extend over the sides to make a sling.
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The butter needs to be refrigerator cold. Cut it into small pieces.
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Place the flour in the bowl of a processor and pulse a couple of times to mix it.
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Add the cold, cut up butter and process until the butter is indistinguishable.
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Add the sugar and process until thoroughly mixed. It need not ball up as long as it is in large pieces and mixed.
Mixer Method
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For this method the butter needs to be softened.
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Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of a mixer. Beat until light. Add the flour and mix until combined.
Assembling the Crust for either method
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Pour the crust into the prepared pan and press it out evenly over the bottom. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown. Cool in pan.
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Pour the caramel over the crust and set aside. If the caramel has set up too much, microwave it briefly just to soften it enough to spread.
Hot Honey Ganache
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Combine the cream, honey, butter and cayenne in a small saucepan. Heat until steamy but to not boil.
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Remove from the heat and submerge the chocolate under the liquid. Let it sit for about 5 minutes. Stir it gently to combine so air bubbles don’t form. Do not whisk as they creates air bubbles.
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Pour the ganache over the caramel layer. Let it set up at room temperature or refrigerate for a few minutes to speed things along.
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After the ganache is set, release the ganache from the pan on the two sides without the parchment paper using a small straight metal spatula. Lift the bars from the pan using the extended parchment paper. Sprinkle lightly with flaked sea salt.
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Cut as desired. I cut 6 across and 3 down for 18 bars.
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The bars can be held at room temperature for a day or so after which they should be stored in the fridge or the freezer. If frozen, thaw in the fridge overnight. Bring to room temperature for serving.
Notes
As always, I recommend using a scale for accuracy and consistency. Flour, in particular, is difficult to measure by volume. For my recipes, I use 140 grams per cup of unsifted all-purpose, bread or whole wheat flour and 125 grams of cake flour. Others may use different weights so use whatever they suggest.
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When making the caramel, the color to which the sugar syrup is taken will determine the depth of flavor. The darker the color (within reason), the deeper the taste.
The possibility of the caramel becoming grainy is reduced with the addition of corn syrup. The consumer corn syrup in the grocery stores is not the same as the high fructose corn syrup used commercially.
As long as attention is paid to the few steps and the caramel is taken to the temperature required for the recipe is is quite easy and so much better than store bought caramel.
Bake the shortbread base to a medium brown to ensure flavor and so it is not too crumbly,
I have given instructions for making the shortbread in the food processor as well as the mixer.
Nutrition
Serving: 18barsCalories: 453kcalCarbohydrates: 55gProtein: 3gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 120mgPotassium: 99mgFiber: 1gSugar: 36gVitamin A: 923IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 28mgIron: 2mg
