United Cakedom: Millionaire Shortbread

When I started my blog I used to blog about anything and everything I did that revolved around baking! I even have a blog post on crème brulee lip gloss… However since I started my twitter account I just tweet most of those things now. I mean why bother going to all the trouble and work a blog post takes when I can just tweet it?!?!

So as I was going through the pictures on my phone I thought I’d do a big round up of products and sweet stuff I've done over the 8 months or so. As a warning this is probably one of the longest posts I have ever done. Also a lot of these things will have been seen on Twitter already. I am a bit of a Twitter junkie! Find me @unitedcakedom! So let's get started with the more recent:

Join the Realm! I'm a huge Game of Thrones fan! I have read the book and have yet to start the series I will wait and get a box set and watch it all at once. I made this on a facebook app Join the Realm

Browns Restaurant in Reading! Girls night out for a friends birthday! I had to try the Browns Brownie and a couple of the other ladies had Sticky Toffee Pudding. It was a good night out, service was good until they switched shifts and we had a new server, but overall a fun time! I do apologize for the pictures not being of the best quality!

The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris by Jenny Colgan: I love her series of "sweet" books. Starting with Meet Me in the Cupcake Cafe up to this one!! Looking forward to Christmas as the sequel to Rosie's Sweet Shop of Dreams is out!

Warings Bakery: As most of the locations are local to me it's amazing I haven't been in before! I tried this apple fritter and a Viennese finger sandwich thing. They were both very lovely! Didn't take a picture of the latter. Will definitely be visiting again!

Pancake Day at Giraffe! Giraffe offered a half off pancakes on pancake day, so a friend and I took full advantage! I think it was only advertised to those who are signed up for the news letter as that's how I was informed. So sign up for some great offers!

White Chocolate Millionaire Shortbread! This was made by a very nice lady at the toddler group I take baby baker to every week. She is always bringing in treats for all of us. These were cut so big, I could hardly eat it as the white chocolate took it to another level of sweetness! But so good!

My first attempt at crepes... Not sure why I didn't post this as a regular blog post? So, here they are using the left over raspberries and raspberry cream from the peach melba cupcakes I had made. I think I just used a Nigella recipe? Don't quote me on that as I am slowly losing my memory!

Haribo Rhubarb & Custard Splats! We found these at our local newsagents and they were good. I love pic n' mix candy/sweets so these didn't last long in a house full of sugar junkies!

Bake! from Dunelm Mill : What can I say? I am a sucker for cute knick knacks! Hey it was only 1.99!

Care Packages!! There is nothing in the world like getting a care package from friends who miss you!!

Thank you Dena!! (October)

Thank you Scott & Katie!! (January)

Lotus Biscuit Spread! I finally got around to hunting this stuff down after seeing it appear on tons of other food blogs. I never got around to baking with it as originally planned. I had thought I would substitute it in some of my favorite peanut butter recipes, but the girls and I just ate it. Sometimes just with a spoon. Shhhhh don't tell Daddy!

The Oracle Christmas Spectacular! I was sent VIP wrist bands because I have done a few reviews for The Oracle in the past. I would link to them, but they are not currently up on the Oracle website. Here were my blog posts for those visits: Jamie's Italian & Patisserie Valerie. It was a fun night out and a great way to get into the Christmas spirit! Afterwards we went for a drink in Giraffe!

Amarettini: amaretto disaronno, strawberry&pomegranate w/layer of cream & biscuits on top

Christmas Lumpy Bumpy Cake! from Pausa Cafe in Dunelm Mill. I first discovered Lumpy Bumpy Cake from Boswell's Cafe in Newbury when I meet my friend there for lunch one day. Then a while back I discovered a strawberry version in Pausa and so when I was visiting close to Christmas this version was staring at me. It's more of a coffee like flavor, so good! I love coffee flavored stuff!

Mochi from Yo! Sushi! My friend and I try to have sushi dates every other month or so as we love the stuff! I hadn't really looked at the desserts because the little Victoria sandwich cake things they serve aren't anything to shout about! Mochi is interesting. I think it's the texture that had me second guessing it. I probably won't order it again and spend my money on the delicious rolls and curries instead!

And that is the end of that if you like this sort of general information about my baking life, please follow me on twitter. As the title suggests I am a Twitter-holic!

This was my first time making Millionaire Shortbread and I would say it was a success!

Every time I'm at a coffee shop that has these in their display I have to have one! One of my favorite places to get a square of Millionaire Shortbread is from a cafe in Windsor called Cinnamon Cafe.

It also has the best Chai Tea Latte ever! Okay maybe not ever, but it's better then Starbucks and I love me a Chai Tea Latte from Starbucks!

adapted from Home Bake by Eric Lanlard

Shortbread:

~ 175g unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus a little extra for greasing

~ 250g plain flour

~ 85g caster sugar

Pre-heat your oven to 180*F (fan 160*C/350*F/gas mark 4)
Lightly grease your pan. Lanlard says to use a 33 x 22cm (13 x 9in) Swiss roll tin. I used my silicone (I hate it) 9x9 in pan because I don’t have the other size. To grease it I just use the butter package easy peasy!
Mix the flour and sugar together.
Rub in the butter (with your hands! I love this part) until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Knead the mixture until it looks like dough.
Press mixture into the prepared pan.
Prick the shortbread lightly with a fork.
Bake for about 20minutes or until firm to the touch and very lightly browned.
Cool in tin/pan whatever it is you used.

shortbread

Caramel:

~ 100g unsalted butter

~ 100g light muscovado sugar

~ 750g condensed milk

Put all the ingredients into a pan and heat gently until sugar is dissolved.
Bring to a boil, stirring all the time.
Reduce heat and simmer, stirring continuously for about 5 minutes. Mixture should thicken slightly.
Pour over shortbread.

Note: I found this a little confusing. Low heat, high heat, low heat and so on. It’s what I did, but I burnt it. I think my pan was too thin. I knew it was burning because after a stir I had some flecks in the mixture. Those shouldn’t be there it should be smooth and clear. It was usable though because I noticed it. Still tastes good….pan may take a bit to clean out though!!

caramel layer

Chocolate:

~ 200g milk or dark chocolate, broken into pieces

Melt the chocolate
Pour over caramel covered shortbread

Note: Everyone has different ways of melting chocolate. I always tend to use a glass bowl in a pan of simmering water. Before the chocolate is fully melted I remove it from the heat letting the hot chocolate do the rest of the melting. Hope that makes sense. Some people use the microwave. Use whatever method works for you!!