Millionaire's Shortbread (millionaire cookies)

There are recipes that are incredibly simple to carry out and that, moreover, give a surprising result. Like these bars Millionaire’s Shortbread.

It's a winning combination, no matter how you look at it. It's a three-layer bar: Butter cookie, toffee cream and dark chocolate coating… Impossible to say no to this temptation, and today we show you the step-by-step of the authentic English recipe for these amazing butter cookies.

The millionaire's shortbread you may also know as millionaire cookies or three-layer butter, dark chocolate and caramel cookies.

They are an ideal accompaniment for coffee, tea time, to serve with liqueurs or even soft drinks/shakes. They are also a very versatile preparation because we can serve them as dessert, snack or even, at this time of year, to give as gifts to friends or to accompany our assortment of nougats.

Origin of Millionaire’s Shortbread

This particular cookie is a sweet made of three layers; a biscuit made without leavening agents and with a high fat content, toffee or caramelized condensed milk and a thin coating of chocolate.

The cookie's peculiar, melting, buttery texture is achieved thanks to the large amount of butter it contains, the toffee filling provides a very creamy and sweet texture and, finally, the chocolate coating adds the slightly bitter note that pairs perfectly with the other elements.

Millionaire’s Shortbread evolved from the earliest recipes of Elizabethan Scotland, the idea of adding the chocolate coating emerged in the 19th century.

Originally, this cookie was made with oat flour or ground oats. By the 19th century, candied orange peel and almonds were often added for special occasions, around the same time chocolate was introduced for the coating. The addition of a toffee filling was the last element to be integrated to create these wonderful Millionaire’s Shortbread bars.

Shortbread is a sweet unleavened biscuit made with flour, sugar and butter.

The oldest recipes call for three parts flour, two parts butter and one part sugar, although contemporary versions may vary from the original. The biscuit owes its name to its crumbly texture, a result of its high fat content.

It should not be confused with shortcake, a related biscuit made with vegetable oil and leavening agents.

The filling of this cookie is caramel. In its simplest form, there are recipes made with condensed milk that is heated until caramelized. But ideally we should prepare a toffee sauce. The addition of butter and cream is incorporated to obtain a creamy texture.

The chocolate coating should be made with chocolate with a high cocoa content to counterbalance the sweetness of the filling. We should not omit the addition of butter which will give us softness and a less firm consistency.

It is common to find preparations where other ingredients such as corn flour, rice flour or even oats are added. Other variations use nuts, raisins or another type of chocolate, such as white, for the chocolate coating.

Laura Ashley Artisan Collection ceramic plate

Ingredients

For the shortbread

• 300 g weak pastry flour
• 280 g unsalted butter, cold
• 100 g sugar
• 1 egg yolk size L
• 2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt

For the toffee

• 400 g sugar
• 160 g water
• 225 g double cream for whipping, high fat content, warmed
• 225 g unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
• pinch of salt

For the chocolate coating

• 250 g 70% chocolate
• 100 g unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon glucose or Corn Syrup (optional, but recommended)

Preparation

Prepare the shortbread

1. Line the Nordic Ware naturals baking tray with parchment paper to help it adhere without issue, lightly grease the surface with butter.
2. In the KitchenAid bowl, add the flour together with the butter cut into cubes, the sugar and the salt. Mix with the paddle at speed 1 until you achieve a sandy texture.
3. Add the egg yolk and mix again until fully incorporated.
4. Turn the mixture out onto the lined tray, it will look sandy, this is correct. Press with your hands to compact and, with the help of a small rolling pin, roll over the surface to smooth and achieve an even height. If you notice the mixture sticking to the roller, place a sheet of Teflon or parchment paper so you can smooth it without the mixture sticking to the roller.
5. Prick the surface with the help of a fork.
6. Refrigerate the dough for 20 minutes while we preheat the oven.

