Devonshire Millionaire Shortbread

Devonshire Millionaire Shortbread

These were inspired by a failed clotted cream fudge attempt and my love of afternoon tea.

Ingredients:

Shortbread:

Recipe from Sugar Spun Run

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (226g)

• 1/3 cup sugar (70g)

• 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed (70g)

• 1 large egg yolk

• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (260g)

Clotted Cream Caramel:

Recipe from Chickens in the Road

• 10 ounces superfine sugar (regular sugar is okay in my experience)

• 3 ounces golden syrup (light corn syrup)

• 8 ounces clotted cream (I’ve never tried any store-bought brands)

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• Optional - white food coloring

Raspberry White Chocolate:

• White chocolate (I used the 12 oz Nestle Toll House bag of chips)

• 1 Bottle of LorAnn Raspberry Flavor Oil (Find it at Michaels Arts and Crafts)

• 1/2 - 1 tablespoon of LorAnn Raspberry Bakery Emulsion (Find it at Michaels Arts and Crafts)

• Red gel food coloring

• 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil (makes chocolate topping softer)

• 1 bag of freeze-dried raspberries (I found mine at Wegman’s)

Hardware:

• Food scale

• Candy thermometer

• Straight-sided 9” x 13“ pan

• Stainless steel saucepan

• Parchment paper

• Silicone (aka extremely heat resistant) spatula

• Optional - instant read thermometer

• Optional - small offset spatula

Directions:

Shortbread:

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a 9” x 13” baking pan with parchment paper and baking spray.

2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter until well creamed.

3. Add sugars and beat until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds.

4. Add egg yolk and vanilla extract and stir well, pausing to scrape down the sides and mixing until ingredients are well-combined.

5. Add flour, gradually (about 1/2 cup at a time), pausing to scrape down sides of bowl. Halfway through the addition of the flour, sprinkle in the salt with the beater still running.

   Don't over-beat the dough, you want it to be slightly crumbly to make it easier to press into the pan.

6. Drop dough over prepared pan and gently, firmly, evenly, press dough into the bottom of the pan.

7. Prick evenly with a fork to prevent bubbling.

8. Bake on 350F for 20-25 minutes -- edges should be lightly golden brown.

9. Allow to cool while you prepare your caramel topping.

Caramel:

1. Place all the ingredients in a large saucepan and heat gently, stirring with the silicone spatula until sugar dissolves.

2. Stir constantly and boil until the temperature reaches 245F (Firm Ball stage). It will bubble and foam so use a pot that will comfortably hold twice the amount of caramel ingredients.

3. Remove from heat and stir until mixture stops bubbling. (This is where I would add the white food coloring.)

4. Pour carefully over the shortbread and tilt the pan to allow even coverage.

5. Let cool completely on a flat surface until it reaches room temperature. Be careful of using the fridge or freezer to speed up cooling as this can raise the temperature inside the fridge to bacteria-friendly levels and/or could cause thermal shock to a glass pan. (I placed my tray on my metal screened-in-porch table in the winter and it cooled down quickly enough for me to let it chill in the freezer while I prepared the white chocolate topping.

White Chocolate:

1. Take about a 1/3 cup of the raspberries and crush them into a fine powder. I used a Ziploc bag and a measuring cup. Set aside.

2. Take about a 1/3 cup of the raspberries and crumble into larger bits. Set aside.

3. While the caramel is setting, take your white chocolate chips and melt them gently in a double boiler. You don’t want white chocolate to get hotter than 105F.

4. Add the tablespoon of vegetable oil and raspberry powder to the chocolate. Tint the chocolate a medium pink with the gel food coloring.

5. Add Raspberry Oil and Emulsion to taste. I used an entire bottle of the LorAnn Oil and about a Tablespoon of Emulsion because the Toll House chocolate chips are VERY sweet.

   The chocolate is going to seize and become similar to a buttercream frosting texture. Don’t panic.

6. Add the white chocolate mixture to the top of the cooled caramel. If your pan has been in the freezer or fridge, work quickly to sprinkle the large raspberry pieces on top or the chocolate may set too fast.

7. Using the parchment paper sling, remove the slab and slice carefully into bars.

8. Store in an airtight container.