Professor Butter Beard’s Millionaire’s Shortbread
32 Cookies
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp fine sea salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
16 Tbsp (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup dark brown sugar
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup light corn syrup
8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
½ tsp salt
8 ounces (total) dark chocolate – 6 ounces chopped and 2 ounces grated
½ tsp chili powder (optional)
1) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and create a foil sling for a 13” by 9” baking pan.
2) For the crust: Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon. Add the melted butter and stir until evenly moistened. Crumble the dough into the prepared pan and use your fingers to press in into an even layer. Dock the dough with a fork and then bake until lightly golden brown and firm, 25 to 30 minutes. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool and lightly press down the surface of the crust with a wide metal spatula. Let cool at least 20 minutes.
3) For the filling: Stir together the condensed milk, brown sugar, heavy cream, light corn syrup and butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the mixture registers 236 degrees, 16 to 20 minutes. Pour over the cooled crust and spread to an even thickness. Cool for about 90 minutes.
4) For the chocolate: Melt 6 ounces of the chocolate in a double burner, or microwave on 50%, stirring every 15 seconds, until melted and smooth. Add the grated chocolate and chili powder and whisk until smooth. Pour over the filling evenly and then chill until the chocolate is just set, about 10 minutes.
5) Remove the cookie from the pan using the foil sling. Use a heated knife to cut into four 3 ¼” rectangles. Cut each rectangle into 8 equal pieces.
