It was round two for me and millionaire shortbread this week. My brown butter burn has healed nicely and I donned my apron early on Tuesday to tackle my baking project. My goal was to one, not burn myself. And two, create a decadent dessert for my caramel-loving dad for Father’s Day. I got caught up on sleep and planted some tomatoes in my garden, which is quickly becoming green. And I enjoyed eating these caramel chocolate cookie bars!

Caramel Chocolate Cookie Bars

On Monday I drove about 40 minutes down the coast to get my car tuned up. I sat with strangers in a waiting room for over an hour and tried to not stare at my phone the whole time. So I had time to think about what to make for Father’s Day. Last year I made strawberry tarte tatin because my dad loves strawberries. But I wanted to do something different. My dad also loves caramel and shortbread, so I had my sights set on Millionaire shortbread. Also known as caramel chocolate cookie bars. If you read my last post, you know that I tried to make them last week and burned my hand with a boiling bowl of brown butter. 

Not sleeping has really taken a toll on me. I touched the bowl without thinking and threw the whole thing on the floor. So the idea of making another brown butter shortbread recipe this week was daunting. I showed my co-workers at the cooking store my scar and described my harrowing experience. But they were all intrigued by the recipe. My dad was excited about them, too, and I passed time when it was slow by searching for gifts to buy him for Father’s Day. I almost always get him something baseball-themed, or edible. Ultimately I decided on a microwave popcorn maker and some kernels. 

Brown Butter Shortbread

When Tuesday came I tried to take a nap after what felt like day 800 or so of not sleeping. But I was obsessed with making my caramel chocolate cookie bars. I wanted to get it over with and tackle my fear head-on. So I started by browning butter again. This time I used a sauté pan instead of a saucepan. I’ve found that making brown butter is easier and quicker with a bigger, flatter surface area. A pot kind of shoots the sputtering hot liquid into the air and all over the stove. And I knew I could cool the butter directly in the pan, too, to avoid my hot metal bowl situation. Once it was nice and golden I turned off the heat and placed it on the counter on a trivet while measuring my other ingredients. 

Flour, sugar, salt. I dug through a cupboard for the perfect square baking pan and settled on an 8 x 8” instead of the 9 x 9” I usually use. Simply because I wanted a thicker crust. The parchment I cut for the bigger pan, which was slightly too small, fit perfectly. And my brown butter was already lukewarm. I took a big sigh of relief and carefully placed the pan in the fridge to cool further. No issues. Step one was conquered! I forgot to mention – I also infused the brown butter with a little vanilla and cinnamon. I used the same recipe as I created for my lemon bars. Which use an especially rich and salted brown butter shortbread to contrast the sharp lemon curd. 

Orange Caramel Sauce

I checked my brown butter in the fridge after a few more minutes and gave it a stir. It was thickening and getting cold, so I decided to pour it directly into the bowl of dry ingredients. Normally you would work room-temperature butter into the flour and sugar, but keeping the butter slightly cold helps make it more short. Then, when it’s crumbly, you add an egg yolk. When I poured my brown butter into the middle the coolness of the flour helped immediately set it into a semi-firm texture. It was perfect. I worked it into the mixture with a fork and delighted at the perfectly flaky, crumbly tart dough. Then, I added my egg yolk and it all came together. Laced with rich brown butter caramelization and a golden hue. 

I patted the dough into the bottom of my square pan, using an offset spatula to smooth and press it up into the edges. When I was happy, I placed it back into the fridge to chill. This keeps it from melting and spreading in the oven. I’ve always done this for tarts and it works like a charm every time. You can put it in the freezer, too, if you’re in a time crunch. But when the oven preheated I excitedly placed it in to bake. And I moved on to my caramel sauce. More intimidating even than the brown butter that burned my hand last week.

Olive Oil + Sea Salt

I started with two parts sugar and one part water. The water evaporates quickly and speeds up the caramel process but helps create a smooth syrup. Then, I let it bubble away on medium-high heat until I could see and smell the color change. I also readied my cream, butter, and sea salt. And I impulsively decided to add some orange zest, too. A perfect complement to the caramel and the chocolate layer on top. I focused intently on the caramel as it turned, using my knowledge of past caramel disasters to guide me. It keeps cooking after you take it off the heat and can burn. I’ve also added cream and butter too quickly and burned myself. 

When it became the perfect hue (a deep, amber-orange), I turned off the heat and placed my pot next to my cream and butter. I let it cool slightly, which allowed it to caramelize more into a complex, slightly bitter sauce. Then I added my cream and shielded myself from the hot steam and bubbling sugar. I threw in the butter, too, which melted quickly. I whisked and whisked until I had a gorgeous, glossy orange sauce and felt relieved, again, to not burn myself. So I gleefully grated some orange zest and sprinkled in some sea salt. And, noticing my new bottle of olive oil from the cooking store, I added a touch of that, too.

Caramel Bar Memories

I had a clear goal in mind for the texture of the caramel. And I’ve mentioned this before – to figure out how the caramel will set, you look at the ingredients. Cream doesn’t harden in the fridge, so if you want a runny sauce, you add more cream. Butter hardens in the fridge, so if you want your caramel to harden in the fridge, add butter. I needed a chewy, thick, but silky and easy to eat sauce, so I added both. More cream than butter. The olive oil was my insurance policy, too, to keep it from hardening too much. Thankfully the ratio was perfect. My sauce thickened and set on top of my perfectly-baked shortbread. And all I had left to do was make the chocolate to go on top.

