Chocolate has been described as one of the world’s most perfect food and probably known to be “the best-loved flavor”. 

Certainly one can not argue this statement is not true; as a matter of fact, I believe that life would be very different without chocolate; especially in the cooking profession.

Chocolate is great alone, but what happens when we add other flavors to the mix?

When I was 9, I remember being at the kitchen table watching my Great Grandmother, Tittee, cook.  She used to watch Julia Childs on television all the time and was always excited about cooking for our family.  One day she made this decadent chocolate cake that she saw Julia make.  It was so good I can still taste it.

Tittee served us the chocolate cake with a brand of shortbread wafers that she loved and kept in the kitchen at all times (I can’t remember the brand name).  She then topped it off with vanilla ice cream and caramel syrup.  This was one of my first experiences with caramel and chocolate, and the only thing I could remember about that experience is that I wanted another one.

In the recipe I am presenting to you today is a homage to those flavors.

The chocolate in this recipe is very decadent, the caramel is sweet and salty, and the shortbread has those crunchy buttery layers that people love.

With the addition of a perfectly baked cheesecake, this recipe is rich; as a matter of fact, it’s Millionaire Rich. I don’t mean in such way of monetary terms but by its prized name,

“The Millionaires Chocolate Cake and Shortbread Cheesecake”.

If you like the traditional Millionaires Shortbread, then you are going to fall in love with this recipe.

All steps and procedures in this recipe have been tested in my kitchen and exact.  I use a scale to measure my ingredients and weigh in grams for the best accuracy.  Weighing your ingredients will yield a more consistent product than measurement cups.

SHORTBREAD (Makes 24 Cookies)

• 180g         unsalted butter, at room temp (6.3oz)
• 90g           granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
• 1ea           egg
• 2g             kosher salt (1tsp)
• 1tsp          vanilla paste (1tsp)
• 257g         all-purpose flour (1 ¾ cups + 3TBS)
• Granulated sugar for dusting (2TBS)
• Note:  Short Bread will hold edges better if baked in a convection oven rather than standard; also continue to shape as your pre-cut cookies firm up in the refrigerator by using a straight edge, pushing up against the sides of the dough
  • Place butter in a bowl of a mixer with a paddle attachment
  • Cream until smooth
  • Add sugar and salt and mix until light and fluffy, about two min
  • Add vanilla paste and mix on low until combined
  • Add the flour in two additions, mixing on low speed for 15 to 30 seconds after each, or until just combined
  • SDS
  • Mound dough onto counter and shape to a 5-inch square block
  • Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least two hours, until firm
  • The dough can be refrigerated up to two days or frozen for up to one month
  • Position racks in the oven in the upper and lower thirds of the oven
  • Preheat to 325F convection or 350F in a conventional oven
  • On a surface coated with powdered sugar, roll out the dough in a 10-inch square
  • Refrigerate dough to firm again if it becomes soft
  • Cut Triangles sized to the slices of the cheesecake that will be served, place on a sheet pan with parchment, and refrigerate to firm
  • Roll out the remaining dough to the thickness of the edge of a penny (this will be for the crumb bottom)
  • Place the sheet of dough on a sheet pan lined with parchment and bake in the oven until lightly golden brown
  • Once cooled, place in food processor and grind to small pieces, or crumble with hands
  • Line the bottom of a spring-form pan with a cartouche (parchment lid)
  • Place the shortbread crumbs in a bowl, and drizzle with some melted butter until it appears as wet sand texture
  • Carefully line the spring-form pan with the crumbs and set in the refrigerator to firm
  • Meanwhile, remove cookies from the refrigerator.
  • To ensure a perfect shape, while it is firm from refrigeration, continue to shape the dough by smoothing the top with rolling pin and then pushing a straight edge against the sides of the dough.
  • Dust the tops with granulated sugar and arrange on sheet pans leaving a ¾ inch between each cookie
  • Bake until pale golden brown, about 13 minutes in a convection oven or 17 minutes in a standard oven
  • Rotate the pans halfway through baking
  • Once the cookies are done, remove from oven and cool on a cooling rack or clean surface

