Caramel Shortcake
About this build
Crushed Digestive biscuits and condensed milk form the base of a giant caramel shortcake, topped with caramel and milk chocolate in a loaf tin.
Archive summary updated
Read the original account and photographs ↓
Notes from the contributor
Selected passages from the original account. Quantities may describe shopping, tests or the final build; follow the linked passage for its full context.
The ingredients were: 400g milk chocolate – £2 2 cans caramelised condensed milk – £3 500g Digestives – 60p Price: £5.60
Read in context →
Once you’ve done that, stick it all in a loaf tin (I had to get one of these as well. Only £3 though, the food processor was £25!) and make it flat and quite solid. Once you’ve done this, you’re ready to add the caramelised milk. Just go ahead and slap it on, then make that nice and flat too (well, as flat as you can, it’s not easy cos it’s very very sticky).
Read in context →
Then it’s ready to eat! Gone from 6½ to 22cm long and from 21g to 1.9kg! And have fun trying to get through that chocolate!
Read in context →
Caramel Shortcake: the archived recipe
Condensed from the original account by Scott Brown, published 2006-05-15. The quantities and method are the contributor’s; this is not a new kitchen test.
Ingredients recorded
- 500g Digestive biscuits
- 2 cans of caramelised condensed milk
- 400g milk chocolate
The cans are counted as the account gives them, with no weight; it calls them caramelised condensed milk and uses one to bind the base. The chocolate cost £2, the cans £3 and the Digestives 60p, £5.60 in all. The shortcake went from 6½ to 22cm long and from 21g to 1.9kg.
Method recorded
- Crush the biscuits to fine crumbs in a food processor, without filling it past the MAX line.
- Put the crumbs in a bowl, add a can of the condensed milk and mix until it is stodgy.
- Press the mixture flat and quite solid into a loaf tin.
- Spread the second can of caramelised milk on top and flatten it as well as you can, as it is very sticky.
- Fill a larger pan with boiling water on the hob, set a smaller pan inside it with the chocolate broken into cubes, and keep stirring until melted.
- Spread the chocolate over the caramel and smooth it flat.
- Put it in the freezer for about an hour.
- Cut round the top of the chocolate to loosen it, turn the tin out onto a board, then turn it the right way up onto a plate.
Archive guides · Explore projects
The original account
After having a look through my cupboards for inspiration I was torn between McVities Chocolate Brownies, or caramel shortcakes. After thinking about it and the amount of preparation involved I went for the shortcakes.
The ingredients were:
400g milk chocolate – £2
2 cans caramelised condensed milk – £3
500g Digestives – 60p
Price: £5.60
I was expecting to have to caramelise the milk myself, which I was all prepared to do after looking for caramel recipes, but when I got to the supermarket I found that there were cans where it’d been done already. Result!
Now to making it. It can take forever to break up biscuits (I know this due to another cake I make from time to time), and I’d been toying with the idea of getting a food processor for a while, so prior to this project I popped down to Argos and got myself one, and did it make life easier? Well, yes, but I ignored the line that says MAX and managed to get a large amount of biscuit crumbs all over my floor and kitchen worktops. Ah well. Anyway, once you’ve got the biscuits down to fine crumbs, put them in a bowl and add a can of condensed milk. Mix it in until it’s all nice and stodgy.
Once you’ve done that, stick it all in a loaf tin (I had to get one of these as well. Only £3 though, the food processor was £25!) and make it flat and quite solid. Once you’ve done this, you’re ready to add the caramelised milk. Just go ahead and slap it on, then make that nice and flat too (well, as flat as you can, it’s not easy cos it’s very very sticky).
Now it’s chocolate melting time! Get 2 pans, one bigger than the other. Fill the larger one with boiling water and put it on the hob. Break all the chocolate into cubes and put it in your small pan. Put the small pan in the big pan and keep stirring it round (or it’ll burn). When it’s melted, try not to eat it all there and then and then put it over your cake then increase the flatness quotient (again).
Pop it into the freezer and leave it there for about an hour. After that it’ll be ready to try and get out of the tin. Get a knife and cut round the top of the chocolate to loosen it out and then put a chopping board or plate or something over the tin and turn it all upside-down. Then, get another plate and do the same again to get it the right way up.
Then it’s ready to eat! Gone from 6½ to 22cm long and from 21g to 1.9kg! And have fun trying to get through that chocolate!
