Millionaire Bars Food

VEGAN MILLIONAIRE'S BARS

Steps:

• Grease a 20cm square cake tin and line with baking parchment. Tip the cashew nuts and oats into a food processer and blitz to crumbs. Add the dates and coconut oil, and blend again. Transfer to the tin and use a spoon to press the nutty mixture into a compact, even layer that covers the base. Chill while you prepare the filling.
• For the filling, add the dates, almond milk, maple syrup and coconut oil to a saucepan with a generous pinch of salt and bring to a simmer. Boil for 2-3 mins until the dates are really soft, then tip into the blender, add the vanilla extract and blitz to a smooth purée. Add a little more salt if the mixture is too sweet. Pour over the nutty base and spread to the sides of the tin, getting the surface as smooth as possible. Chill while you prepare the topping.
• Gently heat the coconut oil in a saucepan until melted. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cocoa and maple syrup until there are no lumps. Cool for 10 mins, pour over the caramel layer and return to the fridge for at least 3 hrs or until firmly set. To serve, cut into squares. Will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week.

MILLIONAIRE SHORTBREAD BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Line 13x9-inch baking pan with foil, extending foil over edges; set aside.
• Combine 1 cup butter and sugar in large bowl; beat at medium speed until creamy. Add flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt; mix to combine (mixture will be crumbly). Press into bottom of prepared pan. Bake 20-25 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Remove from oven; let cool while making caramel.
• Stir all Caramel ingredients together except vanilla in heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, 20-25 minutes or until candy thermometer reaches 236-239°F. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. (Caramel may be speckled with brown bits.) Pour caramel over baked crust and spread evenly (mixture will be very hot). Let cool 1 1/2 hours.
• Microwave chocolate at 50% power in 30-second intervals until melted and smooth. Spread over cooled caramel; sprinkle with sea salt. Refrigerate 20 minutes or until chocolate is just set. Let bars sit at room temperature 20 minutes before cutting.
• To cut into sticks, remove from pan using foil overhang. Cut bars in half into 2 (9x6 1/2-inch) rectangles. Cut each rectangle into thirds to make 6 (1/2x3-inch) rectangles. Cut each of these rectangles into 8 (3x3/4-inch) sticks.

MILLIONAIRE'S SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Butter 2 (8-inch) square nonstick pans and coat with flour, tapping off excess. Place the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse once. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles peas. Press the shortbread mixture into prepared pans and bake until golden brown around the edges, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
• In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the condensed milk and 2 tablespoons of butter. Slowly bring the mixture to a boil, stirring continuously. Continue stirring over the heat until mixture becomes thick and amber in color, about 15 minutes. Pour the caramel over the cooked shortbread and spread evenly using an offset spatula. Cool to room temperature.
• In a glass bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate. Once chocolate has melted, pour it over the cooled caramel layer. Cool at room temperature for about 10 minutes, and then place in the refrigerator to cool completely, allowing chocolate to slightly harden but not get hard. Cut into 2-inch squares and enjoy, or store in an airtight container, at room temperature, or my favorite - keep in the refrigerator for a yummy sweet and cool treat!

CARAMEL SHORTBREAD SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C).
• In a medium bowl, mix together 2/3 cup butter, white sugar, and flour until evenly crumbly. Press into a 9 inch square baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes.
• In a 2 quart saucepan, combine 1/2 cup butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and sweetened condensed milk. Bring to a boil. Continue to boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon for about 3 minutes. Pour over baked crust (warm or cool). Cool until it begins to firm.
• Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 1 minute, then stir and continue to heat and stir at 20 second intervals until chocolate is melted and smooth. Pour chocolate over the caramel layer and spread evenly to cover completely. Chill. Cut into 1 inch squares. These need to be small because they are so rich.

NO-BAKE MILLIONAIRE'S SHORTBREAD BARS

Steps:

• Grease a 8x8 square baking pan well. Add the cookie crumbs to a bowl. Add the melted butter and stir it into the crumbles until everything is wet. Press the shortbread mixture into the pan in an even layer. Refrigerate until firm.
• Add all caramel ingredients to a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until thickened while stirring often. Pour over the hardened shortbread base and refrigerate again until cold (else the chocolate will mix with the caramel).
• Melt the chocolate together with 1 tablespoon butter. Pour over the caramel layer and refrigerate until hardened. Cut into bars.

