Caramel squares
By Jane Hornby
A crunchy base, thick chocolate and sweet caramel; these gooey teatime treats bring back nostalgic memories for Jane Hornby
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Prep:16 mins
Cook:50 mins
Plus 30 minutes cooling and chilling - More effort
Nutrition per serving
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kcal 358
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fat 24g
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saturates 13g
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carbs 34g
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sugars 22g
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fibre 2g
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protein 4g
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salt 0.15g
Ingredients
- 175g plain flour
- 25g cornflour
- 50g golden caster sugar
- 85g blanched almonds, toasted then finely chopped
- 140g unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
- seeds from 1 vanilla pod
- 225g golden caster sugar
- 142ml single cream
- 50g butter, cubed
- 200g bar dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
- 85g butter
Tip
Making them with kids?If you’re making the slice for kids, you can swap the dark chocolate for milk, leave the salt out of the caramel and the nuts out of the base.Jane says...
It must be 20 years since we last made these together, but the memory of standing in the kitchen stirring caramel with mum is still as vivid as ever. She knows I can’t resist fiddling with a recipe, so now these shortbread slices have grown up too, and are made with creamy salted caramel, toasted almonds and a layer of dark, bitter chocolate
Method
Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3 and lightly butter a 20 x 23 cm shallow baking tin. Sift the flours together, then stir in the sugar, almonds and a pinch of salt. Rub in the butter and vanilla seeds to make fine crumbs, then tip into the tin and press down with the back of a spoon. Put in the freezer for 5 mins, then bake for 35-40 mins. Cool.
For the caramel, put the sugar and 100ml water in a heavy-based pan, heat gently until the sugar dissolves, then turn up the heat until it turns dark amber. Stir in the cream in four additions until smooth and shiny – take care as it will bubble up. Stir in the butter and ½ tsp salt. Pour over the shortbread and cool.
For the topping, melt the chocolate and butter over a pan of simmering water, then pour over the caramel and smooth out with the back of a spoon. Chill until firm, at least 30 mins. Cut into quarters, then 16 pieces. Will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
