Ingredients
SHORTBREAD
175 g butter (6 oz)
175 g granulated sugar (6 oz)
225 g plain flour (8 oz)
60 g cornflour (cornstarch) (2oz)
1 tsp baking powder
CARAMEL
175 g granulated sugar (6 oz)
175 g butter (6 oz)
450 g condensed milk (15 oz)
1 tbsp syrup
1 few drops of vanilla extract
TO FINISH
175 g dark plain (semisweet) - chocolate
Directions
a) Shortbread
Cream together the butter and sugar, beating very well. Sift together
the flour, cornflour and baking powder and beat into the butter and
sugar.
Spread the mixture in a 30 cm (12 in) long baking tin, about 4 to 5
cm ( 1 to 2 in) deep and smooth even. Bake in a preheated oven, 180
oC (350 oF) for 20 minutes (or until golden brown). Take the tin out
of the oven and set aside to cool for 10 minutes while you make the
caramel.
b) Caramel
Put all the ingredients for the caramel - except the vanilla - into a
saucepan. Over a moderate heat, stir until the butter has melted and
the sugar dissolved completely. Then bring the mixture to the boil
and boil for 5 to 7 minutes.
Take the pan off the heat, stir in the vanilla and continue stirring
for 2-3 minutes to cool it slightly. Then pour it over the shortbread.
Leave to cool completely.
To finish, melt the chocolate over hot water (no overheat !!) and
pour it over the caramel layer.
When it is cool, mark into squares with a sharp knife (makes 12 - 16).
Store in airtight container.
From: Claire Macdonald, Lady Macdonald's Scotland, Bulfinch, 1990,
ISBN 0-8212-1809-3
Servings: 1 servings
Chocolate Toffee Shortbread (Millionaire's Sh Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Bread; Breads; Candy; Chocolate; Dessert
The History of Recipes
Food historians have traced the existence of recipes way back into history, at least as far back as the early Egyptians, and possibly even further. Interesting though that is, these, early records were just very basic hieroglyphic or cunieform recipes for preparing meals.
Fascinatingly, the oldest recipe found, according to food historians is a series of clay tablets in Sumerian describing the preparation of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as making drinkers feel exhilarated. As we move into The time of the roman empire 25BC a roman called Apicius compiled a few documents detailing recipes cooked by wealthy Romans. In his scrolls, Apicius recounts how the meals of wealthy Romans were split into appetizers, main meal and desserts, known in latin as `Gustatio, Primae Mensae and Secundae Mensae`. Aspicius also tells us how the early Romans were skilled in the use of many different spices and herbs, including some that we all recognise for example thyme, mint and parsley. In the fifteenth century, knights returning from the crusades brought back many foods, spices and herbs from the Middle-East, including spices such as basil and rosemary. The introduction of these new culinary ideas created an eruption in books on cooking, the majority of which are kept safe in private collections. By the arrival of the 20th century, cookery publications are in great demand, due to increased literacy, more spare time and having more money to spend. The introduction of television brings us TV cookery programs and the spin-off recipe books. Which pretty much brings us to the present day and the invention of computers and the internet, permitting everybody to access thousands of recipes like those on this site. |
We hope you enjoy this Chocolate Toffee Shortbread (Millionaire's Sh recipe.
