Recipes Desserts Pastries Tamarind Millionaire's Shortbread 5.0 (2) 2 Reviews The sourness of tamarind breathes new life into the classic Millionaire's Shortbread (also affectionately known as Caramel Slice), a traybake of layered shortbread, caramel and chocolate that has been a fixture in home cook's kitchens since 1970 when the recipe was first published in the Australian Women's Weekly Magazine. Tamarind concentrate adds a gloriously sharp acidic profile to balance the decadent caramel layer of this version of the afternoon treat, topped with the bitter sweetness of dark chocolate and a coconutty shortbread biscuit base (food writer Rosie Birkett first pioneered this wonderful flavor combination). If you are struggling to find room in the fridge to set the final chocolate layer, simply leave the slice to set on the kitchen counter for 2 hours instead. Keep a clean, damp cloth handy to wipe your knife between cuts when serving up the slice for perfect crumb-free and crack-free chocolate precision. Slices should be served at room temperature for the best chew. By Lara Lee Lara Lee Londoner Lara Lee is an Indonesian-Australian chef, food writer, and co-founder of the events catering company Kiwi & Roo. The New York Times named her debut book Coconut & Sambal one of the best cookbooks of fall 2020. Lara contributes to The New York Times, Bon Appetit, Food52, Food & Wine, The Guardian, and Waitrose, among others.Experience: Lara Lee's aspirations to dance professionally were sidelined by an injury. She spent a decade working in technology sales in London, never fully satisfied with her career. Lara began taking refuge in the kitchen, inspired by memories of dishes her Indonesian grandmother cooked back home in Australia. This led her to sell her creations at a street food stall. Fueled by the success of her side hustle, Lara saved up enough money to quit her corporate job, enroll in the prestigious Leith School, and start a catering business. While still in culinary school, she began developing her cookbook concept, submitting her book proposal about her heritage and Indonesian food as an entry for the Oxford Cultural Collective's Yan-Kit So Award, which funds research and travel to create original work about any aspect of Asian food. Lara didn't win, but she did get a literary agent. Seven months after graduation, she was signed by Bloomsbury Publishing.In addition to her food writing, Lara operates a bustling event catering business serving fine Antipodean and Indonesian fare at such venues as the Natural History Museum and the Royal Academy of Arts to high-profile guests like the royal family and the Australian prime minister. She also runs monthly supper clubs at the Yurt Cafe in Limehouse.Education: Lara studied writing at Macquarie University in New South Wales where she graduated with a bachelor of media degree. She got her culinary training at Leiths School of Food & Wine in London, graduating with a diploma in food and wine. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on April 28, 2022 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Photo by Greg DuPree / Food Styling by Melissa Gray / Prop Styling by Lydia Pursell Active Time: 25 mins Total Time: 3 hrs 45 mins Yield: 36 squares Ingredients Pastry Base 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (about 6 3/8 ounces), sifted ½ cup coconut sugar or packed light brown sugar ½ cup unsweetened desiccated coconut ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt ½ cup unsalted butter (4 ounces), melted, plus softened butter, for greasing Tamarind Caramel 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk 2 ½ tablespoons coconut sugar or light brown sugar 2 tablespoons tamarind concentrate (such as Tamicon) ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt Chocolate Topping 2 (3 1/2-ounce) dark chocolate bars (70% cacao), roughly chopped 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces Directions Make the pastry base: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving at least 2 inches of overhang on all sides. Lightly grease parchment paper with softened butter. Stir together flour, coconut sugar, desiccated coconut, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in melted butter until well combined. Spoon mixture into prepared pan, and spread evenly. Firmly press mixture into an even layer using bottom of a dry measuring cup. Bake in preheated oven until light golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack. Do not turn oven off. After about 10 minutes of pastry base bake time, make the tamarind caramel: Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-low. Stir in condensed milk, coconut sugar, tamarind concentrate, and salt; cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is smooth and glossy and just begins to bubble, about 5 minutes. Pour hot caramel over pastry base in pan, and spread in an even layer. Return to oven, and bake at 350°F until caramel is bubbly and set in the center and edges are slightly puffed, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack. Let cool completely, about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Make the chocolate topping: Fill a medium saucepan with water to a depth of 1 inch. Bring to a boil over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a simmer. Combine chocolate and butter in a medium-size heatproof bowl, and set over pan of simmering water, ensuring bottom of bowl doesn't touch water. Cook, stirring often, until mixture is smooth and melted, 3 to 6 minutes. Pour topping over caramel on cooled pastry, and spread in an even layer; tap pan on counter to smooth surface. Loosely cover pan with plastic wrap, ensuring plastic wrap doesn't touch topping, and chill until topping is hardened, about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Using parchment paper overhang as handles, lift pastry bar from pan, and transfer to a cutting board. Cut evenly into 36 (1 1/2-inch) squares, wiping knife clean with a damp towel after each cut. Serve at room temperature. Make Ahead Store bars in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 1 week. Rate it Print