Millionaire Shortbread Cookies Food

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'S SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Make the shortbread layer: Heat oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add flour and salt, and beat on low just until the mixture is evenly combined and the texture of coarse sand.
• Tip mixture into prepared pan, and press down firmly into an even layer. Bake until top is dry and light golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.
• Make the caramel layer: In a medium saucepan, combine condensed milk, butter, Golden Syrup and salt. Cook mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly with a heatproof spatula, until it has thickened and changed from a milky yellow color to the color of butterscotch pudding, 10 to 20 minutes. It should read 220 degrees to 225 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Adjust the heat as necessary to keep the bottom from scorching. Stir in vanilla extract. Immediately pour the caramel over the baked crust and spread it into an even layer.
• Prepare the chocolate: In the microwave or over a double boiler, melt the chocolate in short bursts, stirring often. Spread melted chocolate in an even layer over caramel. Chill until chocolate is set, about 30 minutes. To serve, cut the parchment-free sides away from the pan with a sharp knife, then transfer the shortbread to a cutting board using the parchment overhang. Cut into 32 small bars.

EASY MILLIONAIRE'S SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Lightly grease and line a 20-22cm square or rectangular baking tin with a lip of at least 3cm.
• To make the shortbread, mix 250g plain flour and 75g caster sugar in a bowl. Rub in 175g softened butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
• Knead the mixture together until it forms a dough, then press into the base of the prepared tin.
• Prick the shortbread lightly with a fork and bake for 20 minutes or until firm to the touch and very lightly browned. Leave to cool in the tin.
• To make the caramel, place 100g butter or margarine, 100g light muscovado sugar and the can of condensed milk in a pan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved. Continually stir with a spatula to make sure no sugar sticks to the bottom of the pan. (This can leave brown specks in the caramel but won't affect the flavour.)
• Turn up the heat to medium high, stirring all the time, and bring to the boil, then lower the heat back to low and stirring continuously, for about 5-10 minutes or until the mixture has thickened slightly. Pour over the shortbread and leave to cool.
• For the topping, melt 200g plain or milk chocolate slowly in a bowl over a pan of hot water. Pour over the cold caramel and leave to set. Cut into squares or bars with a hot knife.

MILLIONAIRE'S SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 4. Line a 20cm x 30 cm tin with baking parchment. Rub the flour and butter together with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs then stir in the sugar, vanilla and pinch of salt.
• Tip the mixture into the prepared tin in an even layer, then press the mixture down firmly with the back of a spoon. Bake for 45-50 mins or until light golden brown. Leave to cool completely in the tin.
• For the caramel, put the butter, condensed milk, sugar and syrup in a pan with a pinch of salt. Heat gently until simmering, then whisk for 6 mins until thick and fudgy. Be careful as the caramel will be very hot. Leave to cool for 5 mins, then pour the caramel over the cooled shortbread. Leave to cool completely.
• Stir the dark chocolate and the butter in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water until melted (alternatively heat in the microwave, stirring after every 30 sec blast to make sure it doesn't burn). Once melted and glossy pour the chocolate mixture over the caramel. To decorate, go to the next step, or leave to cool completely then cut into squares or triangles.
• For extra flourish, put melted white chocolate into a piping bag and pipe straight lines over the full length of the shortbread after applying the dark chocolate layer. Turn the tray 90° and drag a skewer through it in long strokes up and down the rows to create a feathered design. Gently shake the tin to settle the chocolate then leave to set completely. Cut into squares or triangles.

MILLIONAIRE'S SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch square pan.
• Sift flour into a bowl. Rub in butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. Mix in brown sugar and shape dough into a ball.
• Press dough into the prepared pan. Prick all over with a fork.
• Bake in the preheated oven until set and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool.
• Meanwhile, combine condensed milk, butter, and brown sugar in a nonstick saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until caramel comes to a boil. Reduce heat and cook until golden and pulling away from the sides of the pan, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Pour caramel over cooled crust and refrigerate until firm to the touch, about 1 hour.
• Place chocolate in top of a double boiler over simmering water. Stir frequently, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching, until chocolate is melted, about 5 minutes.
• Spread melted chocolate over cooled caramel. Refrigerate until chocolate hardens, about 15 minutes. Cut into bars.

