Jamie’s Cracking Christmas 2: Billionaire’s Shortbread

 

GUINNESS CARAMEL, DARK CHOCOLATE & SEA SALT

This one is hard to beat. Whether enjoyed as a gift, for afternoon tea or even lightly warmed and served with ice cream for pud, it’s all good, and a wonderful twist on a simple classic. Shortbread, caramel, chocolate – what’s not to love?

MAKES 40 PIECES

1 HOUR PLUS CHILLING & SETTING

 SHORTBREAD

175g unsalted butter (cold), plus extra for greasing

300g plain flour

50g caster sugar

CARAMEL

250g soft light brown sugar 

250g unsalted butter 

100ml Guinness

300ml crème fraîche

CHOCOLATE

300g quality dark chocolate (70 per cent)

25g unsalted butter

 ♥ Preheat the oven to 180C/ 350F/gas 4. Grease a 20cm x 30cm baking tray with butter. For the shortbread, mix the flour and caster sugar together in a mixing bowl, then rub in the butter with your thumbs and forefingers until you have fine crumbs. Add a little water to bring the mixture together into a dough, then push it into your prepared tray in an even layer. Prick all over with a fork and bake for 20 minutes, or until cooked through and lightly golden. Leave to cool in the tray.

♥ To make the caramel, place the soft light brown sugar, butter, Guinness and 150ml of water in a pan on a medium-high heat. Bring to the boil and reduce by half, stirring occasionally. Whisk in the crème fraîche, then reduce the heat to low and leave to gently bubble for 20 minutes, whisking often. When it’s thick and fudgy, pour over the shortbread – don’t try it, it’ll be super-hot! Tilt the tray to help the caramel find its natural level, then chill in the fridge for 2 hours.

♥ Snap the chocolate into a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, add the butter, then leave to melt, stirring occasionally. Let it cool for a few minutes before pouring over the caramel – you don’t want the caramel to melt. Sprinkle with a little sea salt and leave aside until set, then transfer to a board and slice smoothly into bite-sized chunks using a warm knife (dip it in a cup of hot water, for ease). They’re good for a few days in an airtight container.

JAZZ UP YOUR SLICE

Before the chocolate sets, sprinkle over chopped dried fruit and nuts, go mad with a scattering of toffee popcorn (I love how dramatic this looks), swirl through milk or white chocolate, add a pinch of dried red chilli flakes, a scattering of seeds, smashed-up pretzels or any Christmas chocolates. Use your imagination and have fun – this isn’t for every day, so seize the opportunity to go all out!

NUTRITION PER SERVING

235 kcal; 18.4g fat (11.7g saturated); 1.5g protein; 16.3g carbs; 9.9g sugars; 0.1g salt; 1.1g fibre.

 

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