Cookbook review by Tracey Zabar
This lovely book will inspire you to go into the kitchen and bake. The millionaire's shortbread was a hit with everyone in my family. Next on my list: potato & cauliflower curry pie; cherry & coconut tahini cake; and chocolate & fig bostock.
Recipe excerpted with permission from a good day to bake by Benjamina Ebuehi, published by Quadrille
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These sweet little squares are a real classic. I remember buying these from the supermarket after school and eating them layer by layer, much to the annoyance of my friends. Nibbling off the milky chocolate, licking the sickly sweet caramel and then ending with my favourite bit, the shortbread. This version is a little more grown up, with a lightly spiced chocolate base and a caramel layer packed with roasted hazelnuts and a generous pinch of sea salt to balance out some of that sweetness.
Makes 9
For the shortbread base
120g (4 1⁄4oz/1⁄2 cup) cold unsalted butter, diced, plus extra for greasing
150g (5 1⁄2oz/1 cup plus 2 Tbsp) plain (all-purpose) flour
50g (1 3⁄4oz/1⁄4 cup) caster (granulated) sugar
20g (3⁄4oz/3 heaped Tbsp) cocoa powder
1⁄2 tsp ground cinnamon
1⁄4 tsp ground cardamom
1⁄4 tsp salt
For the topping
160g (5 1⁄2oz/11⁄4 cups) blanched hazelnuts
1 x 397-g (14-oz) can condensed milk
100g (3 1⁄2oz/1⁄2 cup) light brown sugar
125g (4 1⁄2oz/1⁄2 cup plus 1 Tbsp) unsalted butter
1 tsp flaky sea salt
120g (41⁄4oz) dark chocolate
small handful of cacao nibs (optional)
Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan/400°F/gas mark 6). Grease a 20-cm (8-in) square cake pan and line with baking paper, leaving an overhang that will help you to lift the shortbread out later.
Place all the shortbread ingredients into a bowl. Use your fingertips to rub the diced butter into the dry ingredients until crumbly. Knead and squeeze the dough a few times in the bowl to bring it together in clumps.
Tip the dough into the prepared pan and press it down evenly into all the corners. Use the back of a spoon to smooth it out. Bake for 20–25 minutes until cooked through, then leave to cool completely.
Add the hazelnuts to a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 10 minutes until fragrant and golden. Remove from the oven and let cool before chopping them roughly, leaving a few whole.
To make the caramel, add the condensed milk, sugar, butter and salt to a saucepan. Heat over a medium-low heat until the butter and sugar melt. Stir continuously for 8–12 minutes until the caramel thickens and starts to darken in colour. It’s quite easy for the caramel to catch at the bottom of the pan, so be sure to keep stirring, especially in the corners.
Remove from the heat, stir in the hazelnuts to coat and then pour this mixture onto the biscuit base, spreading it in an even layer. Let it cool and firm up for 15 minutes.
Melt the chocolate in the microwave or in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Pour the chocolate onto the caramel layer and tilt it about so it covers all the caramel.
Top with the cacao nibs (if using). Chill in the refrigerator for 10–15 minutes until set. When it’s firm enough to cut, remove from the pan and use a hot knife to cut into neat squares or bars.
Tracey Zabar's Chocolate Chip Sweets: Celebrated Chefs Share Favorite Recipes is available here.
A delectable collection of innovative chocolate chip recipes by world-renowned chefs, pastry chefs, and bakers
Tracey Zabar's One Sweet Cookie Cookbook is available here.
A delicious collection of cookie recipes from extraordinary chefs, pastry chefs, and bakers. A great gift sure to delight anyone who loves to bake.
