Millionaire's Shortbread

Delicious and rich, this is a Twix lovers homemade treat.

For years I have wanted to make this cookie bar, after seeing the recipe in Linda Collister's Baking Book. When my daughter and I were in England a few years ago, we saw it in so many bakeries.  Of course we bought them and ate them as well!

Finally, in looking for a yummy treat to send my son, as part of his homemade cookie club of the month, I again came upon this cookie.  This version is from Browneyedbaker. It calls for egg yolk in the crust, which makes the crust a bit too hard and crunchy for my liking.  I have decided I like the basic shortbread recipe of butter, sugar, flour and cornstarch, for a more delicate crumb, which I used on a second go of the recipe.

Have fun playing with this recipe, and make your own variations!
As always, ENJOY!

INGREDIENTS:

For the Crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 tablespoon ice water
1 egg yolk

For the Caramel:
1 (14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk
½ cup dark brown sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons Lyle's Golden Syrup (or dark corn syrup)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

For the Ganache Topping:
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
3 tablespoons heavy cream

DIRECTIONS:

1. Make the Crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9-inch square pan with aluminum foil, allowing at least an inch overhang on all sides. Spray with nonstick cooking spray).

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, cornstarch and salt, making sure there are no lumps of brown sugar remaining. Add the butter and cut into the flour mixture using a pastry blender or two knives until a coarse meal forms. Add the ice water and egg yolk and blend with a fork until moist clumps form. Dump the dough into the prepared pan and press into an even layer. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

3. Make the Caramel: Whisk the sweetened condensed milk, brown sugar, butter, golden syrup and salt together in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, the butter melts and the mixture comes to a boil. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan and boil, whisking constantly, until the caramel is thick and the temperature registers 225 degrees F, about 6 minutes. Quickly whisk in the vanilla extract and pour the caramel over the prepared crust; cool for about 15 minutes, or until the caramel is set.

4. For Chocolate Ganache: Place the chocolate and cream in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30 second intervals on 50% power, stirring between each, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Spread the chocolate over the caramel layer. Refrigerate the bars until the chocolate is set, at least 1 hour.

5. Lift the bars out of the pan and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into squares and serve. Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.