Sea Salt Millionaire Shortbread

Adapted just slightly from Once Upon a Chef

A tender shortbread crust topped with a lovely gentle, creamy caramel, a layer of soft chocolate ganache and a bit of sea salt. Some people call this a “Twix bar” but it’s not really like a Twix, it’s much more subtle and lovely than that.

I made this because my son saw recipes for Millionaire Shortbread online and he said to me that we need to make this. My son is SO freaking persistent once he decides he wants something. He kept bringing it up over and over … and over … and over. Until finally I said, yes, let’s do this thing right now.

Honestly, as soon as he brought up the name of the recipe, I remembered a time long, long ago, when our foreign exchange student from England made Millionaire Shortbread for us and I really, really wanted to make it, but I wished I had her recipe, because it was truly amazing. I put off making it because life is busy and … yeah. I wanted HER recipe.

… but it breaks my heart that she is no longer here to share it with me. Some very horrific things happened to her … years after she went back to England and she fell into a deep depression and eventually killed herself. I am still upset even to think about it … it makes me sick. And sad. Yet I want to honor her memory. She was such a beautiful soul!

So this recipe brings back bittersweet memories. I remember when she made it for us and how much we loved it. I most likely will continue to seek out a recipe that’s more akin to her version, but for now, this is my tribute to her, so many years after she is gone. At least she no longer suffers the abuse … and also this recipe is for my son, who insisted we make it and continually reminded me until I actually DID it. Thank goodness for sons who help us remember.

Sea Salt Millionaire Shortbread

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Yield: 24 - 36 bars 1x

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Ingredients

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For the crust:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 Tablespoon ice water
• 1 large egg yolk

For the caramel layer:

• 1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 6 Tablespoons butter
• 2 Tablespoons golden Agave syrup – or dark corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• A generous pinch of salt

For the chocolate ganache:

• 6 ounces good quality semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• Coarse sea salt, for the top

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray a 9x9x2 inch pan with cooking spray (or butter the bottom and sides), then line with parchment paper (the oil helps the paper stick to the pan). Put dry ingredients for the cruts (up through the salt) into a food processor or pulse to mix, then add the butter and pulse until the mixture is small crumbs. Add the butter a chunk at a time, pulsing to incorporate, then the ice water and egg yolk, pulsing until the mixture clumps together.
2. Dump into the prepared pan and using your fingers, smooth it out. Pierce all over with a fork, then bake for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
3. Make the caramel layer by heating the ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk constantly for about 6 minutes, until the mixture reaches 225 F. Pour the caramel over the prepared crust and use a spatula to smooth it out over the crust. Let the caramel cool.
4. Put the chocolate chips and cream in a small microwave-safe mixing bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Stir together until the chips are melted and the mixture becomes smooth and glossy. (If needed, microwave another 20 seconds to fully melt the chocolate.)
5. Using a spatula, smooth the chocolate ganache over the caramel layer. Sprinkle with a bit of sea salt. Set in a cool place until the chocolate is set. Cut into small squares and enjoy!

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Notes

Cut the bars small because they are rich and you only need a few bites. Total time does not include cooling time.

RECIPE SOURCE: http://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/

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This recipe was shared at Tip Me Tuesday.