Millionaire’s Shortbread
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Millionaire’s Shortbread are the worlds most luxurious cookie! This version is made with a crisp browned butter shortbread cookie base, a sweet and creamy caramel filling, and a decadent dark chocolate finish. They’re reminiscent of a Twix bar but a hundred times better!
If you are looking for just one cookie to make this holiday season I’d vote this one. We can’t get over how good they are and everyone always wants more! It’s a moderate skill level cookie and worth every bit of effort.
Traditionally millionaire’s shortbread are made with a classic shortbread cookie crust including regular butter, but to elevate them even more I browned butter butter first for that distinctive, toasty/nutty flavor upgrade.
After the browned butter infused shortbread is baked you’ll make a basic caramel filling. The key to that is just in the stirring and the target temperature so have a food thermometer handy.
And lastly for the crowning finish, and yes one more layer of tempting flavor and texture, they are finished with pure chocolate.
This is indeed one indulgent cookie that’s perfect for celebrations and gifting. Happy Holidays!
Millionaire’s Shortbread Cookie Ingredients
Butter: Unsalted is used, however salted butter works as well if you omit salt from the cookie base.
All-purpose flour: This creates the foundation of the shortbread.
Granulated sugar: Used to sweeten the shortbread.
Milk: Milk is added to keep the cookies from being dry since the moisture evaporates from the butter during the browning process.
Salt: Added for depth.
Vanilla extract: Added for additional flavor.
Sweetened condensed milk: A water evaporated milk product that’s pre-sweetened and ideal for making caramel.
Light brown sugar: Used for additional sweetness in the caramel.
Heavy cream: This adds rich creaminess to the caramel filling.
Corn syrup: Golden syrup will work great as well if you can find it. This helps the caramel have a smooth, non-grainy consistency.
How to Brown Butter for Shortbread
Let butter melt: Melt 16 Tbsp salted butter in 12-inch saute pan or skillet over medium heat.
Cook and stir until browned: Continue to cook, while stirring constantly with a heatproof silicone spatula (while carefully standing back a bit as butter tends to splatter), until butter has deepened in color and milk solids are a rich amber/golden brown color and has a warm nutty aroma. (Be careful not to brown too much, if it becomes dark brown it’s burnt and will be bitter.)
Cool: Immediately pour butter into a heatproof dish (scape out all the butter clinging to the pan using the silicone spatula). Let cool until it’s just melted and warm but no longer very hot (about 95°F), about 45 minutes.
How to Make Millionaire’s Shortbread Cookie Base
Prepare pan and oven: Butter and line a 9 by 9-inch baking dish with parchment paper leaving a 1-inch overhang of parchment on each side (butter between layers of parchment so they stick). Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Blend liquids: Pour milk and 1/2 tsp salt into cooled browned butter and stir (it won’t fully come together).
Stir dry and wet mixtures together: Add flour and sugar to a large mixing bowl, pour butter mixture in and stir with a spatula until combined.
Spread into pan: Spread dough into prepared baking dish in an even layer. Pierce all over with a fork, spacing piercings about 1-inch apart.
Bake through: Bake until just set and edges are golden brown, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack while you make the caramel.
Making the Caramel Filling
Mix caramel ingredients in pan: In a large heavy bottomed saucepan stir together sweetened condensed milk, brown sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, the heavy cream, corn syrup, and 6 Tbsp butter.
Cook to proper soft caramel temp: Heat mixture over medium heat, stirring almost constantly especially at edges as they tend to burn, until mixtures registers 236 to 239 degrees on an instant read thermometer (about 15 minutes).
Pour caramel over shortbread: Add vanilla and whisk well then carefully pour hot caramel over baked shortbread layer. Let cool completely about 1 1/2 hours.
Finishing the Millionaire Bars with Chocolate
Melt chocolate in microwave: Add chopped chocolate to a medium heatproof mixing bowl. Heat in microwave in 20 second increments, stirring well between each, until melted and smooth. Alternatively you can melt chocolate in a double broiler.
Spread chocolate over bars: Pour chocolate over caramel layer and spread into an even layer.