MILLIONAIRE'S SHORTBREAD HAMANTASCHEN

Steps:

• For the dough: Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and egg yolk just until combined. Switch to a wooden spoon or use your hands to gradually mix in the flour and salt until combined and the dough is uniform. Do not over-mix. The dough should be slightly tacky; if it's very sticky add a little more flour 1 tablespoon at a time. Gather the dough into a ball, flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
• For the caramel filling: Place the sugar in a medium heavy-bottom saucepan and cook, stirring, over medium heat. The sugar will clump up at first and then melt into a brown liquid; lower the heat if it starts to burn. This will take about 10 minutes so be patient!
• Combine the butter, cream and salt in a separate small saucepan and place over medium heat just until the butter melts. Once the sugar is melted, slowly whisk the cream mixture into the sugar until uniform in color. Simmer for 2 minutes without stirring. Remove from the heat. Transfer to a small bowl and refrigerate, covered, until firm, about 2 hours.
• When you are ready to form the hamantaschen, roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4-inch-thick. If your dough cracks as you roll, let it warm up to room temperature before continuing to roll.
• Cut out circles with a 3-inch round cookie cutter (the top of a wine glass works too!). Gather any scraps, roll them out and cut more circles. Beat the remaining egg and 1 teaspoon of water together in a small bowl. Brush each circle with some of the egg wash.
• Place a teaspoon of the caramel in the center of each circle. Do not over-fill; excess will leak out. If you are having a hard time scooping the caramel, let it come to room temperature. (You can scoop out all the teaspoons of caramel first, then place them in the centers of the hamantaschen.)
• Fold two sides of each circle together overlapping at the bottom, and then fold the top down to make a triangle. There should be a quarter-sized amount of the caramel showing. Place hamantaschen 1 inch apart on 2 parchment-lined cookie sheets. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes; this will prevent them from spreading and opening during baking-do not skip this step.
• While the cookies chill, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Bake the cookies until lightly golden on the bottoms, 10 to 12 minutes. Do not over-bake. Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
• For the chocolate glaze: Place the chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler set over simmering water and stir frequently until melted. Remove from the heat and add the butter. Stir until the butter is melted and glaze is shiny. If the butter doesn't melt completely, return the top of the double boiler to the heat and stir until smooth. Let the glaze cool until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon but not so long that it hardens.
• Dip one corner of each cooled hamantaschen into the chocolate and place them on a wire rack. Let sit at room temperature until the chocolate is firm; you can place the cookies in the refrigerator to speed up the process. Decorate the cookies with edible gold foil if using. The cookies will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days or can be frozen for up to 2 months.

MILLIONAIRE SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Rub the butter and flour together in a bowl until you have a mix which is similar to breadcrumbs or use food processor. Stir in the sugar. Spread the mixture evenly into a 9" (23cm) square tin which has been greased. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 170C/340F (160C/320F if fan assisted) for approximately 35 minutes until it is golden brown. Allow the base to cool.
• Heat the filling ingredients together in a pot with lid on, making sure that you check and stir it VERY regularly (otherwise it will stick!) as it simmers making sure it doesn't simmer over. Continue stirring and checking until it thickens. Spread the filling evenly over the base and again allow to cool.
• Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a simmering pan of water so that you can spread it over the filling.
• When it has cooled, cut up into small squares with a sharp knife. Allow chocolate to soften slightly (maybe at room temperature for 15/20 mins) before or it will crack as you are cutting it, then you can put back in fridge!

MILLIONAIRE'S SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch-square baking pan and line it with parchment paper so that the parchment extends up all sides of the pan.
• To make the shortbread layer: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, cream the butter, sugar and salt together on medium speed until a grainy paste forms, 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl and paddle. Add the egg yolk, vanilla and 1 teaspoon water and blend on medium until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the flour and mix on low until a crumbly dough forms; it will look dry and that's okay.
• Transfer the dough to the prepared pan, breaking up any large pieces to evenly scatter the dough over the bottom. Use your hand to press the dough as evenly as possible into the pan. If the dough sticks to your fingers, moisten your hand with cool water. Use a fork to prick the dough all over the surface.
• Bake the shortbread until firm to the touch and golden brown (the edges may be a bit darker than the center), 30 to 35 minutes. Cool the pan on a rack until just warm before topping with the caramel layer, about 30 minutes.
• To make the caramel layer: Stir the cream, vanilla, coffee and salt together in a medium pot, preferably nonstick. Add the butter and caramels and melt over low heat, stirring continuously with a rubber spatula, until smooth, about 5 minutes; reduce the heat if the caramel begins bubbling. Immediately pour the caramel over the warm shortbread and smooth the top. The caramel will smooth and level as it cools. Allow to cool for about 2 hours before adding the final ganache layer.
• To make the chocolate layer: Combine the chocolate chips, cream and instant coffee if using in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 15 seconds. Stir about 5 seconds and continue heating in 15-second increments until smooth, 30 to 45 seconds total. Don't overcook the mixture; if small bits of chocolate remain just gently stir until they melt.
• Pour the chocolate ganache over the cooled caramel layer and smooth to the edges. Allow to set until firm, about 1 hour at room temperature or 30 minutes refrigerated.
• Use the overhanging parchment to lift the bars out. Slice into 16 squares and lightly sprinkle with flaky salt if using. The bars will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.