I have a vivid memory of home economics class in elementary school. One of the first times my world was opened up to the magic of cooking. My third and fourth grade teacher, who I loved, taught us how to make caramel and chocolate saltine bars. You don’t have to make a cookie base because of the crackers, but she made a quick caramel. When it was still warm, she simply sprinkled chocolate chips on top. They melted quickly and she smoothed them all over the top in a glossy brown layer with a spatula. We tried them after a few minutes and took some home to share with our loved ones. I thought of it when I was chopping my chocolate. 

Sharp Knives + Cookie Bars

The knife I used was a gift from work. Made in Japan with a seriously sharp blade. Thankfully I didn’t cut myself after worrying about burning myself all week. I marveled at it – the shiny silver blade. It cut through the chocolate bars with incredible ease. Normally I recommend using a bread knife because it holds onto the hard chocolate shards while you cut. But my world has changed. It only took a few satisfying seconds and I cleaned my knife off and scraped the chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl. I melted it on half power until it was molten and shiny. I placed my caramel chocolate cookie bars in the fridge to help the chocolate set. And I poured it in quickly, smoothing the top with my favorite offset spatula. 

All I had left to do was sprinkle some flaky salt on top. And wait for them to cool. Cut them into squares and dig in. It was such a far-off dream last week when I dropped my butter on the floor. So I was ecstatic to try them. And photograph them. When I sliced into them, using my new knife, the caramel, cookie, and chocolate layers were exposed in a satisfying flag of colors. Beige, orange, and brown. The caramel was tight and semi-hard after chilling for an hour or so, but it softened quickly in the summer heat. By the time I was done, I had dozens of elegant little bars that looked straight out of a bakery. Or a Michelin star dessert course. 

Father’s Day + Cookies

I tried one after lunch. The shortbread was so short and tender that it started to crumble in my hand. And it melted in my mouth. Still filled with that brown butter flavor and a delicate vanilla essence. The caramel was chewy but silky. Easy to chew. And rippled with orange zest, a touch of bitter olive oil, and that classic caramelized sugar flavor. The chocolate not only is dark, bitter, and sweet, but it mellows the chewiness of the caramel with a nice creamy feel. It melts and meshes with the shortbread and the caramel so well. The orange zest and the chocolate paired incredibly. And the touch of acid helped keep them from being too rich.

I was really happy with them. And so was my dad! After a long day of work on Saturday I came home with a couple gifts and took my caramel chocolate cookie bars out of the fridge to thaw. In the morning I greeted my dad with his gifts (after sleeping well for a change) and we spent the day together. Watching Masterchef. Gardening. And eating caramel chocolate cookie bars. My mom loved them, too, and I snuck a few bites after our walk down town.

Tomato Garden + Summer Plans

I finished planting my tomato varieties and took a nap during a rainstorm in the afternoon. We had a great day. I’m so grateful for my dad. For my family. I’m settling into my new job well and looking forward to more summer produce becoming available soon. My garden is growing quickly! I have big plans for a unique purple recipe this week. We’ll see how it goes.

Thanks for reading. If you enjoy my paintings and recipes, be sure to check out my Etsy page for 100’s of my recipe cards and watercolor food art prints. Be sure to use code THEFORKEDRING for 25% off. Until next time!

Print Pin

Caramel Chocolate Cookie Bars

Millionaire shortbread bars with a touch of orange and dark chocolate

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword caramel, chocolate, orange, shortbread

Prep Time 2 hours hours

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 16

Author theforkedring

Ingredients

• 10 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup AP flour
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 cup white sugar + 1 tbsp
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 tbsp orange zest
• 1/2 tsp olive oil
• sea salt for garnish
• 8 oz dark chocolate 70 – 80%

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Combine 1 cup AP flour, 1/2 tsp kosher salt, and 1 tbsp white sugar in a large bowl.
• Add brown butter, vanilla, and cinnamon and mix with a fork until the dough becomes sand-like.
• Add an egg yolk and incorporate gently into the dough. Mix until it just comes together.
• Line a 9 x 9″ baking pan with parchment paper. Press your shortbread dough evenly into the bottom of the pan. Place in fridge to chill for 30 minutes.
• After chilling, bake crust for 30 minutes until evenly golden brown. Cool.
• Combine 1 cup white sugar and 1/2 cup water in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
• Cook until the mixture bubbles, then turns a medium golden brown / amber color.
• Remove from heat and carefully add 1/4 cup heavy cream and 2 tbsp butter.
• Stir to combine and add orange zest and olive oil.
• Pour caramel sauce into the bottom of your tart shell. Spread evenly with an offset spatula and let cool at room temperature.
• Chop and melt chocolate in a double boiler of microwave-safe bowl. Once melted, pour on top of the caramel layer and spread evenly. Top with flaky sea salt.
• Chill for at least 1-2 hours. Cut into 16 bars and serve at room temperature.

Notes

• I use 70-80% dark chocolate for these, but feel free to use your chocolate of choice. 
• Keep these are room temperature for 15-20 minutes before eating so the caramel isn’t too chewy.