Nordic Ware naturals baking tray

Bake the shortbread

1. Preheat the oven to 175 °C with top and bottom heat.
2. Bake on the middle rack for 20-22 minutes or until you see the surface is slightly golden.
3. Remove from the oven, place on a rack and let cool completely.

Prepare the toffee

1. In the DeBuyer sauté pan, add the sugar together with the water.
2. Place over medium heat and leave until you obtain a golden caramel, but not overly toasted. Otherwise you will get a bitter taste. At first the water will start to boil and, later, the sugar will slowly caramelize.
3. Once you have the caramel ready, reduce the heat a bit and add the warm cream and mix with a whisk. When pouring it, it will start to bubble a lot, this is normal. Continue mixing until the bubbles subside.
4. Add the butter cut into cubes together with the vanilla and the salt. Increase to medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the toffee reaches 118 °C. For this step you will need a digital kitchen thermometer.
5. Remove from the heat and pour the caramel over the shortbread.
6. Let cool completely at room temperature, you will notice the toffee sets and gains consistency.
7. Refrigerate until the next day.

Prepare the chocolate coating

1. In a heatproof bowl add the chopped chocolate together with the butter and the glucose.
2. Place over a pan with water, it is very important that the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl, and place over medium-low heat.
3. Let it melt completely in a bain-marie. Stir occasionally to homogenize the mixture.
4. Once it has melted, pour over the toffee.
5. Remove the tray from the fridge and pour the chocolate over the surface. Make sure the entire surface is covered, if necessary tilt the tray to reach the corners. Try not to use a spatula to avoid leaving marks.
6. Let cool completely at room temperature and refrigerate for 8-12 hours before cutting it. I advise following this step to achieve clean cuts.

Nordic Ware naturals baking tray

Serving

1. Unmold by pulling on the parchment paper, carefully separate it to avoid damaging the sides too much.
2. With the help of a sharp knife, trim the ends to achieve a clean, defined finish. Cut into bars or squares, whichever you prefer.
3. If you wish, you can sprinkle flaky salt on top or even add a bit of gold leaf.
4. Serve.

Notes

• For this recipe I used my Nordic Ware naturals baking tray. It is a beautiful tray and perfect for this type of preparation. I'm in love with it.
• To make the shortbread, I recommend using cold butter. This will help you handle the mixture much better. Both in the mixer and when transferring it to the tray.
• When making the toffee sauce, try to use a wide pan to help the caramel melt quickly and without forming lumps. In my case I use the DeBuyer sauté pan which is incredibly versatile.
• Adding water to the sugar, to make the toffee, will help you caramelize the sugar without problems.
• I recommend that the cream we add to the toffee is warmed to avoid a sudden temperature change. This can cause the caramel to become solid and make it difficult to obtain a homogeneous mixture.
• It is very important that the toffee reaches the specified temperature, otherwise you will have a very runny toffee and it will be impossible for it to maintain consistency for cutting.
• The top chocolate coating is recommended to be made with dark chocolate, since the toffee is very sweet. You can use all 70% or half 80% and half 70%. In my case I did the latter.
• To make the chocolate coating, we must add butter to soften the consistency. If you don't, you'll get a hard chocolate slab that, when cutting the bars, will crush the rest of the ingredients and the result will be disastrous.
• Glucose can be omitted, but I recommend using it if you have it at home. We use it to achieve a more flexible finish, to improve consistency and as a preservative (it helps the appearance of the coating remain better over the days). We can use Corn syrup instead.
• To cut the bars, I recommend wetting the knife in hot water, drying it and proceed to cut. Each time you make a cut, wet the knife and dry it.
• They can be stored in an airtight refrigerated container for 7 days.

I promise this is a recipe you'll repeat more than once. These Millionaire’s Shortbread bars meet a lot of requirements that make them indispensable; they are easy to make, require little preparation time (though several steps) and the result is exceptional. Both in appearance and when enjoying them.

We can't wait to see yours and hear what you thought! Don't forget to mention and tag us on Instagram so we can enjoy your results :)

Sources: Delighted Cooking