Memoirs of an Amateur Cook

My Mom loves ginger and she adores millionaire’s shortbread so, as she has had a lot on her plate recently, I decided that this recipe that I came across in the Co-operative magazine would be ideal to provide her with a sweet pick me up.

I must admit I am rather partial to millionaire’s shortbread too, there’s something about sweet and salty caramel between buttery shortbread and rich chocolate that really makes me salivate.  That being said, I have never attempted to make my own for some strange reason – it really is deceptively simple to make so I wish I had experimented sooner!

Ginger Millionaire’s Shortbread

Makes 10 – 12

For the shortbread:

175g unsalted butter

60g caster sugar

225g plain flour

2 – 3 balls stem ginger, finely chopped

1 tsp syrup from the jar of ginger

For the caramel:

140g unsalted butter

397g tin light condensed milk

4 tbsp. golden syrup

20g caster sugar

For the topping:

200g dark chocolate

1.  Pre-heat the oven to 140 degrees and lightly grease brownie tin.

2.  To make the shortbread, place the butter, flour and sugar in a bowl and rub together with your fingers until the mix resembles breadcrumbs.  Add the finely chopped ginger and syrup and mix until it forms a ball.

3.  Press into the brownie ting brownie tin.

4.  Bake in the oven for 5 minutes then turn the oven down to 130 degrees.  Bake for another 25-30 minutes until golden.  Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

5.  To make the caramel, melt the butter in a medium saucepan then add the rest of the ingredients and bring to the boil, stirring continuously.  Gently simmer for 10 – 15 minutes until the sauce is golden and thick.

6.  Pour the caramel over the shortbread and allow to cool completely.

7.  Melt the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl over a pan of simmering water, stirring gently. Pour over the top of the caramel.

8.  Leave to cool  and set completely before cutting with a warmed knife.

See, simple!  I obviously added a little edible glitter to the chocolate which you can easily purchase from larger supermarkets.  A pinch of fleur de sel wouldn’t go amiss either.  As you can see from the photos, my chocolate is a little dull in places however, you can easily temper it to add more shine if you have a sugar thermometer to hand however, this will take a little longer.

This really is a simple recipe and goes down very well with practically everyone I know!  I must admit, myself and my boyfriend couldn’t resist sneaking a few squares ourselves!