Ev'rybody Wants to be a Cat

Disney Classic # 20 - The Aristocats

The Aristocats was one of the first films I came up with an idea for. As soon as I thought of the movie I thought of millionaire's shortbread - there seemed to be a really obvious link between the movie and this tasty tasty biscuit-y treat. (I simply love millionaire's shortbread!) Just as eccentric cat-lover Madame Bonfamille enjoys sharing her millions with her beloved kittens and ally-cats, I love sharing my millionaire's shortbread with my own pets. (by pets I mean friends/loved-ones. Somehow I don't think my goldfish would enjoy *that* much caramel!)

Although I vaguely knew how to make the shortbread (or at least I knew what went into it...) I followed a recipe I found here for the measurements.

Prep time: 1 hour       Makes 16 slices

Ingredients:

225g plain flour
80g caster sugar
340g unsalted butter
pinch of salt
150g dark brown sugar
397g can of condensed milk
300g milk chocolate

1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 4 and line a square baking tin
2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, caster sugar and pinch of salt. Add 170g of the butter to this mixture and rub in until it forms a crumb-like texture. Press this mixture evenly into the baking tin and bake for 15-20 minutes - until golden brown.
3. Set the shortbread to one side to cool whilst you prepare the caramel. Place 150g butter and the dark brown sugar in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. (Tip - if you are using unsalted butter then add a pinch of salt to the butter/sugar, otherwise you may find that the butter does not mix in!) Stir continuously until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. Add the condensed milk to the pan and continue to stir until bubbles start to appear on the surface. Remove the caramel from heat as soon as it starts to boil.
4. Spread the caramel evenly over the shortbread base and leave to cool slightly before refrigerating for at least 30 mins.
5. Once the caramel has set, melt the chocolate and the remaining 20g butter in a glass bowl over a pan of boiling water. Spread the melted chocolate evenly over the caramel and return to the refrigerator to set.
6. Once completely set, cut into squares or bars and serve! (Tip: dip the knife you are using to slice the millionaire's shortbread into boiling water before cutting into the shortbread, as this will make it easier to slice through the solid chocolate.)

Next week it's Robin Hood, and we'll be paying cakey homage to the hero with a traditional Nottingham Pudding ^_^

Happy Thoughts
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