NO-BAKE Heart Shaped Caramel Shortbreads

Stumped for gifts this year? I have a great suggestion for you!

Valentine's Day is just around the corner, and a lot of us are wondering what to get our other half.

You're tired of always offering the same sort of gift.

You're tired of always receiving the same type of gift.

Fear not, here's my suggestion.

Okay, just a bit of context first:

Me and my boyfriend do not gift each other “material items” - so no going to the shop and picking up something - because we agree there’s other things we could do with the money (travel, go out, etc.). Still, I like gifting him on special occasions, and I'm very crafty!

So, here I am, wondering what to “give” him when I have the lamest-best-est idea: heart shaped caramel shortbreads! - He’s a big fan of caramel and, well, sweets in general.

This is also makes up a great Galentine’s gift for your besties !

The only tools you need are some cookie cutters shaped like hearts, a baking sheet or tray, your fridge and greaseproof paper! So easy!

To prepare for your shortbreads:

line your baking tray, or sheet, with grease proof paper
place your cookie cutter on top, and line the edges of these with grease proof paper

Ready, set, bake! You most likely already have a pretty good recipe for shortbreads, but, if you're short, here is the one I used - from the website Carnation - adjusted to the quantities (and love of caramel) I used*!

*Because the boyfriend didn't know I was going to bake and ate half my packet of plain shortbreads

INGRIDIENTS

100g Plain Shortbreads
22g Melted Butter
158.8g Condensed Milk
60g Dark Brown Soft Sugar
60g Butter
22g White Chocolate
80g Dark Chocolate

You can see a more in-depth method in Carnation's website, I'm just going to share a few key points with you:

To crush the shortbreads, put them inside a food-safe bag and roll them with a rolling pin - or leave them out for a day so they get softer - you can basically crush them with your hands.
Make sure you completely fold the crushed shortbread with the melted butter - at first I felt like I wasn't thourough so I gave it another go.

Use a round flat-ish spoon to help you press the mix into the cookie cutters - you're aiming for a flat surface. Make sure you chill it properly - check how firm the base is.

In this reduced-amount version of the recipe, you'll find the caramel boils faster than usual. Be mindful to keep stirring until you achieve that beautiful golden brown caramel colour.

Let the caramel cool for a second before spreading on top of the shortbread, so you don't break it. But do not wait too long so it doesn't thicken too much.

The caramel will take longer to chill than the base did. Make sure it is somewhat firm so it does not mix with the chocolate

If you separate the milk and white chocolate into small bowls you can use a large tray or pan to melt them in the same Bain-Marie.

You'll want to spread all of the milk chocolate first and then go in with a spoonful of white chocolate, swirling it around to create a marble effect

Don't worry about the mess! Think of the happiness of eating a delicious shortbread!

You can make these in about 20 minutes, just remember to properly chill each layer before adding the next one (except the chocolates). They're equal parts delicious and beautiful to look at!

I gifted them in advance to the boyfriend - because I'm going to spend Valentine's Day working - and he deemed them to taste like

“Valentine’s Day is everyday from now on”.