TAHINI BILLIONAIRE BARS

Steps:

• Shortbread:
• Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°F. Lightly coat a 9x9" or 8x8" baking pan, preferably metal, with nonstick spray. Line with parchment paper, leaving overhang on all sides. Whisk flour, powdered sugar, sesame seeds, and salt in a medium bowl. Add butter and toss to coat. Using your hands, work in butter until pieces are about pea-size. Using a rubber spatula, mix in yolks. (Dough should hold together when squeezed.)
• Scrape dough into prepared pan and gently press into an even layer (lightly flour your hands if needed). Prick dough with a fork in several spots (this will help it stay flat as it bakes).
• Bake shortbread until golden brown, 24-28 minutes (or up to 35 minutes if using a glass dish). Let cool slightly.
• Butterscotch and assembly:
• While the shortbread is cooling, heat brown sugar and butter, whisking constantly, in a heavy medium saucepan over medium until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Whisk in cream and salt. Bring to a boil and cook, whisking constantly, until butterscotch is thick enough to coat a spoon (bubbling will become less frequent), about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add tahini and vanilla and whisk until incorporated and smooth.
• Pour butterscotch over shortbread and tilt pan to distribute evenly. Chill until set, 30-40 minutes.
• Melt chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave in 40-second increments, stirring between bursts. (Alternatively, place chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water; bowl should not touch water. Heat, stirring often, until melted and smooth.) Pour over butterscotch and spread evenly to edges of pan; sprinkle with sesame seeds. Chill until chocolate is firm, 1-2 hours.
• Using parchment paper overhang, pull bars out of pan and set on a cutting board; remove parchment. Using a serrated knife, slice into 25-36 pieces (5-6 cuts in each direction). Bring to room temperature before serving.
• Do Ahead: Bars can be made 4 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

MILLIONAIRE'S SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-inch square pan with aluminum foil, pushing the foil neatly into the corners and up the sides of the pan, using two pieces if necessary to ensure that the foil overlaps all edges (the overhang will help removal from the pan). Spray the foiled pan with nonstick cooking spray or grease with butter.
• In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine the flour, brown sugar, cornstarch and salt; process until well combined and no lumps of brown sugar remain. Add the butter and pulse until a coarse meal forms. Add the ice water and egg yolk and blend until moist clumps form. Dump the dough into the prepared pan and press with your fingers into an even layer (dust your fingers with flour if the dough is too sticky). Pierce the dough all over with a fork and bake until golden, about 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Whisk the sweetened condensed milk, brown sugar, butter, golden syrup, vanilla and salt together in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, the butter melts and the mixture comes to a boil. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan and boil gently, whisking constantly, until the caramel is thick and the temperature registers 225 degrees F, about 6 minutes. Pour the caramel over the warm crust; cool for about 15 minutes, or until caramel is set.
• Place the chocolate and cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 20 second intervals, stirring in between, until the chocolate is about 75% melted. Stir, allowing the residual heat in the bowl to melt the remaining chocolate, until smooth (if necessary, place the chocolate back in the microwave for a few more; just be sure not to overheat or the mixture will curdle). Spread the chocolate over the caramel layer. Refrigerate the bars until the chocolate is set, at least 1 hour. Using the foil overhang, lift the bars out of the pan and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into small squares and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
• Note: The shortbread layer will crumble a bit when you cut it; that's just the nature of it.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: These can be frozen for up to 3 months. After they are completely cooled, double-wrap them securely with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving.

MILLIONAIRE BARS

Steps:

• Crust:.
• Preheat oven to 350* and lightly grease a 9 x 9 baking pan.
• Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy.
• Add vanilla and salt. Stir in the flour just until the dough begins to come together in walnut-sized chunks.
• Press the dough into the prepared pan and bake 20 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Begin making filling as soon as you put the dough in the oven.
• Filling:.
• Pour the milk into a heavy saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring often, 60-90 minutes, until golden brown.
• When thick and deep golden, spread caramel evenly over cooled crust and refrigerate until caramel is cool and set.
• Topping:.
• Melt the chocolate and butter slowly over low heat and spread over the cooled caramel layer. Sprinkle sea salt over the chocolate (if desired). Refrigerate until set.
• Store the bars, covered, in the fridge.