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1
If you're making the shortbread from scratch then start here:.
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2
Beat the butter with a wooden spoon to soften it.
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3
Beat in the sugar, followed by the flour (sifted to avoid awkward lumps).
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4
Work the ingredients, first with the spoon, then with your hands, until you have a soft dough that completely stays together without leaving bits in the bowl.
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5
Divide the dough into two equal sized pieces.
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6
Transfer the dough to a flat surface and roll out lightly until it 5mm to a centimetre thick.
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7
Place each half of the dough into a separate 9 inch square tin.
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8
Prick the shortbread all over with a fork.
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9
Cook the shortbread in a very low oven (300F, 150C, GM2) for 50 minutes.
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10
The shortbread will almost certainly not go hard while still in the oven. It needs to cool before it firms up.
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11
If you have bought 400g of shortbread:.
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12
Place the shortbread in a sandwich bag and bash with a rolling pin until you have a bag of biscuit crumbs.
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13
Melt 50g of butter, add the shortbread crumbs and mix inches.
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14
Press into the bottom of the two 9 inch square tins and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
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15
To make the caramel:.
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16
Place the butter and sugar into a pan over a medium heat and stir until butter is melted and sugar dissolved.
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17
Add the can of sweetened condensed milk.
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18
Increase the heat and stir vigorously until the mixture just begins to boil.
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19
Important: It will look like there is a massive excess of melted butter floating on the top. If you remove this the mixture WILL NOT SET so LEAVE IT THERE!
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20
Just as the mixture begins to boil (i.e. you see the first big bubbles break the surface) remove from the heat and continue to stir vigorously for 2 minutes.
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21
Pour the caramel over the chilled shortbread, and leave to set for 20 minutes.
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22
To finish:.
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23
Melt 400g of milk chocolate in a glass bowl over boiling water. (For the best result, break the chocolate into pieces no smaller than 1 inch square, heat water until it is at a rolling boil, add chocolate, and then reduce to a simmer with only a few large bubbles and DO NOT TOUCH until most of the chocolate has melted).
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24
Pour over the shortbread.
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25
Now refrigerate for several hours until set.
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26
Score each tin into 24 pieces.
