Giant Millionaire’s Shortbread

by Barry Lewis

Ingredients

Shortbread

2.5kg plain flour

750g caster sugar

1.7kg butter, softened

Caramel

1kg butter

1kg light muscovado sugar

10 x 397g tins condensed milk

Chocolate topping

800g milk chocolate, melted

Ok so my wife Mrs Barry is a huge fan of millionaire’s shortbread, so lets let her dream come true and make one the weight of a baby rhino! This turned out incredibly delicious and fed a baby shower plus 4 separate households! Truly epic! I’m not sure if this is the World’s biggest millionaire’s shortbread, but it was certainly more than one portion!

For the shortbread mix the flour and sugar together in a big bowl, then rub in the butter using your fingers and thumbs to create golden type thickened breadcrumbs, keep rubbing it all in until it has all merged and consistent in colour. Knead it together to form a dough in the bowl.

Press this into whatever tray you are using – perhaps a large roasting tray or some custom shelf made with cardboard wrapped in foil like I did (best see the video for that step). Press it right down so it is flat and even. Bake in an oven pre-heated to Gas 4 / 160fan / 180c for a good hour, covering with foil if it catches too soon until the top is firmed to touch. Allow to cool whilst you make the caramel.

For this melt the butter, sugar and condensed milk in a very large pan over a steady heat. Keep stirring as you go until it is melted and combined, bring it to a boil, stirring all the time, then lower the heat and keep it gently bubbling again stirring all the time to stop it burning for 20 mins, this will help it thicken. Remove from the heat to cool for ten minutes, then pour onto the biscuit base. Warning this can be hot, so get some help and make sure your sides are raised enough!

Once at room temperature let the whole thing set in the fridge for at least 4 hours or ideally overnight until the caramel is firm. Pour melted chocolate on top of the caramel layer, return to the fridge to set. Then carefully remove from the fridge and slice into epic sized chunks!