Millionaire’s Shortbread Bars

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Soft, chewy, and extra delicious Millionaire’s Shortbread Bars! A simple five ingredient shortbread that’s made with extra vanilla, baked and layered with a homemade soft caramel, and topped with the easiest two ingredient dark chocolate ganache. Trust me, these Millionaire’s Shortbread Bars are sure to be your new favorite treat! Every bite is perfectly soft, rich, extra sweet, and SO. GOOD.

About The Recipe

We are finally sharing one of our most requested recipes…Millionaire’s Shortbread Bars! To be honest, this has been something my mom and I have been wanting to put on the blog for a few years.

Though, as per usual, we always get distracted/excited about making new and different recipes, rather than just sharing some classics. But, these bars were worth the wait.

I mean, buttery shortbread, soft caramel, and ganache all in one delicious bite?! Think a Twix bar, but SO much better. To say It’s a dessert that everyone will love would be an understatement!

The best part? This recipe is actually a lot easier to make than you might think!

The shortbread is only a 5 simple ingredients (butter, powdered sugar, flour, vanilla, and egg yolks) and comes together quickly!

Then, the homemade soft caramel may be a bit intimidating, but we promise that it’s actually SO simple! With our recipe, it takes about 20-30 minutes and comes out perfectly almost every single time.

Then, the ganache layer is just chocolate and heavy cream melted together to create a decadent and silky smooth topping!

All together, it creates a rich, luxurious bar that is simply irresistible!

What is Millionaire’s Shortbread Bars?

Millionaire’s Shortbread Bars, or Caramel Shortbread (also known as Millionaire’s Shortbread), are a dessert bar that originated in Scotland. It boasts 3 delicious layers. A simple shortbread, caramel, and melted chocolate.

With this recipe, we added a few of our own tweaks to really give these decadent bars even more flavor! Our shortbread is made with egg yolks and vanilla to give it more flavor, the caramel is made with salted butter and a splash of vanilla, and then the chocolate layer is actually a ganache.

So, while our recipe might not be traditional, is IS extra decadent and oh-so delicious.

Reasons You Will Love These Millionaire’s Shortbread Bars

• Rich and luxurious.
• Full of flavor!
• Perfect for parties and celebrations.
• A real crowd pleaser!
• Can be made in advance.

Equipment Needed

• 9×13 Inch Cake Pan
• Stand Mixer
• Large Saucepan
• Candy Thermometer
• Pastry Brush
• Wooden Spoon
• Mixing Bowls
• Rubber Spatula
• Sharp Knife

Ingredients

(Full ingredient amounts and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post)

For The Shortbread:

• Salted Butter – For our shortbread, we like to use salted butter! It adds just the right amount of salt to counteract the sweetness, while keeping the bars buttery in flavor.
• Powdered Sugar – Not only does the powdered sugar sweeten the cookie, but since it has added cornstarch, it also makes the shortbread oh-so tender and soft!
• Vanilla Extract – We like to add a splash of vanilla to give the shortbread some flavor.
• Egg Yolks – For this recipe, you will only need egg yolks. It adds to the richness of the shortbread! Though, do not throw away the egg whites. You can use them to make something like our Chocolate Swirled Meringue Cookies!
• All-Purpose Flour – No need for anything fancy in this shortbread! All-purpose flour gives these bars the perfect structure and texture.

For The Caramel:

• Granulated Sugar – This is a must-use for caramel! Granulated sugar melts and begins to caramelize over heat (hence the name!). This is what gives caramel it’s flavor and no other sugar can be used.
• Corn Syrup – This is our secret ingredient to the perfect caramel. Corn syrup keeps the sugar from crystalizing as it cooks, which means…perfect caramel every time!
• Heavy Cream – Adding cream to caramel not only adds flavor, but it also ensures you do not have a hard candy.
• Salted Butter – Dairy products are a must-use for soft caramels. We add a little bit of butter for the same reason as the heavy cream! Flavor and keeping this candy from being too hard.
• Vanilla Extract – Adds an incredible depth of flavor to the caramel.

For The Ganache:

• Bittersweet Chocolate – For this recipe, we like to use a bittersweet chocolate, as it has a stronger flavor, but it’s also not as sweet as semi-sweet! While these bars are incredible rich, using a bittersweet chocolate helps them from becoming too sweet.
• Heavy Cream – This is what creates the silky smooth and thick consistency for ganache!

How To Make Millionaire’s Shortbread Bars

Step 1: Prepare shortbread

With an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.

Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each.

Stir in the flour.

Press evenly in bottom of prepared pan.

Step 2: Bake

Prick dough all over with a fork. Bake for 25 minutes, or until brown around the edges. Set aside to cool.

Step 3: Make caramel

Combine sugar, corn syrup, heavy cream, and butter in a large saucepan. Heat over medium low heat, stirring continuously, until sugar has melted. Brush down sides of pan with pastry brush dipped in water. Continue to cook until mixture reaches 245°F on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat.

Stir in vanilla.

Pour over top of cooled shortbread. Carefully, spread to the edges with a rubber spatula.

Step 4: Make ganache

In a microwave safe bowl, combine chocolate and cream. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Use a rubber spatula to stir well. Microwave in 15 second increments, stirring after each, until melted and smooth.

Pour over top of cooled cookie bars. Allow chocolate to set before cutting into bars.

How To Store

Once these bars are set and cut, there are a few different ways to store them! First, you can keep them at room temperature in an airtight container for 2-3 days. You can also store them in the fridge in a zip-top bag or airtight container for up 7 days.

Though, our favorite way to store these bars is wrapped individually in plastic wrap and placed in a freezer safe zip-top bag! This way, the bars will keep for up to 3 months. Just remember to let them come to room temperature before eating.

Substitutions

• Semi-sweet can be used in place of bittersweet chocolate, but keep in mind that the bars may be a lot sweeter.

Looking for more recipes like this? Here are a few you may like: Homemade Twix Bars, Pecan Pie Bars, Turtle Cookie Bars, Homemade Snickers, Turtle Brownies

Expert Tips

• Do NOT over-bake the shortbread, as it will be too dry and crumbly for these bars. The shortbread needs to just begin to brown when it’s ready.
• You will need to test your thermometer before using it for the candy. The best way to do this is boil a pot of water with your thermometer in it. A pot of boiling water should read 212 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Don’t let the thermometer sit at the bottom of the pot when you are cooking.
• Use a bigger pot than you think you need! The caramel bubbles up very high when you’re cooking.
• The shortbread needs to be room temperature before you pour the caramel on top.
• Let the caramel layer cool completely before adding the ganache.
• These bars are easiest to cut at room temperature.

When you make these Millionaire’s Shortbread Bars, leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable.

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