Chocolate Caramel Shortbread

It's round about this time of  year that my bank balance takes a massive hit due to various car related things that need paying for; car insurance, MOT and service, breakdown cover and road tax all happen within the space of a month. I'm lucky that our little car is paid off, but seriously- keeping a car isn't cheap. 

And it's also this time of year when the weather is getting colder, that the boiler decides to break, or the heating doesn't work and in this case, it's the shower not working. It's no fun having to crouch in the bath tub under a lukewarm trickle of water, desperately trying to wash the bubbles off your hair and can't help but think, why the hell did I use so much shampoo in the first place?!

Currently I'm sat typing this, whilst listening to Mr. Plumber (and now Mr. Electrician) tinkering away with fitting a new shower pump and by the sounds of it is still not working. Down to how the electrics in the house has been wired, apparently, is the issue. 4 hours later I think they're just about done. Phew!

Due to the ill preparing for the annual financial crisis I seem to have, I feel more determined to get better prices on breakdown cover/ car insurance/ road tax/ MOT. It's not something that I really paid that much attention to in the past. I mean sure, you Google around to see where you could get a better price and input all your details on price comparison sites only to get hassled by sales reps calling you mid day (which is NOT the way to get a sale off me, by the way) but after this year's experience: £250 off car insurance and £100 off breakdown cover, I'll definitely haggle next year!

I feel so proud of myself. £350 is a lot of money and I'm completely over the moon I managed to save so much in renewal prices! Don't get me wrong, I'm still no millionaire but I feel this causes for some celebration in the form of chocolate caramel shortbread slice! 

Chocolate caramel shortbread, aka Millionaire's Shortbread is classic and so easy to make. I've changed this slightly in that I've used dark chocolate with a good sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top. There's just something so magical about the sweet/ salty combination. And if you REALLY like the sweet/ salty combo feel free to add a little salt into the caramel layer so you end up with chocolate salted caramel slices.

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL SLICE

Shortbread recipe BBC Food

Caramel recipe Carnation

Yields 16 slices/ 32 small squares

Shortbread

250g plain flour

75g caster sugar

175g butter, softened

Caramel

150g dark brown soft sugar (I used light muscovado- hence the lighter colour caramel)

150g butter

397g can sweetened condensed milk

Topping

200g dark brown chocolate, chopped (I used Callebaut 54%)

55g butter

Flaky sea salt (I used Maldon)

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a 13 x 9" tin with baking parchment and set aside. (I used a slightly smaller sized tin)
2. In a food processor combine the flour, caster sugar and butter and blitz until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. You may also rub the butter into the flour mixture by hand, if you don't have a food processor. Tip the shortbread mix into the prepared tin and press tightly into the base with back of a spoon. Bake for around 20 minutes, or until light golden brown. Cool in the tin.
3. Make the caramel: Heat the butter and sugar in a non stick pan until the sugar is dissolved. Add the condensed milk and bring to a rapid boil for about a minute, making sure to stir all the time. Reduce the heat and simmer the caramel, stirring continuously, for 5 minutes until it has slightly thickened. If you're making salted caramel, add the salt in now.
4. Pour the caramel over the shortbread base, leave to cool and then chill to set.
5. For the topping- melt the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. (You may prefer to use the microwave to melt the chocolate instead.) Pour over the cold caramel, sprinkle the with flaky sea salt and chill to set.
6. Cut into 16 bars, using a sharp knife. I find warming the knife under hot water- and drying it- before cutting makes neater bars.