Salted caramel shortbread

Method

• step 1

  To make the caramel, heat the sugar in an even layer in a frying pan until it melts and then starts to bubble to a golden brown. Swirl the pan if you need to keep the melting and browning even. Add a good sized pinch of salt flakes and tip the caramel onto an oiled baking sheet set on a wooden board. Cool and then break into chips with a rolling pin.

• step 2

  Whizz the butter and sugar in a food processor until you have a smooth paste. Add all of the flours and a pinch of salt and whizz to form a dough. Tip onto a lightly floured board, pat out gently and sprinkle with the caramel chips. Fold in half and then transfer to a 20 × 30cm (or similar) tin and push into an even layer. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.

• step 3

  Heat the oven to 180c/fan 160c/gas 4. Bake the shortbread for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, mark into fingers with a knife and then cool completely. Cut along the marked lines into pieces.

• step 4

  Heat the chocolate in a bowl set over (but not touching) a pan of water or microwave until it starts to melt, stir until smooth and take it off the heat. Lay the shortbreads next to each other with a tiny gap inbetween them on a cooling rack and spoon over the chocolate in strips – it doesn’t have to be perfect. While the chocolate is still wet, sprinkle with some salt flakes and then leave it to set.