It is fortuitous this issue of The Macadamia was published post-Valentine’s Day, or you would be drenched in cheesy chocolate sublime.
Come to think of it, January is, after all, long gone, so let us suspend our new year’s resolutions, and roll with chocolate (and caramel) galore!
True, it is all about plant-based eating, and superbly healthy macadamias sit front and centre to that… but this is a time we can safely digress: to make macadamia millionaire’s shortbread.
Macadamia Millionaire’s Shortbread
Ingredients
- 250g + 100g unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 2½ cups plain flour
- 200ml golden syrup
- 2 x tin condensed milk
- 1 cup macadamia nuts, lightly chopped
- 250g milk chocolate, chopped
- ¼ cup cream
- Sea salt to finish
Method
Macadamia’s chef extraordinaire, Annelle Whyte
- Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius. In a large bowl cream together 250g butter, caster sugar and vanilla essence until light and fluffy. Add the flour, and mix until a soft dough forms, then bring together with your hands.
- Press the shortbread dough into a lined slice tin, place into the oven, and bake for 15-20 mins or until lightly golden brown.
- To make the caramel, combine the remaining butter, golden syrup, condensed milk, and a pinch of salt in a saucepan. Place over a low to medium heat and cook while stirring until the butter has melted and the mixture is fully combined.
- Sprinkle the chopped macadamias over the baked shortbread base and then pour the caramel over the top. Return to the oven and bake for a further 15 mins or until the caramel has set. Once baked, leave to cool then place in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours, or until completely cool.
- Place the chopped chocolate and cream into a heatproof bowl, and place over a pot of simmering water. Stir until melted and fully combined, then pour over the chilled caramel. Spread until the surface is evenly covered, then return to the fridge and leave to set for a further hour.
- Once set, sprinkle with sea salt, and cut the shortbread into pieces. Serve, or store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
The next issue’s recipe will be so healthy it will entirely make up for this one’s transgression into a sugar coma, so do indulge!
