Coffee Caramel Squares

This Coffee Caramel Squares traybake is essentially a regular Caramel Square/Millionaire’s Shortbread with the addition of coffee and some plain chocolate, which makes a darker, richer traybake with a subtle taste of coffee.

There is coffee in the shortbread base, as well as the caramel layer. If you can find it in the shops near you, then you can use Camp Coffee Extract for this recipe. I wasn’t able to get hold of any, so I used instant coffee instead. Just dissolve the instant coffee in a small amount of boiling water – 1 tbsp water for 2 tbsp coffee in the base – or for the caramel layer, I added the coffee directly to the mix and as it heated up, the granules dissolved.

Another one that disappeared quickly in the Traybakes House. I kept mine in the refrigerator, as summer was heating up here. It helps keep the chocolate crisp and stops the caramel going too gooey!

Ingredients

Base

6oz/175g plain flour (all-purpose flour)

4oz/110g butter

1oz/28g soft brown sugar

2 tbsp coffee essence (or 2 tbsp instant coffee dissolved in 1 tbsp boiling water)

Caramel

2oz/55g light brown sugar

14oz/397g can of condensed milk

3oz/85g butter

1 tbsp instant coffee or coffee essence

Topping

4oz/110g dark chocolate

0.5oz/15g butter

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350F/180C.
2. Sift the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter.
3. Stir in the sugar and the coffee essence and knead to a smooth dough.
4. Press the dough in a even layer into a lined tin (8″ square), prick with a fork and bake at 350F/180C for 20-25 minutes. Leave to cool.
5. Place all the caramel ingredients in a heavy based pan. Heat gently until the butter and sugar have melted. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently, until it thickens.
6. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then pour over the base and leave it to firm up for a while.
7. Melt the chocolate and butter, either in a bowl over a pan of simmering water or in short bursts in the microwave. Spread over the base and leave to set.
8. Cut into squares and enjoy!

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