New York Style Cheesecake

• 569g cream cheese, at room temp
• 170g sugar
• 29g cornstarch
• Grated Zest of half Lemon
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 2 ½ eggs, at room temperature
• 1ea egg yolk
• 71g sour cream
  • Mix cream cheese and sugar together on low speed, until completely smooth
  • Mix in the cornstarch, lemon zest, and vanilla
  • Mix until smooth, scraping down the sides and the bottom of the bowl
  • Add the eggs a few at a time, blending thoroughly after each addition until fully incorporated
  • Incorporate the sour cream
  • Reserve for Assembly

Moist Dark chocolate sponge

• 170g Cold brewed coffee
• 150g Plain flour
• 63g Cocoa powder
• 4g Table salt
• 7g Bicarbonate of soda
• 6g Baking powder
• 300g Caster sugar
• 125g Large free range eggs
• 185g Buttermilk
• 170g butter – melted and cool
  • For the cold brewed coffee bring 340ml water to the boil with one heaping Tablespoon instant coffee granules.
  • Once the coffee is done, set aside to cool
  • Sift the flour, cocoa powder, salt, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and sugar into an electric mixing bowl with the paddle attachment fitted. Start mixing on the lowest speed.
  • In a bowl whisk the eggs, buttermilk, and cooled coffee until the mixture is homogenous.
  • Place this mixture into a jug then slowly pour into the dry ingredients. Leave to mix on a medium speed for 4 minutes.
  • Remove bowl from the machine and clean the sides down with a spatula, return to the machine and continue mixing for 1 minute.
  • Add the melted butter and mix for a further minute on a medium-high speed.
  • Reserve for assembly

Sea salt caramel

• 60 ml Heavy cream
• 1/2 Vanilla pod – split and de-seeded
• 122g Sugar
• 20g Liquid glucose (corn syrup if you do not have glucose)
• 100g Salted butter- diced and at room temperature
• 1/4 tsp Maldon sea salt
  • In a medium-sized saucepan bring the cream and vanilla to the boil.
  • Remove from heat and leave to infuse for 30 minutes.
  • Remove vanilla pod.
  • Heat a large heavy based saucepan and when hot add 70g of the sugar and the glucose (or corn syrup) and heat gently until a light caramel forms and the sugar crystals have dissolved.
  • Add the remaining sugar and continue to cook until you achieve an amber caramel- approx 8 minutes.
  • Gradually add the cream mixture to the caramel continuously mixing with a large whisk.
  • Once the cream has fully incorporated into the caramel remove from the heat.
  • Whisk in the butter cubes one by one then add the salt and mix
  • Pour into a shallow tray and leave to cool and reserve for assembly

Salted Caramel Cream

• 100g sugar
• 44g butter
• 232g or 1 cup cream
• pinch of salt
  • Cook sugar over low heat to caramel
  • In a separate sauce pot, heat the butter, cream, and salt until the butter is completely melted
  • When the caramel is done, whisk in the cream butter mixture, stirring vigorously
  • Cool over an ice bath, cover and refrigerate until completely chilled
  • Whip in a mixer with a whip attachment until light and fluffy
  • Spoon into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip
  • Reserve for assembly

Assembly

• Preheat your oven to 350F
• Once the crumbs in the springform are firm, pour in some of the cream cheese filling to coat the bottom of the shell
• Next spoon in some of the chocolate sponge batter in different spots on top of the cream cheese filling
• Repeat this process over and over until the Spring from is full or until all of the cream cheese batter is finished
• If you want, you can make swirl patterns in the mixture
• Tap on the counter a few times to remove any air pockets
• Bake in an oven for approximately 40 min or until firm but not stiff (the cake should be firm but still jiggle some)
• Let cool completely and then chill in the refrigerator
• Once completely chilled, pipe a decorative border around the edges with the salted caramel cream
• Chill again
• Next, carefully pour some of the sea salt caramel in the center.  (Make sure the caramel is cooled before doing this)
• Chill completely to allow the caramel to set firm
• Next top each serving with a triangle shortbread cookie
• Cut and Serve!

Note:  If you want to garnish more, you can use tempered chocolate decorations, gold leaf, etc…

ENJOY!