12 Days of Recipes - Day 2: Millionaire Shortbread

Ingredients 

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ cups packed light-brown sugar, divided
• 1 tsp. salt, divided
• 2 cups cold, unsalted butter, divided
• 1 ½ tsp vanilla, divided
• ¼ cup light corn syrup
• 1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
• ¾ lb. high-quality milk or dark chocolate

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 ℉. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13 inch pan, layer the pan with parchment paper, and butter the paper.
2. To make the shortbread, measure the flour, ½ cup of the brown sugar, and ½ tsp. of salt into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until mixed. Add 1 cup of the butter in chunks and pulse until roughly mixed. Sprinkle in ½ tsp. of vanilla, continue the process until the dough begins to form a ball. Remove from the processor and press evenly over the bottom of the pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes, turning the pan halfway through to brown evenly. 
3. To make the caramel, melt the remaining 1 cup of butter over low heat. Stir in the remaining 1 cup brown sugar, the corn syrup, and the condensed milk. Raise heat to medium-low; bring to a boil, stir constantly for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the remaining ½ tsp. of salt, then 1 tsp. of vanilla. Pour evenly over the baked crust; let cool.
4. Melt the chocolate, then pour it evenly over the caramel layer. Cool completely in the pan, then use the parchment paper to lift the shortbread out of the pan. Cut into squares.

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Photo Credit: Aaron Wolowiec