Photography: Lucia Bell-Epstein
This is chocolate caramel slice with a little French attitude. Also known as millionaire’s shortbread, it has a shortbread base topped with homemade caramel, and then finished with a dark chocolate ganache spiked with chilli pepper. The chilli doesn’t overwhelm – it sharpens the sweetness, deepens the chocolate and makes every slice seem chic, grown-up and just a little bit unexpected. This is a bake-sale classic transformed into a sophisticated treat that is impossible to resist. Slice it small, serve it proudly and watch it disappear fast before anyone can ask for seconds.
Ingredients
Method
For the shortbread, set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 180°C. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 20cm square metal baking pan, then line the pan with baking paper, leaving about 2.5cm hanging over the sides.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the butter and white (granulated) sugar on medium-high speed, scraping down the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed, until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the flour and fine salt and beat on medium-low speed for about 30 seconds, then increase the speed to medium and beat, scraping the bowl as needed, until the dough comes together, about 2 minutes.
Using your hands, press the dough into the prepared pan, spreading it into the corners and creating an even layer. Bake until the edges are lightly golden, about 30 minutes.
Let the shortbread cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before adding the caramel.
For the caramel, in a medium saucepan, combine the sweetened condensed milk, brown sugar, butter, corn syrup and fine salt and cook over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until the butter is melted and the ingredients are fully combined. Continue cooking, whisking constantly as the caramel bubbles and slightly darkens in colour, until it registers 113°C on an instant-read thermometer. The caramel will be thick and start to pull away from the edges of the saucepan – this will take about 7 minutes. Remove from the heat, then carefully pour the caramel over the cooled shortbread, spreading it into an even layer.
Let cool at room temperature, then place the pan in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before adding the chocolate.
For the chocolate, fill a medium saucepan with about 2.5cm of water and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. In a large heatproof bowl, combine the chocolate and thick (heavy) cream, then set the bowl over the saucepan of simmering water, making sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl. Warm the chocolate, stirring occasionally, until melted. Remove the bowl from the pan (careful – it will be warm!) and use a clean kitchen towel to carefully wipe any condensation from the bottom of the bowl. Mix in 2½ teaspoons of the piment d’Espelette.
Pour the chocolate over the cooled caramel, spreading it into an even layer. Sprinkle with the remaining piment d’Espelette and Maldon salt, if desired, then let stand at room temperature until the chocolate sets.
This is an edited extract from ‘Cake From Lucie’ by Lucie Franc de Ferriere, published by Hardie Grant, $50.
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