Hazelnut Billionaire’s Shortbread

Can you believe it’s almost August already!? It’s hard to believe we’ve been dealing with a global pandemic now for nearly 6 months. Everything shutting down, then re opening, then some more shutting down. Luckily, here in Colorado, we’ve had mostly a small and steady increase in positive cases so we haven’t dealt with a second shut down. My parents are in California and Arizona, and they have not been so lucky. And with each month that passes we are just hoping for better news about our situation! Maybe we’ll have some better news in September? 

Speaking of September… I’ll be getting married! Alex and I have decided to do a small justice of the peace wedding. We are having a few family members come out and celebrate with us over a small family dinner. No party, no fuss. We are very excited! And maybe a honeymoon when the world isn’t locked down. 

I’ve been dreaming about millionaire’s shortbread cookies for a while. Something about the tender shortbread, chewy caramel, and salted ganache topping that just screams decadent dessert. I wanted to enhance it somehow, so I asked myself, what texture is it missing? Crunch. That’s where hazelnuts come in to play! These hazelnuts are lightly toasted and pressed into the caramel while it’s setting. I renamed it “Billionaire’s Shortbread” because the hazelnuts kick it up that extra 3 digits. It’s that good. 

Hazelnut Billionaire’s Shortbread

Yield 9×13” baking dish (about 24 pieces)

Shortbread Crust

1 cup butter, soft

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 yolk

½ tsp vanilla

½ tsp salt

2 ¼ cup flour

Caramel

2 cans sweetened condensed milk

12 Tbsp. butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup corn syrup

1 tsp vanilla

¼ tsp salt

 

Hazelnut Layer

1 cup hazelnuts

Chocolate Ganache

2 cups dark chocolate chips

½ cup cream

Sea salt for sprinkling over top

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×13 baking dish with parchment paper that goes up the sides.

Begin with the shortbread crust. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine butter and both sugar. Paddle until smooth, add egg yolk. Add salt, then flour, a little at a time, scraping down the sides as needed. Add vanilla last. The mixture will be very crumbly. Remove dough from bowl and press it into the prepared dish to create an even shortbread layer. Bake for 20 minutes, or until sides are lightly golden brown. Cool at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Toast hazelnuts in oven while baking the shortbread crust. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper and spread hazelnuts over. Toast for about 5-8 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Once toasted, pour into a food processor and process until they are small crumbles. Set aside.

Start the caramel by combining all ingredients into a large sauce pot. Turn on medium heat and stir with a spatula for 12-15 minutes. Stir frequently and do not leave as the ingredients can burn quickly. After the ingredients melt together, you’ll want to boil it down until it turns a caramel color. Pull the caramel and pour it over the cooled shortbread crust. Smooth the caramel out with an offset spatula. Sprinkle over toasted hazelnuts over the caramel in an even layer so that it sticks. Let caramel set up for 1 hour in the refrigerator.

To prepare the ganache, combine chocolate chips and cream in a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 30 second increments until melted. Stir gently with a spatula as to not create air bubbles. Once smooth, pour over the caramel and spread it out with a spatula. Sprinkle sea salt lightly over the ganache. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour.

To serve, run a knife around the edge of the dish. Use the parchment paper to pull it out of the dish. Use a hot knife to cut 2” squares, wiping the knife after each cut. Serve!

Leave in an airtight container at room temperature or freeze if desired.