One of my favorite indulgences on my yearly trip to London is Millionaire’s Shortbread, a crumbly cookie crusted bar with rich caramel and a layer of chocolate on top. These bites are decadent and delicious. I have to stop myself from eating one every day, which proves to be my greatest challenge in self-control. I have often tried to recreate the bars, but I suppose they just never live up to the original. But I finally hit on a close approximation in a Millionaire-inspired tart. And this version is perfect for Fall, and perfect for a time when we could all use a little comfort and indulgence.
Rosemary is a surprising and fantastic addition to this lush dessert, so infuse it in every layer. I served this to a friend who exclaimed she never would have imagined rosemary with chocolate, but damn was it a good idea! That’s how I feel – it adds a new dimension and cuts through the decadent richness of this tart. And the finished product is beautiful to boot. I promise, anyone you serve this too will be impressed, and very, very happy.
- 10 ounce box of shortbread cookies (I use Lorna Doones)
- 1 Tablespoon rosemary needles
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup water
- 2 stalks fresh rosemary
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 6 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 1 stalk fresh rosemary
- 12 ounces semisweet chocolate
- Spray a 9-inch removable bottom tart in with cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 350. Place the cookies and rosemary in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely ground. With the motor running, pour in the melted butter until the crumbs star to come together and are moistened evenly. Transfer the crumbs to the tart tin and press to create an even crust on the bottom and up the sides of the tin. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, remove from the oven and set aside.
- Place the sugar, water and rosemary sprigs in a medium sized, heavy bottom saucepan. Cook over medium high heat, swirling the pan a few times, until the bubbling mixture is amber colored. Remove from the heat and use tongs to lift out the rosemary stalks. Stir in the butter, cream and salt, being careful as it may spatter initially, until smooth and combined. Pour the caramel into the prepared pie crust and let stand for 15 minutes. If there are any stray rosemary needles in the caramel, you can use the point of a sharp knife to lift them out if you’d like.
- Place the cream and the rosemary stalk in a medium saucepan and bring just to a bare simmer over medium heat – just until little bubbles form on the surface. Lift the rosemary stalk out of the cream, the drop in the chocolate. Let the chocolate sit for a few minutes, then stir until smooth and completely combined. Pour the chocolate over the caramel in the crust. Let stand until completely set, about 2 hours.
How are these without rosemary. I’m allergic to it.
Fine. Just no rosemary flavor.