Caramel Shortbread
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Picture in your mind the crunch of sea salt mixed with warm, delicious, gooey caramel, over soft shortbread. What more could you ask for in a decadent dessert?
Wanting to do something amazing for dessert this past weekend I decided on taking advantage of the fresh peaches and make a Peach, Ginger Sorbet and pair it up with my Caramel Cinnamon Shortbread. Perfection. The combination of salty and sweet is wonderful here, especially with the sprinkling of sea salt and the shortbread layer to help cut out some of the sweetness of the caramel. I love shortbread and with the hint of cinnamon underneath a layer of thick, creamy caramel made the best even better. These will need to refrigerate for at least 3 hours to firm up to make it easier for you to slice.
Preheat oven to 350°.
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Caramel Shortbread
Ingredients
- Shortbread:
- 10 tbsp unsalted butter softened at room temp
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 egg yolk
- 1-2/3 cups all purpose flour
- Caramel:
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup light corn syrup
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp sea salt plus more for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Line an 8×8″ pan with parchment paper, leaving some hanging over the sides to make removal easier.
- In a large bowl, combine the butter, sugar, and salt with a pastry cutter or fork. Add the egg yolk and continue mixing.
- Add the flour and combine the dough until coarse crumbs form. Transfer the dough into the prepared pan and press it down into one even layer. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Bake for 25 minutes, until slightly golden brown. Set aside to cool.
- For the caramel, combine the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, salt, sugar, and heavy cream. Bring to a boil and stir for about 5-10 minutes until caramel reaches the “soft ball stage” and using a candy thermometer make sure it reaches 230°.
- Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla and pour caramel over the shortbread.
- Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, then sprinkle with sea salt. I like to use the parchment paper “handles” over hanging to lift out of the pan and cut into finger length cookies or squares. Store caramel shortbread in the fridge until you’re ready to eat them.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.