Vegan Salted Caramel Millionaire’s Shortbread

I have always wanted to produce a vegan version of my Salted Caramel Millionaire’s Shortbread that really did the original recipe justice. I think I may have nailed it.
New products are coming onto the market all the time and I am thrilled to say that the vegan version of condensed milk made by Carnation is the perfect substitute for its regular dairy version. As such, this recipe is made in exactly the same way as the original and doesn’t really need repeating here… but it’s so good that it deserves its own page!
(I have not been paid by any of the brands mentioned)
20+
35 mins
Chilling
You will need:
a small brownie tin (around 20x30cm) – lined with greaseproof paper
160°C Oven Pre-heated
Gas Mark 3
Ingredients
For the Shortbread:
225g dairy-free block margarine
100g caster sugar
275g plain flour
50g semolina
For the Salted Caramel:
370g can of vegan condensed milk
150g dairy-free margarine
150g caster sugar
60ml golden syrup (4tbsp)
1tsp sea salt flakes
For the Chocolate layer:
85g NOMO milk chocolate
85g 70% dark chocolate
Information
- Pop all of the shortbread ingredients into a mixer and combine until one glorious lump of cookie dough.
If you cannot source the semolina, you can substitute with flour but semolina does give the shortbread an amazing crunch. - Press the dough into the bottom of your brownie tin, paying special attention to the edges and ensuring that it is nice and level on top.
Prick the shortbread all over with a fork to prevent it puffing up in the oven.
Bake for 35 minutes until golden then leave the tin to cool on a wire rack while you make the caramel. - Scrape a whole tin of condensed milk into a heavy saucepan along with all the other Caramel ingredients, barring the salt, and turn on the heat very low. Your first job is to melt the butter, which should take 3-4 minutes. You will then need to turn the heat up to medium-low and bubble the mixture gently for around 10 minutes, stirring and watching all the time to prevent burning.
Vegan condensed milk starts out brown (the dairy version is white) so the change in colour will not be as pronounced as the change in thickness. Give yourself that 10 minutes of bubbling and the caramel is ready when it is golden and nicely thickened. - Remove the caramel from the heat and stir through a teaspoon of good quality salt flakes. Pour the hot caramel straight onto your shortbread, still in the brownie tin. Please do not even think about tasting the caramel from the saucepan as you will burn your tongue! Leave this to cool completely again.
- Melt your chocolate, either in a glass bowl over a pan of simmering water or gently and slowly in a microwave, until no lumps remain. Stir the chocolate for a few moments to cool it slightly before pouring this over your set caramel. Sprinkle some attractive looking salt flakes over the chocolate layer while still wet so that they will stick into the chocolate as it hardens. Leave to cool and harden at room temperature to preserve the shine of the chocolate.
- Leave your shortbread to set for at least an hour before you attempt to cut slices. I recommend scoring the chocolate layer gently and then slicing firmly and decisively through the caramel and shortbread layers below.
Did you make this recipe?
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