Chill to set: Let rest in the fridge until just set, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Cut: Remove bars from pan using overhanging parchment paper. Cut into squares.
Storing Millionaire’s Bars
Millionaire’s shortbread can be stored at room temperature up to 5 days, in the fridge for 2 weeks or in the freezer for 3 months.
Store with parchment paper between layers.
Possible Variations
- Add nuts: You can include nuts in the recipe. Chopped pecans, walnuts or peanuts are great options. Add to completed caramel or sprinkle over the finished bars.
- Peanut butter swap: In place of the caramel layer you could add a peanut butter layer that’s sweetened with powdered sugar.
- Darker chocolate: Bittersweet chocolate can be used in place of semi-sweet chocolate for an even deeper flavor.
- Chocolate ganache: For a softer chocolate (that’s also easier to cut) finish include 1/3 cup heavy cream in with the chocolate when gently melting.
- Brown sugar shortbread: If you want even more caramel-like flavor swap the white sugar for brown sugar in the shortbread base.
- Sea salt topping: For a salty finish sprinkle with a little flakey sea salt (such as Maldon) after spreading the chocolate over before it starts to set.
- 13 by 9-inch pan: These can also be made in a standard 13 by 9-inch inch pan just keep in mind they’ll been thinner. Reduce bake time to about 20 to 22 minutes for shortbread.
More Delicious Cookie Recipes to Try
Follow Cooking Classy
Millioniare's Shortbread
Ingredients
Shortbread crust
- 16 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 1 Tbsp pieces
- 2 cups (283g) all-purpose flour (scoop and level to measure)
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp milk
- 1/2 tsp salt (fine sea salt or table salt)
Caramel filling
- 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 cup (200g) packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt (fine sea salt or table salt)
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cup corn syrup or golden syrup
- 6 Tbsp salted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate
- 10 oz semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
Instructions
- For the shortbread: Brown the butter, to do so melt 16 Tbsp salted butter in 12-inch saute pan or skillet over medium heat.
- Continue to cook, while stirring constantly with a heatproof silicone spatula (while carefully standing back a bit as butter tends to splatter), until butter has deepened in color and milk solids are a rich amber/golden brown color and has a warm nutty aroma. (Be careful not to brown too much, if it becomes dark brown it's burnt and will be bitter.)
- Immediately (carefully) pour hot butter into a heatproof dish (scape out all the butter clinging to the pan using the silicone spatula). Let cool until it's just melted and warm but no longer hot (about 95°F), about 45 minutes.
- Butter and line a 9 by 9-inch baking dish with parchment paper leaving a 1-inch overhang of parchment on each side (butter between layers of parchment so they stick). Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Pour milk and 1/2 tsp salt into cooled browned butter and stir (it won't fully come together).
- Add flour and sugar to a large mixing bowl, pour butter mixture in and stir with a spatula until combined.
- Spread dough into prepared baking dish in an even layer. Pierce all over with a fork, spacing piercings about 1-inch apart. Bake until just set and edges are golden brown, about 25 to 27 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack while you make the caramel.
- Make the caramel filling: In a large heavy bottomed saucepan stir together sweetened condensed milk, brown sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, the heavy cream, corn syrup, and 6 Tbsp butter.
- Heat mixture over medium heat, stirring almost constantly especially at edges as they tend to burn, until mixtures registers 236 to 239 degrees on an instant read thermometer (about 15 minutes).
- Add vanilla and whisk well then carefully pour hot caramel over baked shortbread layer. Let cool completely about 1 1/2 hours.
- Melt chocolate: Add chopped chocolate to a medium heatproof mixing bowl. Heat in microwave in 20 second increments, stirring well between each, until melted and smooth. Pour chocolate over caramel layer and spread into an even layer.
- Let rest in the fridge until just set, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Remove bars from pan using overhanging parchment paper. Cut into squares.
Notes
- For cleaner cuts clean the knife between slicing, under hot water and carefully dry. You may find a serrated knife works better.
- Bars can be stored at room temperature up to 5 days, in the fridge for 2 weeks or in the freezer for 3 months. Store with parchment paper between layers.