Chocolate, Caramel, and Shortbread

Okay, so it has been a while since the last post. Truth is, I have been really busy lately and not cooking or baking much at all.

A few days ago I came across a recipe for these British yummies. Shortbread with a layer of caramel and chocolate on top. I decided right then and there I was going to make them. The recipe is fairly simple and I believe that any cook whether they be pro, or someone who only uses the microwave, can whip this up in no time.

Alright, here goes!

For the shortbread:
1/2 pound unsalted butter, softened
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup sugar 2 cups flour
1/2 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

Make the shortbread.
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Generously grease a 9 x 9 baking pan with butter.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter, salt, and sugar and whip on medium speed until the butter becomes fluffy and white - about 5 minutes.
3. Turn the mixer to low and add the flour and cornstarch. Mix to incorporate.
4. Pat the dough evenly into the pan.
5. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the edges just begin to darken. The shortbread will remain white. Set aside to cool.














For the
caramel:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

Next, make the caramel.
1. In a 2 quart saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and sweetened condensed milk and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
2. Continue stirring and allow mixture to boil for another 5 minutes.
3. Remove caramel from heat and stir vigorously for a few minutes.
4. Pour over shortbread and allow to set up at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.




















For the chocolate:
1 1/4 cups semi sweet chocolate, chopped

Chocolate.
1. Simply place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 45 seconds, then stir and continue to heat and stir at 20 second intervals until chocolate is completely melted.
2. Pour chocolate over the caramel layer and spread evenly to cover.
3. Chill to set the chocolate - about 30 minutes.






When this is all said and done, you will have an amazingly yummy British treat. Have a cup of tea too! :) Be prepared for soft caramel, and hard chocolate and sort of a bitter taste from the shortbread. Together all of the flavors are something I haven't really tasted. I loved it though and can't wait to experiment with it!


Feed me with comments and whatnot. Like Glorious Food on Facebook and follow me on Twitter.

A Cold Remedy

One day while watching The Other End of the Line, I saw in one of the scenes a cold remedy from India. Apparently ginger root, and lemon can really clear a stuffy head. Well I tried the remedy, using my own recipe, and came to find out that it actually works.

If you suffer from allergies, and are congested, you can drink this Indian tea, and clear your head. It's a really simple recipe that actually tastes pretty good. I added a little honey for sweetness, and to help soothe my sore throat. After sipping slowly on my hot beverage, I felt better. My nose ran the whole time, but I gotta say, it really cleared me up!


Indian Cold Remedy- Ginger Lemon Tea

1 small ginger root
1 medium lemon
4 C. water
2 tbsp. honey (or raw sugar if allergic)

1. Cut up ginger root, and place in water in a pot on the stove.
2. Cut lemon into quarters and squeeze the juice into the water. Add the rest of the lemon. The squeezing ensures that most of the lemon juice is out.
3. Boil for 10 minutes.
4. Strain into tea pot or pitcher. Add desired amount of honey.
5. Enjoy, and get better!


If you haven't seen the movie I got this from, it would be a great idea to. Especially if you like love stories. Here's the synopsis:

"A beautiful credit card phone operator lives in India but pretends to be American to her callers. Soon she travels to the United States without telling her family in order to meet a New York man that she's met over the phone. But problems arise when they meet in San Francisco and she decides not to reveal her true identity."

At first I wasn't much interested in watching it because I'm not really a fan of watching movies with actors I don't know. It ended up being really good, and it surprised me.

So go rent it, make some tea, and drink to the movie and to your well being!

Feel free to send me recipes to try or perfect. I will add them to my blog so be careful if you don't want me to unleash the secrets of your great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandmother's chunky corn bread. Check back often to see what else I'm cookin' up!

P.S. I FOUND MY PAULA DEEN RECIPE DIARY!!! Finally!! :)