I’ve never been one to make a good shortbread, so this is a recipe I tried many years ago; and as it didn’t set well, never went back to. However, it’s my husband’s favourite, and as it was his birthday, I felt the time was right to give it another bash! Since then, I’ve also made a chocolate shortbread (several times over) and honestly, it is so simple. The trick is not to over mix the shortbread, to keep it nice and light. Anyway, all I can suggest is you give it a go and enjoy.
MAKES 30 PIECES (APPROX.)// TIME: 1 HOUR (+ 30 MINUTES COOLING TIME) // EASY
Cashew Nut Millionaire’s Shortbread Ingredients:
- 200g Plain Flour
- 450g Butter (salted or unsalted, as my baking is always dependent on what I have in the cupboard!)
- 50g Caster Sugar
- 300g Dark Brown Sugar
- 2 x Tins Condensed Milk (397g each)
- 100/150g Cashew Nuts (chopped)
- 200g Classic Dark Chocolate (broken into pieces)
Cashew Nut Millionaire’s Shortbread Method:
- Heat the oven to 160/140 fan. Line a 20cm x 30cm baking tin with greaseproof paper.
- In a food processor, whizz the flour and 150g of the butter to fine breadcrumbs. Add the caster sugar and whizz again until the mixture starts clumping together. Tip into the lined tin and press down gently with a spoon until fairly level. Keep it light, as this is where the shortbread will toughen if you pack it too tightly into the tin.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, until light golden and leave on one side to cool.
- Melt the remaining butter and the soft brown sugar in a pan; then add the tins of condensed milk, stirring. Bring to the boil, and cook for about 5 minutes until the mixture has thickened, stirring throughout. Set aside and allow to cool slightly.
- Add the chopped cashew nuts (and do feel free to try different nuts; I had cashew in the cupboard so used them), then pour over the shortbread base. Level, and chill until firm and set.
- Once ready to finish, take 150g of the broken chocolate in a microwave proof bowl, and melt in the microwave in short bursts, until smooth and glossy. Add the remaining chopped chocolate and stir in until smooth and glossy (the addition of the chopped chocolate into the melted chocolate is called seeding, and it is the process that tempers the chocolate to have a shiny, non white surface).
- Chill, and cut into pieces.