Millionaire Shortbread Bar Recipe… with Sea Salt

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
• Line an 8 by 8 inch baking pan with a sheet of aluminum foil.... let the edges hang over the sides... press the foil into the corners... then give it a spritz with that spray stuff.

Shortbread Layer:

• Put the Flour and Powdered Sugar in the bowl of a Food Processor. Pulse it a few times to mix.
• Cut the butter into small chunks... feed into the processor... run for a few seconds, then pulse until the dough starts to come together.
• (Now ... a food processor is best for this... but, if you don't have one.. put the flour and powdered sugar into a mixing bowl, cut the butter, add to the flour, and work them together with a pastry cutter until it looks like thick sand.)
• (Don't have a pastry cutter? sigh. First... make a Christmas wish list.... then do the flour and sugar thing, cut in chunks of butter, then moosh in with a fork. This way isn't as good, but it should get the job done.)
• Press the "wet sand" into the prepared pan, and stick into the hot oven for 18 minutes.
• When the buzzer goes off... pull it out... set it aside, and get started on the Caramel layer.

Caramel Layer:

• Get a medium saucepan out of the cabinet... put it on the stove.
• Add the butter, dark brown sugar, corn syrup and sweetened condensed milk (I always think of Winnie the Pooh.... condensed milk was his go-to snack when out of honey....)
• Melt them all together over medium heat, while stirring with a wooden spoon. Bring to a boil.
• Occasionally wipe the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in ice water... this keeps the sugar crystals from forming.
• Reduce heat a bit... still boiling though, keep stirring.
• and stirring
• and stirring
• (is the sugar melted? You can tell by pushing the spoon against the bottom of the pan... if it crunches, it's not melted.)
• (at this point, you might track down a kid that you trust near the stove to do the stirring....)
• Continue at low boil for 8-10 minutes...
• Done... now pour the Caramel over the Shortbread layer.
• This is boiling sugar... don't get it on yourself. (Hurts like heck... wrecks your day.)
• Let the Caramel Layer set for 30 minutes.
• (go read a magazine, call your mother, fold a load of laundry, or take a quick nap)

Chocolate Ganache Layer:

• Melt the chocolate.( I put it in a microwave safe measuring cup... and let it melt for a minute or two at low power.) Add the Cream. Stir until smooth......now it’s Ganache
• Pour the melted chocolate over the set caramel... spread it evenly with a spatula.
• Sprinkle with a bit of Sea Salt.... not too much... but you do want to taste it.
• Let the Ganache set.
• When the chocolate ganache is firm... Lift the Millionaire Shortbread with Sea Salt out of the baking pan using the foil to help you. Set it on a cutting board.
• Cut into pieces.
• I like to serve the pieces in cupcake liners. Regular or Mini... depending on how large or small I cut the pieces.
• Eat