Irresistible Halal Chocolate Caramel Shortbread

On Mar 6, 2025 10 0

Get ready to bake a truly delightful treat! This recipe guides you through making delicious Halal Chocolate Caramel Shortbread bars, perfect for sharing with family and friends or enjoying as a special homemade indulgence. These bars feature a buttery shortbread base, a luscious caramel center, and a rich chocolate topping, sprinkled with sea salt for a touch of elegance. Refer to the image to see the beautiful layers of these tempting bars.

Halal Ingredients You’ll Need

Here’s a list of everything needed to prepare these scrumptious shortbread bars. It’s all simple, halal-friendly ingredients easily found in most kitchens or grocery stores.

🧈 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened (ensure halal source)
🍚 ½ cup granulated sugar
🌾 2 cups all-purpose flour
🍯 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk (ensure halal source)
🥄 ¼ cup light corn syrup
🤎 ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
🍫 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (alcohol free)
🍫 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (ensure halal source and halal certified)
🥥 2 tablespoons coconut oil (or other neutral oil)
🧂 Sea salt flakes, for sprinkling (optional)

Kitchen Equipment Required

These are the basic tools you’ll need to put together these tasty bars. Don’t worry if you don’t have everything fancy; simple kitchen tools work perfectly!

🥣 Large mixing bowl
🥄 Measuring cups and spoons
🥄 Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
🧻 Parchment paper
9×13 inch baking pan
🔥 Oven
🔪 Sharp knife (for cutting bars, optional)
Small saucepan
🔥 Stovetop

Let’s Get Started: Making the Chocolate Caramel Shortbread Bars

This recipe is broken down into easy-to-follow steps. Each step focuses on making a different part of the bars – first the shortbread, then the caramel, and finally the chocolate topping. Take your time and enjoy the process of making something wonderful in your kitchen!

Step 1: Preparing the Shortbread Base

First, we’ll make the shortbread crust. Shortbread is a type of cookie that is crumbly and buttery. It’s the perfect base for these bars because it’s not too sweet and holds up well under the caramel and chocolate.

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). “Preheating” the oven means turning it on ahead of time so it reaches the right temperature before you put your baking pan in. This is important for even baking.
Line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving some overhang on the sides. “Parchment paper” is a special kind of paper that prevents food from sticking to the pan. The overhang makes it easy to lift the baked shortbread out later.
In a large mixing bowl, put the softened butter and granulated sugar. “Softened butter” means butter that is at room temperature and easy to mix. If your butter is too hard, it will be difficult to mix.
Use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to mix the butter and sugar together until they are well combined and creamy. “Creamy” means the mixture should be smooth and light in texture.
Add the all-purpose flour to the bowl.
Mix everything together until just combined. “Just combined” means mixing until the flour is no longer visible and the dough is starting to come together, but don’t overmix. Overmixing can make the shortbread tough. The dough will seem crumbly, and that’s perfectly fine.
Press the dough evenly into the prepared baking pan. Use your fingers or the back of a spoon to spread the dough across the bottom of the pan in a flat, even layer.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown. “Bake” means to cook in the oven. Keep an eye on it, as ovens can vary in temperature. Refer to the image to see the light golden color of the baked shortbread.
Let the shortbread cool completely in the pan. “Cool completely” means allowing it to come to room temperature. This is important before adding the caramel so the caramel doesn’t melt the shortbread.

Step 2: Making the Luscious Caramel Layer

Now it’s time to prepare the caramel. Caramel is made by cooking sugar and butter together until it becomes thick and golden. This caramel is extra easy because it uses sweetened condensed milk!

In a small saucepan, combine the sweetened condensed milk, light corn syrup, brown sugar, and softened butter.
Place the saucepan over medium heat on the stovetop. “Medium heat” is a setting that is not too high and not too low – about halfway between the lowest and highest setting on your stove.
Stir constantly with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved. “Dissolved” means the sugar crystals disappear into the liquid.
Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. “Simmer” means to heat a liquid until it is just barely bubbling. It’s a lower temperature than boiling.
Reduce the heat to low and continue to simmer, stirring constantly, for 5-7 minutes, or until the caramel has thickened and is a light golden brown color. The caramel will thicken as it cooks. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
Pour the caramel evenly over the cooled shortbread base in the pan.
Let the caramel set for about 30 minutes, or until it is firm. “Set” means to become solid or semi-solid. This can be done at room temperature or in the refrigerator to speed up the process.

Step 3: Adding the Chocolate Topping

The final touch is the rich chocolate topping! This is a simple mixture of melted chocolate and oil that hardens beautifully over the caramel.

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the semi-sweet chocolate chips and coconut oil (or neutral oil). “Microwave-safe bowl” means a bowl made of material that is safe to use in a microwave oven, like glass or ceramic.
Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. “Microwave in 30-second intervals” means to heat in the microwave for 30 seconds, then stop, stir, and repeat if needed. This prevents the chocolate from burning.
Alternatively, you can melt the chocolate and oil in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. This method is called a “double boiler” and is a gentle way to melt chocolate without burning it. Ensure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.
Pour the melted chocolate evenly over the set caramel layer.
Sprinkle sea salt flakes over the chocolate, if desired. This adds a wonderful salty-sweet contrast. Notice in the image how the sea salt is sprinkled on top of the chocolate.
Let the chocolate set completely, which will take about 1-2 hours at room temperature, or you can speed this up by placing it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

Step 4: Cutting and Serving

Once everything is set, it’s time to cut and enjoy your homemade treats!

Once the chocolate is completely set and firm, lift the shortbread bars out of the pan using the parchment paper overhang.
Place the slab of shortbread, caramel, and chocolate on a cutting board.
Use a sharp knife to cut into bars. You can cut them into squares or rectangles, as seen in the image.
Serve and enjoy your delicious Halal Chocolate Caramel Shortbread bars!

Tips for Success

Make sure your butter is softened for both the shortbread and the caramel for easier mixing.
Don’t overbake the shortbread; it should be lightly golden.
Stir the caramel constantly while it simmers to prevent it from burning.
Microwave the chocolate in short intervals to avoid overheating.
For clean cuts, use a warm, dry knife. You can warm the knife by running it under hot water and then drying it thoroughly before each cut.

Share Your Delicious Halal Treats!

These Chocolate Caramel Shortbread bars are a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. Making these from scratch is a rewarding experience, and sharing them is even better. This recipe is perfect for beginner bakers and a wonderful way to enjoy homemade halal desserts. Encourage your friends and family to try them too!