Salted Caramel Rye Bars with Dark Chocolate
This recipe is inspired by the classic Millionaire's Shortbread and my latest trip to Brittany in Northwest France. Brittany, with a rich culinary history, is well-known for many things, among which butter and biscuits are gleaming. As you move through the region, you see many villages have their biscuit factories with mounds of biscuit boxes behind their window. In most of the bakeries, there is a pyramid of salted caramel pots at the counter, and of course, each bakery has its unique recipe for the famous Kouign-Amann.
I played around with the ingredients and ratios to incorporate alternative grains and to have a more balanced mouthful. I was lucky enough to purchase some beurre de baratte - churned salted butter - from the market in Brittany, but if you don't have access to salted butter, you can use regular butter and add some sea salt to the batter.
These bars keep well for four days, well wrapped at room temperature.
Ingredients
For the rye shortbread
130 grams all-purpose flour
50 grams semi-integral or wholemeal rye flour
120 grams churned salted butter, softened at room temperature
60 grams sugar
1 egg yolk, at room temperature
For the salted caramel
120 grams sugar
60 grams churned salted butter, softened at room temperature
60 grams liquid heavy cream, at room temperature
For the Chocolate
150 grams of high-quality dark chocolate - minimum 70% cocoa solid
Fleur de Sel, for the top
Method
For the rye shortbread
Preheat the oven to 180° C (160° C fan). Lightly grease an 18 cm square pan and line the base and sides with parchment paper, leaving some overhang.
Sift the all-purpose and rye flour and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the room-temperature salted butter and sugar until well incorporated. There is no need to make it light and fluffy. Add the egg yolk and mix. The mixture might separate, but it's normal.
Tip the flour into the bowl and mix until just combined. Press the dough to the base of the pan with your fingers until it is as even as possible. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the shortbread looks golden around the edges. Let it cool completely before moving to the next step.
For the salted caramel
Start by making a dry caramel by adding the sugar to a light-coloured and heavy-bottom pan and place it on medium heat until it melts and turns to a dark amber colour. Be careful not to burn your caramel, as it goes very fast!
Take off the caramel from the heat, and carefully add the butter and whisk until well incorporated. Slowly pour the cream and keep whisking until homogenous.
Pour the caramel over the shortbread base and let it set at room temperature for 4-5 hours or until set. It is worth mentioning that this caramel sets softly and oozes a bit while cutting, which I find charming.
For the dark chocolate
Place 2/3 of the chopped chocolate in a heat-proof bowl over a bain marie until it melts. Take off the heat and gradually add the rest of the chocolate. Stir gently to incorporate and distribute the newly added chunks. If you have a thermometer, the chocolate should be at 32°C.
Pour the chocolate over the set caramel and let it sit for at least an hour before slicing it into thin bars. Enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea, wrap the rest, and give it to people you love.
Noosh-e-Jaan, may it nourish your soul. x
