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Every nook and cranny of my life is simply filled with food.
That’s the full title of my blog and it is the best possible way I can think to describe the relationship food and I have. I’m a doctor-in-training by day but I devote great chunks of my free time to reading and researching new recipes, following favourite food writers (either electronically or in my ever expanding library of cookbooks) and then cooking, photographing and in turn, writing about food myself.
Baking was my first love in life but cooking is the one life essential which will never be a chore for me. The food I make every day for Hungry Hubby and I is centred around big flavours, quick prep and often one pan cooking or at the weekend, I have the time to inhabit the kitchen and cook more leisurely and fill the freezer for hungry, tired nights ahead.
I’ve no professional training as a cook or baker, but I am self-taught and approach my culinary quests with gusto and relish so you can feel confident I’ve tried things out for myself (a lot!) before they reach the blog!
Luckily, I’ve never worked with a bunch of medics (or dentists) who don’t love to be fed treats in their fleeting break times and so I get to trundle in with cake tins full of sweet treats like my Millionaire Shortbread Bites to celebrate colleagues birthdays. So I manage to shoehorn extrafoodie fun into my day in the form of food parcels to my willing taster tester colleagues 😉
These two-bite wonders have a tender, light as a feather shortbread base made with cornflour as well as plain (all purpose) flour, and icing sugar instead of caster or granulated. If you love crunchy shortbread, this is not for you but if you love it to melt on the tongue into a sweet vanillary puddle, then this is the recipe for you! I encourage pressing it into an 8-inch square pan and baking as it is if you need a plain shortbread biscuit – just remember to cut it as soon as it comes out of the oven and leave to cool in the tin. It should take around 16 minutes at 160˚C.
The caramel layer is made with condensed milk and a little golden syrup and once cooled, it sets like a dream every time – it’s never failed me yet (my Butterscotch Sauceis a caramel which doesn’t set hard no matter how long it chills but the condensed milk is like a cheat’s version of fudge, so it sets once cool). A molten puddle of dark chocolate atop that toffee-like caramel and sweet, crumbly shortbread balances out all that buttery sweetness.
I used my Lakeland Mini Bites Dessert tinto make 24 little millionaires and I really love their look – especially if you have aMini Bites Presstoo so you can flatten the shortbread layer down well and easily. I hasten to add, Lakeland hasn’t asked me to write this post, I bought the tin and press myself and love it so much, I wanted to share one of the ways I use itwith my readers.
If this tin is too spendy for your wallet (Christmas is coming!) then rest assured you could use silicone mini muffin cups as they will be very easy to unmould or you could use Iced Jems mini baking cups which are almost exactly the same capacity. You will need to give the bites a really firm push to get them out of the Lakeland tin but look how well they turn out!
A sweet treat that freezes brilliantly but keeps well at room temp for several days, making them a brilliant idea to make for gifts this Christmas or like I did today, to celebrate a colleague’s birthday a day early (I’m not jealous of her long weekend at all!). I am thrilled to say she loved myMillionaire’s Shortbread Bites and even said they were her favourite of all the treats I’ve brought into work to date. I’m looking forward to tomorrow when I’m not on a fast day 😉
Millionaire's Shortbread Bites
Two bite sized
: 5537 kcal
Author: Just Jo
Ingredients
For the Shortbread layer
- 75gcornflour
- 150gplain flour
- 75gicing sugar
- 150gsoft butter
- 1tspvanilla extract or seeds of a vanilla bean
For the caramel layer
- 397gcondensed milk
- 2tbspgolden syrup
- 75glight muscovado sugar
- 100gbutter
- 1tspvanilla
To top
- 150gdark chocolate
- 1-2tspfreeze dried raspberriesoptional
Instructions
Preheat oven to 160˚C.
Make the shortbread by placing all the ingredients in a food processor and pulsing until it forms big clumps. Or mix together in a large bowl with a spatula until the same texture is arrived at.
Tip onto the work surface and form into a long sausage shape and divide in half, then half again carrying on until you have 24 evenly sized nuggets of dough - press each into your Mini Bites tin/mini baking cups/silicone mini muffin cups and flatten with a press or the back of a spoon.
Bake for approximately 16 minutes - they will remain a pale sandy colour and will puff up because of the cornflour so gently press down to flatten a little whilst still warm. Leave to one side to cool.
Measure all the caramel ingredients into a large saucepan and cook on a low to medium heat STIRRING CONSTANTLY with a wooden spoon or plastic spatula, until the mix darkens a few shades and becomes thicker and heavier on your spoon or spatula. Usually takes around 10-12 minutes - do not stop stirring or it will catch and burn.
Turn off the heat but leave it on the hob, placing a generous teaspoonful onto each disk of shortbread. Having a teaspoon in a cup of recently boiled water to smooth the tops with close to hand is very helpful. Just dry it before using!
Once all the shortbread is covered, pop in the fridge to set and cool down - usually half an hour will do.
Melt your chocolate in 30 second bursts in the microwave, stirring well each time until liquid.
Pour about a teaspoon of chocolate onto each bite and sprinkle with freeze dried raspberries if like. Leave at room temp to set as chilling will make the chocolate "bloom" and go matte looking (but it will still be good to eat!).
Recipe Notes
To decorate, you can leave the bites plain, sprinkle with freeze dried berries, chopped nuts, crushed Malteasers - you go to town and sprinkle until your heart is content!
If you don't have the same Mini Bites Tin from Lakeland (again, this is not a sponsored post!) then use mini baking cups or silicone mini muffin cups. The latter are very cheap and easily available plus make unmoulding a breeze.
