Food Fight Friday - Chocolate Caramel Shortbread

If memory serves me correctly, my Mum has been making this sweet treat every year for Christmas for as long as I’ve been alive – probably longer. It me, it means it’s Christmas time (or close to it) and is as important to Christmas lunch as the ham, turkey and pavlova. I tried once, in the long distant past (probably about 20 years ago now!!!) to make this and failed miserably. But I finally decided to try it again yesterday and taste test it out on my local guinea pig, Kirsten from Gone Bananas.

Anyways, for the most part, I’d call it a success. It tasted like my Mum’s, which is awesome, but I was not completely happy with the base, so I’ll start tinkering with it now. Maybe some vanilla… I dunno. Anyways, here are a plethora of pictures, of each step in the process and I’ll add the actual recipe at the end. On to the nomminess!!

1. Using the magic bullet to turn regular sugar into castor or ultra fine sugar. 2. Mixing the sugar, butter and flour together.
3. Pressing it out into the baking dish. 4. Baked until golden in a moderate oven (350F). 5. Making the caramel. 6. Poured onto the completely cooled shortbread base.

(Bottom pictures first) 1. Successfully melt the chocolate (Yay! First time for me!) 2. Spread over the top and cool in the fridge forever 3. Slice and enjoy!!

Taste testing

Chocolate Caramel Shortbread

Base
4 oz butter 1 cup plain flour 1/4 cup castor sugar

Caramel
4 oz butter 1/2 cup castor sugar 3 tablespoons golden syrup 400g tin condensed milk

Chocolate icing
3 oz dark chocolate 1 oz butter

Base: Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Sift flour, gradually add to the creamed mixture
making a firm dough. Press into a greased 11″ x 7″ lamington tin. Bake in a moderate oven until golden brown.
Cool in the tin.

Caramel: Combine all ingredients in medium saucepan with heavy base, stir over low heat until butter is
melted and sugar dissolved; continue stirring, increase heat, bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer, stirring
constantly for about 5 minutes or until golden brown. (I prefer to cook in the microwave, a minute at a time and
stir to check until the right consistency. Much easier to clean and it does not get burnt! Pour caramel over cooled base.

Chocolate icing: Melt chocolate in basin over saucepan of hot water add butter, stir well. Spread chocolate
icing over cool fudge; when set cut into squares. Enjoy!

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