Liquid Gold Millionaire Bars
Maybe it's the espresso shortbread, or the bourbon caramel, or the caramelized white chocolate. But whatever the reason, you might want to get a safe for these, because everyone's going to steal them.
EAT THE RICH.
Servings: 26 | Prep Time: 1 h 45 m | Cook Time: 15 m | Chill Time: 2 h
Saucepans
9x13” removable-bottom pan
Hand-mixer / Stand-mixer
Candy thermometer
Offset spatula
Espresso Syrup:
1 cup sugar
1 cup strong coffee
Espresso Shortbread:
200 g (about 14 tbsp) butter, room temp
100 g (about ½ cup) dark brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
300 g (about 2 ⅓ cups) flour
½ tsp salt
Bourbon Infused Caramel:
14 oz sweetened condensed milk
½ cup butter
¼ cup light corn syrup
1 cup dark brown sugar
2 tbsp bourbon
1 tsp vanilla
Caramelized White Chocolate Ganache:
300 g white chocolate
⅓ cup heavy whipping cream, divided
Assembly:
150 g white chocolate
¼ cup heavy whipping cream
Flaky sea salt, to taste
Espresso Syrup (20 minutes)
In a medium saucepan, whisk to combine the sugar and strong coffee.
Bring to a boil, whisking constantly, until sugar dissolves.
Lower the heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until reduced by half, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and chill in the fridge until completely cool.
Espresso Shortbread (15 minutes + 15 minutes baking)
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease a 9x13” removable-bottom pan and set aside.
In a large bowl, with a hand-mixer or stand-mixer, cream together the butter, dark brown sugar, and 2 tbsp of the prepared espresso syrup until light and fluffy.
Add the vanilla and mix to combine. Set aside.
In a small bowl, sift together the flour and salt.
Gradually add the flour mixture, in three batches, to the butter mixture, mixing to combine just until the dough is the texture of coarse sand. Do not overmix.
Gently press the dough into an even layer along the bottom of the prepared pan.
Bake for about 15 minutes or until a golden brown.
Set aside to cool while you prepare the caramel.
Bourbon Infused Caramel (15 minutes + 1 hour chilling)
In a medium saucepan, whisk to combine the sweetened condensed milk, butter, corn syrup, and brown sugar over medium heat until fully melted.
Attach a candy thermometer and bring mixture to a boil.
Cook, mixing frequently, until mixture reaches 225° F.
Remove from heat and whisk in the bourbon, vanilla, and salt.
Pour over the shortbread and spread into an even layer with an offset spatula.
Chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour, or until set, while you prepare the chocolate.
Caramelized White Chocolate Ganache (40 minutes + 1 hour chilling)
Preheat the oven to 250° F and line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat. Line a second baking sheet with parchment paper.
Chop the white chocolate into small pieces and spread across the silicone mat.
Bake for about 15 minutes, stirring the chocolate thoroughly every 5 minutes or so to prevent burning, until the chocolate has deepened to a golden amber color. Don’t worry if it starts to clump up, this is normal.
Transfer to a food processor and blend until smooth, about 30 seconds.
Pour the chocolate onto the parchment-lined baking sheet and chill in the fridge until set, about 15 minutes.
Once set, chop the caramelized white chocolate and place in a glass bowl.
In a glass measuring cup, microwave the heavy whipping cream until it just starts to simmer, about 20 seconds.
Pour the cream over the caramelized white chocolate and let sit for a couple minutes.
Stir until smooth and pour over the caramel covered shortbread.
Chill in the fridge until fully set, at least 1 hour.
Assembly (15 minutes)
Chop the white chocolate and place in a glass bowl.
In a glass measuring cup, microwave the heavy whipping cream until it just starts to simmer, about 20 seconds.
Pour the cream over the white chocolate and let sit for a couple minutes.
Stir until smooth and pour into a squeeze bottle.
Run an offset spatula around the outside of the shortbread and carefully remove from the pan.
Place the shortbread on a cutting board and drizzle the white chocolate over the top. Immediately sprinkle some flakey sea salt on top.
Run a knife under hot water, wipe dry, and cut the shortbread into 1 x 4 ½” bars, about 26 in total.
Serve immediately. Leftovers may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.
Enjoy!
Be sure to check out my Best Practices page for tips on how to make this recipe yourself. Let me know in the comments if you have any questions and feel free to tag me on Instagram @made.by.shade if you make it!
-Shade