Millionaire’s Shortbread with salted caramel
Recipe Mari Loewen, Styling Carol Dudar, Photography Stacey Brandford
Millionaire’s Shortbread is a true treat that’s worth every minute and every ingredient. This decadent dessert features a buttery shortbread base, topped with a perfectly rich, creamy caramel layer, finished with a sprinkle of sea salt. It does take a bit of care and patience, especially when making the caramel, but the result is absolutely irresistible. One bite, and you’ll feel like a millionaire—sweet, salty, and indulgent all at once!
Millionaire's shortbread with salted caramel
40g icing sugar
35g cornflour
40g caster (fine) sugar
175g unsalted butter, melted, and set aside to cool slightly
½ tsp vanilla extract
250g all purpose flour
1/8 tsp salt
Salted Caramel
200 g caster (fine) sugar
120 ml water
1 teaspoon lemon juice
100 g unsalted butter, room temperature, cubed
80 ml double cream
¼ teaspoon flaky sea salt
Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C Fan. Line a 20cm square tin with parchment, making sure that the paper rises up over the edges of the tin.
For the shortbread, sift the icing sugar and cornflour into the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment in place, then add the caster sugar and mix on a medium speed. With the machine still running, slowly pour in the melted-but-cooled butter and beat until combined. Add the vanilla and reduce the speed to low, then sift in the flour and salt and continue to beat until the dough comes together. Tip the mixture into the tin and use your hands to pat and even out the surface. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside until completely cool: this will take an hour or so, so don’t start making the caramel too soon or it will have set by the time the shortbread is cool.
To make the caramel, Place sugar, water, and lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir gently until sugar has dissolved, then increase heat to medium-high. Boil without stirring for 10–12 minutes, swirling occasionally, until deep amber-gold. Remove from heat, add butter and cream carefully as mixture will bubble. Whisk until smooth, then stir in salt. Cool slightly before pouring evenly over the shortbread in the tin, so that all of shortbread is covered.
Place in the fridge for at least 4 hours until set, before cutting into bars, about 10 x 2.5cm. Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt over the middle of each bar and serve.