This post contains affiliate links, meaning I will earn a little commission if you chose to buy items I’ve advertised, helping me to bring you all these recipes for free!
Like this post? Then why not try these related recipes:
- Chocolate Teacakes
- Strawberry Shortbread Biscuits
- Galaxy Glazed Millionaire’s Slice
By Just Jo|2018-12-30T18:45:04+00:00November 5th, 2015|Categories: Chocolate, Christmas, Confectionery, Home Baking, Sweet Treats|Tags: caramel, chocolate, Christmas edible gift, condensed milk, food, millionaire's shortbread, recipe, shortbread|24 Comments
24 Comments
Kerry at Kerry Cooks6th November 2015 at 1:38 pm
These are so cute and look so good Jane!
Just Jo6th November 2015 at 4:42 pm
Thank you Kerry! I’m Jo though lol 😉 X
Justyna6th November 2015 at 1:47 pm
These look absolutely amazing! I know what I am doing on Saturday afternoon;)
And the condensed milk caramel? Come on…what a great idea!Well done Just Jo:) Thanks for sharing!
Just Jo6th November 2015 at 4:42 pm
Fabulous! Do let me know how you get on with them 😀
frugalfeeding7th November 2015 at 5:19 pm
These look amazing; truly! So perfectly created…
Just Jo7th November 2015 at 6:23 pm
Thanks Frugal! Lovely to “see” you – it’s been a while!
Natalia Richer7th November 2015 at 11:03 pm
I love the look of your site! some serious eye candy going on with all these beautiful photographs!
Just Jo8th November 2015 at 2:43 am
Thank you so very much Natalie, I’m so delighted you like the site design. I hope I’m learning with every photo!
Jen9th November 2015 at 9:52 pm
These are so cute and dainty and look absolutely delicious, I want one now!
Min20th October 2016 at 8:18 am
I have only just come across your blog and I am loving it! I bought the Lakeland mini bites tin a few months ago as it was on offer along with the little press but haven’t found any recipies to use it with until I came across u! Thank you for sharing and this I will be giving a go in my new tin! Do u have any other recipies using the Lakeland mini tin?
Just Jo20th October 2016 at 11:34 am
Hello Min! Thank you so much for your lovely comment and I am delighted you are enjoying the blog. I do have a few other recipes you can make in this tin but really apart from very liquid batters, you can make anything you would do in a muffin pan in it. Victoria Sponge ( http://www.everynookandcranny.net/why-i-write-perfecting-victoria/) or my Vanilla Yogurt Cake ( http://www.everynookandcranny.net/vanilla-yogurt-cake-with-chai-spiced-blackberry-jam/) work very well in it – my only tip with those is do not fill a teaspoon more than half full or you will get unattractive muffin tops to your bakes (lol like my hips on top of my jeans 😉 )
Here’s some links to my recipes you may find helpful:
http://www.everynookandcranny.net/mini-baked-cheesecakes/ http://www.everynookandcranny.net/gluten-free-mini-dundee-cakes/ http://www.everynookandcranny.net/little-easter-cakes/
Or try my friands in the tin – I used to use this tin before I finally found one: http://www.everynookandcranny.net/tag/friands/
Don’t forget to check out The Recipe File where links to all my recipes live http://www.everynookandcranny.net/the-recipe-file/ or my Amazon shop where links to all the products and books I know and trust are http://www.everynookandcranny.net/amazon-shop/
Min20th October 2016 at 7:43 pm
Thank you so much! That is really helpful. I shall let you know once I’ve tried one of your recipies, it’s hard choosing which one to try first!
Just Jo20th October 2016 at 7:58 pm
Have fun deciding 😀
christina mckinney16th December 2016 at 5:07 am
why is you recipe in gram it wood be nice in cup
Just Jo17th December 2016 at 8:44 am
Hi there Christina! Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting. The recipes are metric because I’m English and that’s how we bake over here.
I’ve created a page full of measurement conversion info though, I hope you find it helpful and enjoy the shortbread bites x Here’s a direct link to it: http://www.everynookandcranny.net/measurement-conversions/
Brenda Major12th July 2017 at 9:02 pm
Brilliant recipe, Foolproof and too delicious. Thank you.
Just Jo13th July 2017 at 3:07 pm
Thank you so much Brenda! I’m so delighted to hear that, especially as I’m making a hundred of these for my friends wedding next week! 😀
Sara Smuts20th September 2017 at 6:25 pm
I am making these with my 9 year old to celebrate gbbo caramel week. They are such a doddle to make. I’m a bit under the weather with flu so my little helper is doing most of it, with me just taking responsibility for the caramel. What a gorgeous easy least recipe, can’t wait to eat them later. Another fab recipe from you Jo xx
Just Jo21st September 2017 at 6:06 pm
Aw Sara, that’s so lovely. They are a great recipe to make with little ones. I hope you enjoyed them and I really hope you feel better asap xxx
Anna10th October 2017 at 2:55 pm
Hi, I do have this tin but I also have the individual brownie and Victoria sponge tin. Would this work so that I could make slightly bigger ones?
Just Jo10th October 2017 at 7:31 pm
Absolutely – no reason why not Anna. I use the Victoria Sponge one myself for larger ones too x
Suzanne Taylor8th September 2018 at 12:56 pm
I was wondering…I have seen different versions of this…some say sweeten condensed milk or like yours condensed milk, which is best? Thank you!!
Linda Brown3rd October 2018 at 10:49 am
I have actually made this recipe ( in those gorgeous tins too ) they turned out absolutely fab and I am now ( today ) making some more .. thanks for the recipe
Just Jo3rd October 2018 at 4:36 pm
I’m so pleased you liked them so much Linda!
Comments are closed.
