Baker shares her simple recipe for 'no bake' millionaire's shortbread (2024)

FAQs

Why is it called Millionaire shortbread? ›

The name "millionaire's shortbread" appears to have originated in Scotland. The "millionaire" prefix to millionaire's shortbread or millionaires slice implies a level of decadence and wealth to the sweet treat, that it is an upgrade from regular shortbread.

Give your caramel at least two hours to set, or overnight if possible. You can also pop caramel into the fridge to help it set up faster. The caramel will sweat a little when brought out of the fridge, but will still taste fine. If you don't eat it right away, here's how to store caramel.

Names: They go by different names depending on where you are. In the UK, it's usually Millionaire Shortbread, and in Australia, it's Caramel Slice or sometimes Caramel Shortbread. Extra Stuff: Sometimes, you'll find Millionaire Shortbread with added goodies like sea salt or nuts.

Americans are the outlier on how we use "biscuit"

To most of the rest of the English-speaking world, a biscuit is what Americans would refer to as either a cookie or a cracker. Biscuits can be sweet (shortbread) or savory. They're baked in the oven, and they're crisp, not chewy.

This is usually caused by sugar crystals stuck to the side of the pan that didn't get fully dissolved. It only takes one to set off a chain reaction, and before you know it you have crunchy caramel.

I don't boil the caramel to temperature, and I never have. Once you have poured your caramel onto your shortbread, you have to leave it to set. I usually do this in the fridge because it's quicker.

Dry caramel is quicker to make than wet caramel, but it's also trickier: Without additional liquid, the sugar can caramelize very quickly, burning before you realize it. Using moderate heat, as Mel suggests, can help safeguard against burning, as can vigilance: Don't walk away from the pan once you've started.

Scotland

Caramel shortbread / Origin

What's the difference between millionaire shortbread and billionaire shortbread? Millionaire shortbread has a caramel centre, billionaire shortbread has a decadent salted caramel centre. Can shortbread biscuits be frozen? Yes shortbread cookies and biscuits (even with caramel and chocolate) freeze perfectly.

While there's no definitive evidence for when millionaire shortbread was created, it is thought that it originated in Scotland. It is very sweet and rich, which is one of the reasons given for its decadent name.

What is the significance of shortbread in Scotland? ›

Shortbread was an expensive luxury and for ordinary people, shortbread was a special treat reserved just for special occasions such as weddings, Christmas and New Year. In Shetland it was traditional to break a decorated shortbread cake over the head of a new bride on the threshold of her new home.