Millionaire's Shortbread - Cook's Illustrated

Oh my goodness these little caramel cookie bars were just beyond delicious! I knew they would be since they are a Cook's Illustrated recipe (cannot go wrong with anything they put out!). I made these for a party and also gave out as gifts. The perfect holiday dessert to share.

You will need a candy thermometer to make the caramel filling. Do not try to make this without one.....getting the caramel to the exact temperature is very important!

I found this recipe on the blog Playing with Flour. The blogger does an amazing job with step-by-step photos, so I suggest you click HERE and read her post.

And here is the Cook's Illustrated recipe I found on the blog Playing with Flour.... Enjoy!

Ingredients:
For shortbread crust:
2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For caramel filling:
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup packed (7 ounces) brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup corn syrup
8 tablespoons unsalted butter1/2 teaspoon salt

For chocolate topping:
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate (6 ounces finely chopped, 2 ounces grated using the small holes on a box grater; Ghirardelli's 60% bittersweet chocolate bar recommended)

For crust:  Adjust oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Make foil sling for a 13 x 9 inch baking pan for easy removal of bars later. Fold 2 long sheets of aluminum foil; the first sheet should be 13 inches wide and second sheet should be 9 inches wide.  Lay sheets in pan perpendicular to each other, with extra foil hanging over edges.  Push foil into corners and up the sides of the pan, smoothing foil flushed to the pan.

Combine flour, sugar and salt into a medium bowl.  Add melted butter and stir with a rubber spatula until flour is evenly moistened.  Crumble dough evenly over the bottom of the prepared pan.  Use your fingertips and palm to press and smooth the dough into an even layer.  Using a fork, pierce the dough at 1-inch intervals.  Bake until light golden brown, 25-30 minutes.  Transfer pan to a wire rack.  Take a sturdy metal spatula and use it to press on the entire surface of the crust to compact it (this is to help make the finished bars easier to cut).  Let crust cool until just warm, at least 20 minutes.  

For filling: Place all ingredients into a heavy-bottomed saucepan and stir together. Cook, over medium-heat, stirring frequently, until temperature reaches between 236 to 239 degrees (it will fluctuate), 16 to 20 minutes.  Carefully pour the mixture (it is very hot) over the crust and spread evenly using an offset spatula.  Let cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours.

For chocolate: Place chopped chocolate into a bowl and microwave it on 50% power for 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each interval.  Continue until chocolate is just melted and not much warmer than body temperature (check by holding bowl in the palm of your hands), about 1-2 minutes in total.  Add the grated chocolate and stir together until smooth.  If necessary, return chocolate to the microwave for no longer than 5 seconds at a time (again, on 50% power) to finish melting.  Spread over the caramel layer and smooth it evenly using an offset spatula.  Refrigerate the pan until chocolate is just set, about 10 minutes.

Finish/slice the bars: Lift shortbread out of the pan using the foil overhang and remove the foil.  Place onto a cutting board.  Using a serrated knife with a gentle sawing motion, slice bar in half crosswise so you have two 6 1/2 by 9 inch rectangles. Then slice each of these rectangles in half again crosswise so you have 4 strips.  Slice each strip crosswise into 10 equal pieces, for a total of 40 bars.

Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili

This chili was delicious!!! I decided to roast the sweet potatoes and carrots instead of letting them cook solely in the broth and I'm so glad I did. They caramelized in the oven which gave this chili a unique flavor. The whole dish came together easily and made for a warm, hearty meal on a cold, rainy autumn evening. This made 5 servings. Enjoy! 

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small pieces
2 large carrots, cut into bite sized pieces
3 Tbl olive oil, divided
2 tsp salt, divided
1/2 a red onion, diced
1 poblano pepper, seeded and diced
2 garlic cloves, diced
3 tsp chili powder, divided
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
4 cups of vegetable broth
28 oz of crushed tomatoes
1 15oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups of COOKED quinoa*
1 Tbl pure maple syrup or honey, optional

Toppings to try:
sour cream
shredded cheddar
diced ripe avocado
chopped green onion
hot sauce
salsa
shredded cooked chicken

Preheat oven to 400F

On a lined baking sheet spread out sweet potato and carrots that have been cut into small, bite sized pieces. Drizzle with 1 Tbl olive oil. Sprinkle with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp chili powder and toss to coat. Roast for 20 minutes, stir. Continue roasting for another 5 minutes or until potatoes and carrots are starting to brown and cooked through.

sweet potatoes on the right, carrots on the left

While veggies are roasting, warm remaining 2 Tbl olive oil over medium low heat. Add onions and poblanos and sauté for 7 minutes, stirring now and then. Add garlic and cook for another minute, careful not to let the garlic burn. Sprinkle remaining 2 tsp chili powder, cumin and oregano over cooked onion mixture and stir. Add vegetable broth and tomatoes. Add the beans. Give a good stir.

If not using left over or pre-cooked quinoa, cook now in a separate pot, following the directions on the back of the bag. Set aside.

Once sweet potatoes and carrots are finished roasting, add them to the pot with onion and tomatoes. Let chili come to a boil, then turn heat down to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.  Add maple syrup or honey, if using. Add cooked quinoa.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Spoon chili into bowls and top with whatever extras you like. I added sour cream, shredded cheese, chopped avocado, and green onion to mine. My husband liked all of that, plus hot sauce. My son opted for the shredded chicken. All the kids loved the homemade biscuits I served with dinner. Cornbread would also be delicious. Everyone was happy! Hope you enjoy!

*You can sub brown rice, wild rice or farro for quinoa if you want to use another grain