These Salted Caramel Monster Bars are a delightful combination of buttery shortbread, rich salted caramel, and smooth chocolate, topped off with a scoop of vanilla ice cream if desired. Here’s how to make them!
Ingredients
For the Shortbread Base:
- 180g flour
- 60g semi-salted butter, at room temperature
- 60g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 60g sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- A pinch of salt
For the Salted Butter Caramel:
- 80g sugar
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 120g semi-salted butter
- 320g sweetened condensed milk
For the Chocolate Topping:
- 200g milk chocolate
- 5cl (50ml) whipping cream
To Serve:
- Vanilla ice cream (optional)
Equipment Needed:
- Small rectangular molds (or special molds for chocolate bars)
- Mixing bowls
- Saucepan
- Whisk or spatula
- Oven
Preparation
1. Preheat the Oven:
Preheat your oven to 170°C (338°F).
2. Make the Shortbread Base:
- In a mixing bowl, combine flour, semi-salted butter, unsalted butter, sugar, baking powder, and a pinch of salt.
- Use your hands to knead the mixture until it forms a smooth dough.
- Press the dough into your molds, filling each to about one-third of their height. Ensure the base is even.
3. Bake the Shortbread:
- Place the molds in the preheated oven and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the shortbread is lightly golden and set.
- Once done, remove from the oven and allow to cool completely in the molds. This helps them set properly and makes it easier to add the caramel layer.
4. Prepare the Salted Butter Caramel:
- In a saucepan, combine sugar and lemon juice. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and turns a golden caramel color.
- Carefully add the semi-salted butter and stir until completely melted.
- Slowly pour in the sweetened condensed milk, stirring continuously. Keep stirring over low heat until the mixture thickens into a pourable caramel sauce.
- Remove from heat and let it cool slightly before pouring over the cooled shortbread bases. Fill up to two-thirds of the mold height with caramel. Let it set slightly before adding the chocolate layer.
5. Make the Chocolate Topping:
- Break the milk chocolate into pieces and place in a heatproof bowl.
- Heat the whipping cream in a saucepan until just boiling, then pour it over the chocolate.
- Let it sit for a minute, then stir until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.
- Pour the chocolate over the set caramel layer, filling the molds to the top.
6. Chill and Serve:
- Allow the chocolate to set completely, ideally in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.
- Once set, carefully remove the bars from the molds.
- Serve each bar with a scoop of vanilla ice cream if desired.
Tips:
- Ensure all ingredients are at room temperature (especially the butter) for smooth dough and caramel.
- Watch the caramel closely while cooking to prevent it from burning.
- Let each layer set properly before adding the next to achieve clean layers.