Chocolate Caramel Slice
You will see the Culcasi name all over this site - my son James (the photographer responsible for most of the photos), Thom, me, and the others referenced - there are quite a few of us. It’s no secret, but I’m not Italian. Not even a drop. I am a Cameron by birth, and my sons take great pride in being descended from a Clan which is known as ‘being fiercer than fierceness itself’ and which has the concerning and gruesome war cry, ‘Sons of the Hounds, Come Hither and Get Flesh’.
I grew up with a strong connection to both my Scottish side and my mom’s Irish side. My dad worked in England when I was in my late teens and early twenties and I was lucky enough to visit. We traveled north to Scotland, although not as far as the Highlands from which the Camerons hail. It was my first time traveling outside of the U.S., and I wish I had been able to do so sooner. I think traveling - even within one’s own country - is key to having a less myopic view of humanity, and if you are lucky enough travel outside the confines of your home country, all the better.
Since that first trip abroad, I have been fortunate to visit many beautiful places, but none as naturally breathtaking as Scotland. I immediately felt that I belonged, and at the risk of teetering into the metaphysical, I experienced a pervasive sense of being in exactly the right place. With a Scottish and Irish heritage, the Celtic spirit is something that has always been swirling around me, but setting foot on Scottish soil felt like a homecoming, although one that I, as a U.S. born visitor, had no right to claim. I’ve been back to Scotland once since (more about that in a future post), and it remains the place I dream about.
On that very first trip to Scotland we visited Edinburgh and I was smitten. Although my dad wasn’t necessarily a tourist at that point, I certainly was and we behaved as such. We spent quite some time in Edinburgh Castle, we walked the Royal Mile and visited the Burns Monument. I think I went into each shop we passed, and at some point my dad just began to wait for me outside, although he was more than happy to enter a bakery located just off the main road. What lives alongside my memories of the castle, the culture, the history, the people, and the epic beauty is a confection I now know as Millionaire’s Shortbread or Caramel Slice. We bought several sweets, but the only one I remember is the rectangular shortbread slice topped with caramel and chocolate - we had never had it before. After eating the first one, we actually went back into the bakery and each ordered another. We were in Edinburgh for a few days, and returned each day for more. Think about it - buttery shortbread topped with a thick layer of caramel followed by a layer of chocolate. We ate two the first day and one each day thereafter. We should have dropped dead.
I traveled home to the States with a deep desire to return to Scotland and fond memories of so many things, including that caramel shortbread slice. It never occurred to me to try to replicate it. At some point I stopped thinking about it and eventually forgot about it entirely unless my memory was triggered. Even then, I never once thought to try to make it myself. Who was I?
Fast forward to 2010. I was married with three sons and Bon Appetit published a huge compendium of desserts entitled, bon appetit Desserts - clever. It was SO expensive, but dessert was my thing. I loved baking and my perception of its precision. There were rules to follow (love that) and science to respect (love that, also). I bought it, all 689 pages. I started at the beginning with the intention to read it cover to cover. Quite some time after I began, I happened upon page 602. There was a full-page photo of what looked almost exactly like the caramel slice I had in Scotland, except there was Maldon sea salt sprinkled on top. Odd...it wasn’t that way in Scotland, but okay. In Bon Appetit’s book they are called Chocolate-Caramel Slice, and I have made them several times since, minus the salt, and I have to say that they are close - not exact, but close.
When we began talking about the possibility of this blog, and knowing that we wanted to focus on memory as it affects our experiences with food, I knew that I would eventually tackle this confection. It is inexorably linked to my first travel adventure. As it turns out, something that I believed was out of my reach and could only be found in Scotland, is ALL OVER THE INTERNET. Here’s the problem (aside from my lack of web surfing interest) - most of the recipes I found seem far from authentic. There are so many variations on so many blogs that I fell down the rabbit hole. They all seemed to have an abundance of ingredients, especially in the shortbread. I ended up in the comment section of one recipe and stumbled upon something written by Christina from a blog called Christina’s Cucina. She’s a Scottish Italian cook! She posed the question, why make a faux version of Millionaire’s Shortbread when you can make an authentic version? She had me. She went on to say, “...the shortbread shouldn’t have 7 ingredients in it. The caramel shouldn’t have corn syrup in it, and the chocolate topping isn’t just chocolate, but a ganache and it’s topped with salt. JUST NO. I’m not saying the recipe is bad, I’m saying it’s not Millionaire’s Shortbread.”
Agreed! I’ve been making shortbread for years, and traditionally it should have three ingredients...flour, butter, and sugar. There are so many ways to make the caramel layer, but the key is for it to be soft, but not so soft that it oozes out. And it definitely should not be hard or chewy. I’ve been pleased with the caramel layer in the Bon Appetit recipe, and since it contains sweetened condensed milk, it takes some of the stress out of making sure the caramel sets at the right consistency. I simply melt some dark chocolate for the top layer. You will find many recipes that call for some added oil to make slicing the bars easier, or cream to make the chocolate layer a bit more glossy, but my recollection is just of melted dark chocolate.
I’m so pleased! It comes as close to my 30+ year-old memory as I hoped. This blog has challenged me in many ways, but finally unraveling this recipe in a way that complements my memory is such a gift. This first trip to Scotland was the beginning of my desire for travel and adventure, and these bars are part of that memory. As I said, they have many names and even more ways to make them, but this is how I like them - even if this recipe is destined to enter a sea of online Millionaire’s Shortbread, Chocolate - Caramel Slice, Caramel Squares….
Shortbread Layer:
2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
2 sticks salted butter (room temperature)
½ cup sugar (often superfine sugar is recommended, but I’ve used regular sugar, and it works well)
Heat the oven to 375°F. Mix all of the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer or with a hand held mixer until you have a stiff dough - do not over-mix, just until combined, but be patient as it can take several minutes for the ingredients to form a dough.
Press dough into the bottom of a 12 x 8 inch tart pan with a removable bottom. I have also used a 9 x 9 inch square pan, and I’ve doubled the recipe and used a 9 x 13 pan. If you use a 9 x 13 inch pan make sure you double all three layers.
Prick the shortbread with a fork and place in the oven for 25 - 30 minutes or until the shortbread is slightly golden brown around the edges. Allow it to cool completely.
Caramel Layer:
14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
½ cup packed golden brown sugar
6 tbls (¾ stick) unsalted butter, diced
2 tbls Lyle’s Golden Syrup (this is an ingredient from the U.K. that is now pretty common in U.S. grocery stores)
1 tsp vanilla
Whisk milk, sugar, butter, Lyle’s syrup, and vanilla in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves, butter melts, and mixture comes to a boil. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan. Boil gently until caramel is pale golden and thick, and the thermometer registers 225° F (bon appetit says 225°, but I like it best around 210°) whisking constantly, 5 - 8 minutes. Pour evenly over the cooled shortbread and spread almost to the edge. Let sit until cool.
Chocolate Layer:
Break up and melt 8 ounces of dark chocolate over a double boiler or carefully in the microwave. I use 64%, but use whatever chocolate suits your taste. If using the microwave, stir every 30 seconds or so.
Pour the melted chocolate over the cooled caramel layer, spread to the edges of the caramel, and allow to cool completely at room temperature. Slice into any shape you like - I’m sticking with rectangles. (A knife warmed in hot water and dried might help with the slicing.)
