Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Millionaire's shortbread

This is my pale pink Christmas cactus.

This, on the other hand, is millionaire's shortbread.
I don't know how to count in cups or grammes, but this is the way I do it:
Base
8 ounces plain flour (ie with no raising agent) - an ounce of flour is about a tablespoon
6 ounces butter - this is about three-quarters of a pack
2 ounces caster (ie quite finely ground) sugar - a bit less than 2 tablespoons, since sugar is heavier than flour
Put all in bowl together and rub in till it sticks together. Using a mixer is fine. Press into Swiss roll tin. Cook at about 170 C (medium heat) for about 25 minutes or till pale golden (see picture).
Middle bit
4 ounces butter or margerine
4 ounces sugar
a small tin of sweetened condensed milk , eg Nestle's. I don't have the tin any more but looking at a tin of beans in my cupboard, I'd say the tin might have been about 200 grammes. Yes, I know this is metric, but that's all I have to consult. I use the smallest tin you can get, unless I do a double quantity, in which case I use the bigger size.
Put all this in non-stick saucepan over lowish heat. Stir continuously for ten minutes or so. Stop when the toffee mixture is fairly solid, rather like a very thick sauce. Actually, very thick custard made with custard powder would be a better description, though useless for those who've never made this. The mixture should come away from the sides of the pan for a few seconds before collapsing back into goo. If you make it too thin, it'll flow out of the middle of the shortbread when you cut it. If you make it too thick, it'll cool to a rather dry consistency. Experience is the key. Sorry to be so helpful.
Pour on top of the shortbread. You don't have to leave this to cool first.
Top bit
Good quality melted chocolate - maybe 10 ounces (ie a good big slab). Pour this on top of the toffee.
This is possibly not a very healthy food item. Maybe you should just look at the picture.


15 comments:

  1. I would call that delightful offering Caramel Slice. Or SLOICE as folks here would pronounce it.

    It is one of those things that domestically challenged people don't make much and thus their sons think they're really mean.


    I bet your son doesn't think you're mean.

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  2. That would have to be the most charming recipe I've ever read.

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  3. Yes - gong to agree with Fifi, for us down under that sounds like a yummy caramel slice.

    By the way, love how your wrote the recipe, sounds like how I would write one! Middle bit, top bit, guessing sizes..... All signs of a really cook:-)

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  4. In my earlier life when I still lived up there - I used to make this. In fact I used to bake a lot in those days - probably why I was such a big girl too!!! Id better just look at the picture.
    Z xx

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  5. Of course the easiest way to do this is to persuade you to come round to my house and make it for me!! (Also, my rule of thumb is that anything with condensed milk in it is (a) fabulous and (b) probably bad for you. See: truffles, banoffee pie etc)

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  6. This recipe sounds a bit like our Nanaimo Bars. Delicious and decadent.

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  7. hleuuuuraaarrrghh (Homer Simpson drooling noise) Millionnaire shortbread.....hleeeuuurrraaargh

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  8. let me just wipe the drool off my chin (swipe)....

    Sounds scrumptious!

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  9. Please send asap to Australia stop
    Perfect recipe stop
    I would not stop eating it stop

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  10. Please send asap to Australia stop
    Perfect recipe stop
    I would not stop eating it stop

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  11. Ooh, 3 of my favourite things in one yummy slice - shortbread, caramel and chocolate!
    I shall copy your delicious (and funny) recipe :) Thank you!
    I love your pale pink Christmas cactus. Such a delicately pretty colour.

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  12. My mother made something similar to this, & it was sooo delicious.

    Who cares about healthy/unhealthy. Every day there is a new gauge to measure by!

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  13. I would like a piece of that Millionaire's Shortbread.

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  14. Ooohhh, thank you for the wonderful recipe Isabelle! We saw Millionaire's shortbread all over the place in the UK. And thank you for your kind conversions for those of us who are scale measurement challenged. But, after all that hard work, could I trouble you for just one more translation? What size is a "swiss roll tin"? 9" x 12"? 8" x 8"???

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