Caramel Shortbread Cookie
This caramel shortbread cookie recipe is my take on a millionaires shortbread, which I find can be a bit too rich and stodgy. These caramel sandwich cookies are much lighter and have that perfect snap when you bite into them – a bit like a sugar cookie.
This is a buttery shortbread recipe with my secret buttermilk caramel sauce sandwiched in between – the flavour combination is unreal! Prefer salted caramel shortbread sugar cookies instead? Just replace the buttermilk caramel with my salted caramel recipe.
I love this caramel shortbread recipe as it is, but you can level it up by adding some melted chocolate and chocolate shavings to the top biscuits for that extra wow factor.
I’d recommend making the Buttermilk Caramel in advance, as it needs a few hours to chill before you can pipe it. If you can, use a perforated mat to create a textured effect on the biscuits – it looks super professional!
Watch my easy to follow video to see how to make these simple caramel shortbread cookies at home.
Looking for more classic cookie recipes? Check out my Cookie 101 video and recipes.
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Ingredients
Method
In a saucepan, beat the milk, cream, buttermilk and glucose (1) over a medium heat until warm/hot. Do not boil or simmer.
Meanwhile, in a separate saucepan heat the sugar and glucose (2), stirring occasionally until it’s a deep golden colour.
Slowly pour the hot cream mixture over the sugar and glucose mixture and whisk, then add the butter and cook it for 1 minute.
Pour the mixture into a bowl, add the salt, and blend the mixture with a hand blender to emulsify it.
Put it in the fridge for 1-2 hours to help it thicken, stirring occasionally.
In a stand mixer, beat the butter with the icing sugar to form a paste.
Add the vanilla, salt and egg yolk and beat the mixture again until smooth.
Tip in the flour and mix to form a soft dough.
Roll the dough thinly between two large silicone mats (or parchment paper), then freeze it for 20-30 minutes until firm.
Very quickly remove the dough from the freezer, let it soften for 30 seconds, then use a cookie cutter to cut out the biscuits.
Lift the biscuits onto a baking tray (ideally perforated) lined with a silicone mat. Freeze them for a further 10 minutes.
Re-roll the scraps into a thin dough and freeze it again to make more biscuits.
If you have a second perforated mat, place it on top of the biscuits (if not just leave them uncovered) and bake at 175C for 11-14 minutes, or until they’re an even golden colour. Allow to cool completely.
Pipe the Buttermilk Caramel onto one biscuit and press another biscuit on top.
Serve at room temperature, or if you prefer a slightly firmer cookie then chill them in the fridge until you are ready to serve them.
Melt some chocolate and use a paintbrush to cover half the biscuits.
Grate chocolate over the biscuits, whilst the melted chocolate is still dry.
Use these biscuits as the top of your caramel shortbread biscuits.
Ingredients
Directions
In a saucepan, beat the milk, cream, buttermilk and glucose (1) over a medium heat until warm/hot. Do not boil or simmer.
Meanwhile, in a separate saucepan heat the sugar and glucose (2), stirring occasionally until it’s a deep golden colour.
Slowly pour the hot cream mixture over the sugar and glucose mixture and whisk, then add the butter and cook it for 1 minute.
Pour the mixture into a bowl, add the salt, and blend the mixture with a hand blender to emulsify it.
Put it in the fridge for 1-2 hours to help it thicken, stirring occasionally.
In a stand mixer, beat the butter with the icing sugar to form a paste.
Add the vanilla, salt and egg yolk and beat the mixture again until smooth.
Tip in the flour and mix to form a soft dough.
Roll the dough thinly between two large silicone mats (or parchment paper), then freeze it for 20-30 minutes until firm.
Very quickly remove the dough from the freezer, let it soften for 30 seconds, then use a cookie cutter to cut out the biscuits.
Lift the biscuits onto a baking tray (ideally perforated) lined with a silicone mat. Freeze them for a further 10 minutes.
Re-roll the scraps into a thin dough and freeze it again to make more biscuits.
If you have a second perforated mat, place it on top of the biscuits (if not just leave them uncovered) and bake at 175C for 11-14 minutes, or until they’re an even golden colour. Allow to cool completely.
Pipe the Buttermilk Caramel onto one biscuit and press another biscuit on top.
Serve at room temperature, or if you prefer a slightly firmer cookie then chill them in the fridge until you are ready to serve them.
Melt some chocolate and use a paintbrush to cover half the biscuits.
Grate chocolate over the biscuits, whilst the melted chocolate is still dry.
Use these biscuits as the top of your caramel shortbread biscuits.