Jemma Wilson (aka Cupcake Jemma) has done it again. She has turned millionaire shortbread upside down and made it more complex with a new recipe. It looks wonderful, so I have to try it, and share it with you. The recipe amounts are in UK metric, but that shouldn’t be a problem, as any serious baker is already weighing ingredients rather than using volume. Certain terms need definition. Caster sugar is superfine granulated sugar, but regular granulated sugar is fine to use. Dark muscovado sugar is a form of unrefined sugar, and is available at Fresh Market or online. Substitutes for muscovado can be used, but the flavor profile will not be the same. Golden syrup is common in the United Kingdom, but can be sometimes found at World Market, or online, but one can make an alternative by using 3 parts (by weight) dark brown sugar to 1 part water.
So, instead of a shortbread base, Jemma uses a brownie base. The toffee layer is a bit more unusual due to the muscovado sugar. The chocolate layer is constructed so it can be cut without shattering, and Jemma makes a swirl decorative pattern with melted milk chocolate dripped from a cornet. The shortbread is in the form of cookie wafers that are placed on top of the chocolate.
Upside down millionaire shortbread brownies
From Cupcake Jemma (Jemma Wilson, owner of Crumbs and Doilies shop located in the Soho area of London)
Ingredients
Brownie
- 165 grams Dark (70%) chocolate
- 165 grams unsalted butter
- 135 grams all-purpose flour
- 45 grams cocoa powder
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 large eggs
- 330 grams caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Toffee
- 150 grams Dark muscovado sugar
- 150 grams unsalted butter
- 400 grams heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
Topping
- 140 grams dark chocolate (50%-55% cocao)
- 60 grams unsalted butter
- 20 grams golden syrup
- Pinch of salt
Shortbread
- 75 grams unsalted butter, softened
- 30 grams caster sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 115 grams all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- Line an 8 inch baking pan with parchment paper slings to cover all the bottom and sides. Melt butter and chocolate together in a Bain Marie, stirring every now and then. Remove from heat when finished melting and let cool. Add 3 eggs to the bowl of a stand mixer and add the sugar. Whisk together starting slow, and gradually increase speed to high. Whip for 3 minutes to get to ribbon stage and at least double in volume. Add the cooled chocolate along with the 1 tsp of vanilla extract and mix at slow speed. Sift the dry ingredients together and add to the slowly turning whisk/bowl of the stand mixer. Turn off the mixer and use the whisk beater or a spatula to insure that the batter is completely mixed. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth evenly with an offset spatula. Bake in a preheated 170 degree C fan assisted oven for 28 minutes or until a skewer comes out not quite clean (you want a nice fudgy texture). Cool completely, then place in the fridge.
- To make the dark toffee, melt the muscovado sugar and butter together in a large saucepan (dark brown sugar will be a poor substitute as it is made from refined sugar to which molasses is added—not the same flavor profiles). Use low medium heat and mix with a silicone spatula so that most of the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the cream slowly at first, but carefully, stirring continuously. Add the vanilla extract and the salt, and monitor the temperature as it slowly rises to 105 degrees C (221 degrees F). If the butter splits, grab a whisk and whisk it back together. Once the temp is reached, the mixture should be smooth, and then pour it over the cold brownie. Even the surface with the offset spatula. Cool to room temperature and then return to the fridge.
- A pure chocolate top will be difficult to cut through without cracking. Melt 50% cocao chocolate with the butter and golden syrup (or corn syrup if you don’t have the golden syrup) over a double boiler. Add the pinch of salt, Pour the slightly cooled mixture over the top of refrigerated brownie/toffee, and smooth evenly with the offset spatula. Melt the milk chocolate carefully in the microwave, and use a paper cornet to deliver milk chocolate swirls on the surface of the dark chocolate.
- Rather than a shortbread layer, we make cookies with the soft butter and caster sugar (plus the vanilla) by mixing together with a wooden spoon until combined. Then add the flour and salt. Mix until it holds together, and turn onto a surface and knead briefly (do not overwork). Roll out to 5 mm thick, and cut 2 inch circle cookies with a round cutter. Bake on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet for about 10 minutes in a 170 C (338 F) convection oven. When cooked and cooled, press each one onto the surface of the completed bar cookie (use 9 cookies). Refrigerate for at least ½ hour. Cut into 9 portions.
One option might be to use the shortbread as a single whole layer, not as cookies, on top of the chocolate layer. I might have to increase the shortbread amounts to get a decent 8 by 8 inch layer with a enough thickness to cover the chocolate layer (and nix to the milk chocolate swirl).
Updates when experimentation is complete. Happy baking!
I’ve made the dessert and here are my comments. Firstly, the toffee is wonderful, due to the unique flavor profile of the muscovado sugar. It, however, was still a little soft in the end product. One must use a big enough saucepan to make the toffee, my 2 quart all-clad was a little too small. I think I might try to take the toffee up to 230 to 240 F to get a harder toffee finish. I’d leave a candy thermometer in the big saucepan, as it was no easy to stir and measure temp with the infrared or instant read thermometer in the other hand at the same time.
The other problem is the end result of a bar cookie is too tall. Making the cookie in a 9×9 inch pan will make each layer just a little bit thinner, but will change (shorten) the brownie cooking time. Doubling the amounts for the shortbread gives enough to cover the 9×9 so one can avoid the need to display a milk chocolate swirl.
trustforce 