Millionaire’s Bar Brownies
Millionaire’s Bars have been around for a very long time. So named since they are rich with butter, caramel, and chocolate goodness. They are said to taste like a million dollars. In an attempt to acquire information about Millionaire’s Bars for this post, I wasn’t able to come up with much specific history. They purportedly are of Scottish origin, presumably since the base of a Millionaire’s Bar is shortbread. Many of the recipes I read had a filling derived from caramelizing sweetened condensed milk. Traditionally the bars are topped with a thin layer of dark chocolate.
I decided to turn up the volume just a bit on this classic. I stayed traditional and started with a shortbread cookie base. Then, instead of using caramelized sweetened condensed milk for the middle layer, I made a very easy caramel filling from scratch. You will love how easy it is to make this caramel and I’m convinced that once you make it, you will be stirring up batch after batch to use in a myriad of ways. My favorite adjustment to the original bar was to replace the traditional final layer with a deeply rich chocolate brownie.
Umm, these bars are a winner. They have been taste-tested by three people so far – two friends and the hubster – and all three testers gave them two thumbs up. Even if you shy away from making caramel from scratch, I encourage you to make this recipe for your first attempt. It is not fussy or temperamental at all, and no special equipment like a thermometer or pastry brush to wash down the sides of the pan is required. I discovered this method years ago while preparing a cake from the Food Network archives. I’ve made my own adjustments over the years but the method is tried-and-true.
These brownies will make your taste buds think they just won the Million Dollar Lottery.
Millionaire’s Bar Brownies
Shortbread Base
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cup all-purpose flour
Caramel
1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 teaspoon Fleur de Sel, or other salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
Brownie
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs, at room temperature
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped and melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
Preheat the oven to 350˚. Line a 13x9x2-inch pan with foil, leaving at least a 2 inch overhang on all sides.
Make the Shortbread Base: Using an electric mixer, or by hand, mix together the butter, sugar, and salt, until thoroughly combined. Mix in the flour. Press mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool while preparing the caramel.
Caramel: Spread the sugar in the bottom of a heavy-bottomed skillet. Drizzle the corn syrup over the sugar. Begin to melt the the sugar over medium heat. Once the edges of the sugar begin to melt and take on color, stir frequently, moving the sugar around the skillet to allow for even melting and browning. When the sugar is completely dissolved and golden amber in color, reduce the heat slightly and carefully stir in the salt, vanilla, and butter. Add the cream and continue to stir until the cream is completely incorporated, approximately 3 minutes more. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
Pour the cooled caramel over the shortbread base, spreading to cover completely. Place in the refrigerator to harden the caramel, at least 1 hour.
Make the Brownie Base: Sift together the cocoa, salt, and baking powder.
In a medium saucepan, set over low heat, melt the butter. Stirring constantly, slowly add the sugar to the melted butter until well combined. Continue to heat the butter/sugar mixture for another minute, then remove from the heat.
Add the cocoa mixture, stirring until smooth. Stir in the melted chocolate and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs one at a time. Add the flour and stir until smooth.
Pour the batter over the caramel layer, spreading to make a smooth even layer.
Bake for 23 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out with barely a crumb.
Cool brownies completely. Using the over-hanging foil as handles, lift the brownies from the pan. Cut into squares.
Yield: 30 to 36 bars, depending on size
Source: Mary Weinberg – Sifting Focus
Caramel – Adapted from Food Network Archives
Oh how decadent they look! Absolutely delicious x
This looks amazing!! today is my husbands birthday and I will be making him these along with his cheesecakes!! Yummy!!
Sister, sister, sister! These look too yummy! I’ll be making these babies ASAP! You’ve outdone yourself this time.
I know you’ll love them. Let me know how they turn out for you. You are such a great baker yourself and I respect your opinion highly. XX
Mary, I can’t stop looking at these:) I have to get back to making more desserts as the girls are getting bigger (they are ALWAYS hungry:)
And meeting at Dominique’s would be great! I stopped a few times for their happy hour on Mondays’ and loved it:) But, I love everything about that place:)
Oh, Monday Happy Hour would be great. I’ll touch base so we can coordinate our calendars.
Your Millionaire Bar Brownies may be better than the original! The lush caramel atop the buttery shortbread is all I need. But the added brownie topping is just irresistible! One square would just be the beginning for me…..
I know what you mean Deb. This is one dessert that I had to get out of the house quickly.
We’re making brownies for my son’s birthday (he hates cake – how is that possible?) These caught my eye, yet my son also hates caramel… do you think they would work with chocolate sauce, or should we go with a different brownie? (I want these!)
Honestly I don’t know if chocolate sauce would work. What might work is melting chocolate or chocolate chips (just guessing at about 16 ounces)and spread that over the cooled shortbread base. Chill until hardened, bring back to room temperature, and then proceed with the brownie layer. It would be a fun experiment. Please let me know if you try it and how it turns out. Happy Birthday to you son!
Thanks for your quick response. Since I didn’t have time to experiment I used the topping from your chocolate soufflé brownie recipe. The brownies came out amazing. Everybody loved them. But I guarantee they would have been unforgettable if we used caramel.
As we were cutting the finished brownie bars my son (he’s eight) admitted he’d never actually eaten caramel. He was just pretty sure he didn’t like it. “But how can you know,” I said, “If you haven’t tried it?”
“Well it looks gross when you and Mommy put it on your turkey and mashed potatoes.”
“Uh, that’s gravy…”
So next time we’re using caramel. Never gravy.
Oh my gosh, kid’s say (and think) the funniest things sometimes. I’m glad the brownies were a success. Love how you used the topping from the other brownies. It’s all about improvising – especially with kids. 😉
Oh my…this is definitely going to happen in my kitchen. I love that you added the brownie layer. Amazing!!
What I know about you from your blog, I think you will definitely appreciate these brownies.
Can you say SUGAR RUSH? Oh boy…
And can you say ADDICT?
Soft AND crunchy, salty AND sweet, sharp flavored dark chocolate with creamy textured caramel and the cookie crunch…. YOU HAVE IT ALL — which is likely why it’s called, “Millionaire’s Bar”.
What a treat to eat. Make that, What a Luxury to Eat!
Thank you, Mary, for this extravagant dessert!
You are very welcome!