Millionaires Shortbread
By Richard Bertinet from the Bertinet Kitchen
Ingredients 
For the shortbread
250g butter
250g Fairtrade sugar
300g plain flour
50g cornflour
5g salt
sprig lavender
For the caramel
150g salted butter
180g golden syrup
800g condensed milk
250g Fairtrade caster sugar
For the chocolate topping
Large pinch of fleur de sel / sea salt flakes
300g Divine 70% Dark Chocolate
Method
First make the shortbread. Cream the butter and the sugar in a bowl. Sieve in the flour, cornflour and salt and mix into the butter and sugar to make a stiff dough. Leave to rest for half an hour.
Pre-heat your oven to 180ºC. While the dough is resting line a large baking tray with sides with baking parchment and then after the dough has rested, press it into a layer on the bottom of the baking tray. Prick the dough with a fork all over. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes and then turn the heat down to 150ºC and bake for a further 10 to 15 minutes until light golden brown. Remove from the oven and leave to cool still in the tray.
Place the ingredients for the caramel into a pan and heat on the stove, whisking all the time, for about 5 to 8 minutes until it bubbles and changes colour as it caramelises. Spread the caramel over the shortbread and allow to cool.
Once the caramel has cooled sprinkle the fleur de sel over the caramel. It needs to be cool enough so the salt stays in flakes and does not dissolve into the caramel. You will then get a lovely contrasting salty taste that sets off the sweetness of the caramel perfectly.
Finally, break the Divine chocolate into a bowl and place it over a pan of boiling water. Stir until it melts. Pour over the caramel and leave to cool. Once cool, place into the fridge to set. Cut into squares to serve.
About the Chef
The Bertinet Kitchen is a purpose built cookery school that opened in September 2005 in the centre of beautiful and historic Bath. Owned and run by French chef and baker, Richard Bertinet, The Bertinet Kitchen offers a range of courses for food lovers of all abilities.
Originally from Brittany in North West France, Richard trained as a baker both in Brittany and at the Grand Moulin de Paris.
The cookery school opened in the same month that Richard's first baking book, DOUGH was published. Richard published his second book CRUST in 2007 and is writing a third book - The Bertinet Kitchen cookery book at the moment.