This is my take on Millionaire’s shortbread- one of my favourite sweet treats when I was younger. The combination of that crumbly biscuit base, salty and sticky caramel layer and the rich and creamy chocolate topping was pure heaven. I use ground almonds in a lot of my sweet recipes, and here I’ve used it for the base to create a fudgier texture than traditional shortbread. I’ve also used sticky dates and almond butter to create the gooey caramel, and made my own chocolate as you’ll see below. This recipe is entirely free from refined sugars, it’s dairy-free, gluten-free, grain-free and suitable for vegans. The great thing about this recipe is that there’s no cooking required! I’ll admit they’re not the neatest-looking treat, but they make up for that in terms of taste.
Makes approx. 12 squares
Ingredients:
For the biscuit base:
300g ground almonds
100ml water
60g coconut oil, melted
1tbsp maple syrup
1tsp vanilla extract
For the salted caramel:
125g soft dates, pitted and soaked in 150ml boiling water for 15 minutes
1/2tsp vanilla extract
4tbsp almond butter (I like Meridian)
1/4tsp sea salt
For the chocolate topping:
4tbsp coconut oil, melted
4tbsp cacao powder
2tbsp maple syrup
Method:
1.) Start by making the base: Mix all of the ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Grease a 20cm-wide baking dish with a little coconut oil. Press the base mixture into the tin, flattening it out to get a smooth finish. Cover with cling film and store in the freezer for 10 minutes.
2.) Add the dates along with their soaking water, vanilla extract, salt and almond butter to a blender or food processer and blend until smooth. Take the tin out of the freezer and spread the caramel over the biscuit base. Cover with the cling film and return to the freezer for another 30 minutes to allow the base to harden.
3.) Meanwhile, make the chocolate topping. Mix all of the ingredients together, remove the tin from the fridge again and pour the liquid chocolate over the caramel layer. Return to the freezer for another 15 minutes.
4.) Use a sharp knife to cut the shortbread into squares and serve. Store in the fridge. Enjoy!
Lauren x
