Great British Bake Off winner John Whaite has brought out his new cook book. MAXINE GORDON can’t resist his recipe for caramel shortbread.

IS it a sign of the times (the rich getting richer, the poor getting poorer) that in his new book Great British Bake Off winner John Whaite has upgraded the classic caramel and chocolate shortbread slice from Millionaire’s to Trillionaire’s Shortbread?

This certainly is the fat cat of the cookie tray – a thick wad of crumbly shortbread, smothered in a liquid gold of oozy, sticky caramel, topped with enough melted chocolate to trigger a run on the price of cocoa.

It takes time to make, because you have to complete it in layers. But it is worth the effort.

A bonus? Friends and family will be ever in your debt because they will all love it.

John puts vanilla in the shortbread, which is nice but lost in the end result. If you are on an austerity drive, you could leave it out without harming the recipe.

One other observation: the salt in the caramel doesn’t make it a salted caramel, just enhances the toffee flavour. My tray made 20 decent sized squares.


Trillionaire’s Shortbread from John Whaite Bakes (Headline, £20)

Recipe (Makes 12 or 24)

For the shortbread: 110g caster sugar 225g salted butter, at room temperature Seeds from 1 vanilla pod, Or 1 tsp vanilla paste or extract 340g plain flour

For the caramel: 300g caster sugar 3 tbsp water 80g salted butter, in 1cm cubes 120ml double cream 1 tsp sea salt flakes

For the ganache: 150g dark chocolate 150g milk chocolate 150ml double cream Essential equipment: Deep-sided 20x25cm / 8x10 inch baking tray, lined with baking paper

Method:

1 Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4

2 To make the shortbread, cream the sugar and butter together along with the vanilla. When light and fluffy, sift in the flour and mix into a firm dough. Press this into the base of the baking tray, prick all over with a fork, then refrigerate for ten minutes. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a pale golden colour. Allow to cool.

3 To make the caramel, stir the sugar and water together in a saucepan, then place over a high heat and allow to go a dark amber colour without stirring again. When it goes amber, remove from the heat immediately and stir in the butter, cream and sea salt flakes (be careful as it will spit ferociously). Use a balloon whisk to beat together for a few minutes, or until smooth and light. Pour this on to the baked shortbread base and allow to firm up.

4 Make the ganache by chopping both chocolates and placing them in a heatproof bowl. Warm the cream in a saucepan over a high heat until bubbles just start to form around the edges.

Pour the cream on to the chocolate, wait for ten seconds, then, using a balloon whisk, beat until you have a smooth, glossy ganache. If there are still lumps of chocolate in the mix, you can either fish them out and eat them, or leave them in for added texture.

Pour the ganache over the caramel, then cover the tray in foil, being careful not to touch the ganache, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. When set, cut into 12 or 24 triangles.