Millionaire Shortbread
I feel like I’m dating myself with this song.
Recipe- America’s Test Kitchen The perfect cookies
How ya doing?
I made Millionaire Shortbread! I've wanted to make these since I started watching The Great British Baking Show two years ago. Here is how it went:
Process-
These were a bitch to make. I think the hardest parts were making the caramel and cutting the bars. I thought reading the recipe ten times was going to make it easier, and I was wrong.
Making the caramel was stressful. It was the first time I had made that kind of caramel. It took about 20 or so minutes of constant stirring and sweating. I was so worried about it seizing up or burning! I'm a tad disappointed because it did end up too hard. I think I should have stopped a couple of degrees lower. I went to the soft ball stage, but it's more like taffy. I had some friends try it and watching them bite into the bar was pretty funny. Everyone said, "oh, wow, the flavor is excellent, but I think the caramel might pull out my teeth." I then asked myself, what's wrong with having friends with missing teeth. ;)
Cutting the shortbread was messy. The recipe calls for using a serrated knife. I have one, but it's not good. I started to saw away at the bars, and it was clear that method wasn't working, so I used a sharp knife. It chipped some of the chocolate and the shortbread, but it was better to have bars than one large chunk of shortbread.
You have to wait around for things to cool before moving on to the next step, twenty minutes for the shortbread, 1.5 hours for the caramel, and 30 minutes for the chocolate. This recipe isn't a quick one.
Taste-
The shortbread was to die for so delicious. A bit sweet and the shortbread melts in your mouth because of all the butter. Wow! The caramel had great flavor too! Buttery and sweet, but was hard, as I discussed above. I was also worried about the caramel being grainy because I thought I saw little granules when it was setting, but it wasn't grainy at all! Or maybe it was too hard to tell if it was? haha I don't know. As for the chocolate top, I think I should have used a bar of different chocolate and let it sit longer. As I was cutting, the chocolate top was cracking. Which sucked, but it's the first time I've made these!
These things are fancy Twix bars, and I can't wait to make them again!
Random Thoughts-
I started an online food photography course! I'm about halfway into the first unit and loving it so far. I miss learning! The community so far has been supportive and engaging, which I appreciate. There are people from all over the world in this course too! Which is awesome. Because I'm new to food photography, it's a tad overwhelming, but so fun because there are so many new ideas to learn.
This week I'm making biscuits- Cheddar Bay- don't hate. I love these Red Lobster copy cats. Also, Challah bread, maybe pop tarts, if I get the sprinkles I ordered this week and lemon cookies! I'm going for it.
I've been riding my Peloton a lot lately, and I can't thank Taylor enough for it. It's been a lifesaver, especially now that I'm starting to bake. I was worried I would eat a lot of everything I cook, but I've had self-control.
Self Control?
I want all the baking tools. It’s starting to get expensive though and you who over here doesn’t have a job. Is that correct? “You who, over here” It doesn’t seem right now that I’ve read it a couple of times.
I’m using what I have until I get my next pay check. Don’t get me started on the amount of money….
Things I need/want:
Pie Dish
Tart pan
Cute retro looking bowls
2 new camera lenses
A bigger kitchen- maybe I should find a house that is just a kitchen and live in it
Travel to the UK
Oh! I don’t think I’ve exposed this, but I’m severely allergic to tree nuts. All tree nuts. You won’t see any nuts in my baking. Peanuts, yes, but walnuts no. Peanuts are technically a legume.
-JLM
