Chocolate Caramel Slices

A crunchy biscuit base topped with a thick and chewy caramel layer and finished with a touch of dark chocolate: these Chocolate Caramel Slices - aka Millionaire's Shortbread - are the ultimate afternoon tea snack your kids (and you) will adore!

Why we love this recipe

These Caramel Slices topped with a layer of Dark Chocolate are what sweet dreams are made of. They are the perfect combination of sweet, crunchy, gooey and chocolate-y - a seriously addictive mix of flavours!

There are three steps in making a Caramel Slice:

• the Biscuit Base
• a thick and gooey caramel layer made with Condensed Milk
• a layer of dark chocolate.

The first two elements needs to be baked then placed in the fridge to cool and set. Once the caramel layer has set, you can then pour the last layer of melted chocolate. After another 30 minutes or so in the fridge, the caramel slices are ready to be eaten!

Ingredients

Slice Biscuit Base:

• Plain Flour
• Brown Sugar
• Desiccated Coconut
• Melted Butter

Caramel Layer

• Sweetened Condensed Milk
• Brown Sugar
• Unsalted Butter
• Sea Salt (optional)

Many Caramel Slices recipes use a Golden Syrup as a sweetener for the caramel. But this is a recipe for Caramel Slice without Golden Syrup - the caramel is created with Brown Sugar instead.

Thick Chocolate layer

• Dark Cooking Chocolate
• Coconut Oil (or butter)
• Full Cream Milk

How to make Chocolate Caramel Slices

Caramel Slice Biscuit Base

Making the base for these slices is probably the easiest step. It really does not require any equipment of special technique at all!

To make the slices base, simply:

• Put the dry ingredients together in a heat proof bowl

• Melt the butter

• Pour the butter over the dry ingredients and gently stir with a spoon or a spatula until you get a homogeneous dough

Chewy Caramel Layer

The making of the chewy caramel layer is the trickiest part of the recipe, although it is still fairly simple. It requires to cook the three ingredients on the stove until they start to thicken.

• Place all the ingredients in a small pot on low heat until the butter has melted, then increase the heat to medium.

• Leave it to cool for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the preparation turns golden brown and starts to thicken.

Chocolate Topping

The last step is the dark chocolate layer that will finish the slices. To make it, you simply need to:

• Chop the Dark Cooking Chocolate into small pieces and place it in an heat-proof glass bowl with the rest of the ingredients

• Melt it in the microwave (or on a water bath), stopping every 30 seconds to stir until fully melted and glossy.

How to assemble the slices

Now that we know how to prepare all the different elements of these bars, let's see how to put them together.

First, prepare the Biscuit Base. When it is ready, place it in a square baking pan (9inch or 22cm) lined with baking paper. Pack it as firmly as possible at the bottom of the pan - you can use the bottom of a cup for example to firmly press the dough. Try to be as even as possible. Bake for about 12 minutes in the oven, then leave to cool slightly.

While the pre-baked base is cooling, prepare the caramel layer. When it is golden brown and thick, pour it over the pre-baked base and place it back in the oven for another 15 minutes.

If it still looks really liquid after that time, leave it for a little bit longer; it should be a little bit jiggly but mainly set and firm. Remove from the oven and leave to cool down on a cooling rack before placing in the fridge to set until completely cold (about 30 minutes to 1 hour).

Finally, when the caramel layer is cool (and more importantly, set), start making the chocolate layer. When the chocolate has completely melted, pour it over the caramel and use a silicone spatula to spread it evenly.

Optionally, you can sprinkle a little bit of desiccated coconut on top of the chocolate or even some Sea Salt. Lastly, place the slices back in the fridge for the chocolate layer to set - another 30 minutes or so.

To cut the cake into slices, carefully place the whole preparation on a chopping board. Use a large knife (I have found that using a bread knife works best) to cut large bars, pouring hot water over the knife between each cut - that will help create cleaner slices.

Note that this recipe will make 9 large Slices, but feel free to cut them into smaller pieces.

More afternoon treat ideas:

• Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
• Lemon Blueberry Muffins
• Chocolate Raspberry Brownies
• Chocolate Brownie Bites
• Coffee Friands
• Jam Shortbreads from It's Not Complicated Recipes
• Easy Date Slices from Chef Not Required
• Dark Chocolate Florentine Cookies
• Dark Chocolate and Orange Brownies

Recipe