Trillionaire’s Shortbread – chocolate caramel shortbread
Serves 8
Luxuriously self indulgent, my Trillionaire’s Shortbread biscuits are a cross between a Twix bar and a homemade caramel shortbread which although are a little time consuming are well worth the effort.
Kate’s top tips
I prefer to eat these caramel treats straight out of the freezer but you can leave them to thaw for 10 minutes or so if you prefer. They can also be stored in the fridge and will happily stay fresh for up to three days. Have a bowl of hot water handy when you are spreading the caramel and every now and then, place the teaspoon in the hot water and use it to help spread out the caramel more evenly and smoothly.
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What you need
You will need two baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
For the base
75g buckwheat flour
60g arrowroot powder
3 tbsp almond butter
4 tbsp coconut oil, melted (you may need a little extra)
2 tbsp coconut sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
For the nut butter layer
170g jar of your favourite nut butter –mine is hazelnut
For the caramel layer
180g Medjool dates, stones removed and roughly chopped
3 tbsp almond butter
60-75ml filtered water
Pinch salt
For the chocolate topping
200g bar Green & Black’s organic chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
What you do
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.
Start by making the base. Place all the ingredients into a food processor and whizz until combined. The resulting dough should be sticky but mouldable. If it’s too runny, place in the fridge for five minutes to firm up.
Split the mixture into half, then into quarters. Split the quarters into halves again so that you are left with eight pieces of equal size.
Roll each piece of dough into the shape of a sausage. Place it onto the prepared baking tray and then using your hand, flatten slightly to create a biscuit shape approximately 4cm in width and10cm in length. (Using the side of a knife or ruler, neaten the edges and flatten off the top surface, which will make it easier to evenly spread the caramel later on).
Place the biscuits in the oven for 10-12 minutes until golden and starting to crack. Leave to one side to cool.
Once cool, place the biscuits in the freezer for 20 minutes. This will stop them from cracking and crumbling when you spread the nut butter and caramel over the top.
Meanwhile, make the caramel. Blend the ingredients in a food processor until smooth. If the mixture looks too stiff, just add a drop of extra water.
Remove the shortbread from the freezer and gently spread a thin layer of nut butter over the top of each biscuit. If this proves difficult, use a teaspoon that has been dipped in boiling water which should help you to smooth it across the biscuit.
Then, using the same method as above, spread the caramel layer over each biscuit and smooth out. Place back in the freezer for a further 20 minutes to set the caramel.
Meanwhile, gently melt the chocolate in a glass bowl over a pan of simmering water. Remove from the heat.
Take the biscuits out of the freezer. Either drizzle the melted chocolate over the top of the biscuits and spread it to fully cover the top, or very carefully dip the biscuits, one by one, into the melted chocolate. Rotate the biscuit to cover. Whichever method you use, place the biscuits onto a baking tray lined with parchment and back into the freezer for a further 15 minutes or until required.
