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A round millionaire's shortbread with a spiderweb effect chocolate top and a fondant spider is on a dark blue / black background. Little spiders and gold linens and spoons can be seen creeping into the scene. A Lyle's Golden Syrup tin is in the background.

Millionaire's Spiderweb Shortbread

This Millionaire's Spiderweb Shortbread is a fun twist on a classic, made perfectly spooktacular for Halloween.
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Prep Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Servings 10 slices

Ingredients
  

For the shortbread base

  • 300 g plain flour
  • 200 g unsalted butter cold from the fridge
  • 100 g light brown sugar

For the caramel

  • 85 g unsalted butter
  • 80 g light brown sugar
  • 30 ml Lyle's golden syrup
  • 1/2 tin condensed milk ~200g

For the milk chocolate topping

  • 200 g milk chocolate
  • 100 g white chocolate

For the fondant spider

  • Red Ready-to-Roll fondant icing
  • Black Ready-to-Roll fondant icing
  • Toothpicks
  • Edible glue
  • Greaseproof paper

Instructions
 

To make the fondant spider

  • First, cover a work surface with a piece of greaseproof paper.
  • Take a 10p sized piece of black fondant and roll it into a ball using the palm of your hands, then place it on the greaseproof paper.
  • To make the head, take a 5p piece of black fondant, rolling it into a ball and then attach it gently to the body.
  • Take two small pieces of black fondant and roll each one into small cylinders. Use your fingertips to create a pointy end on each of the cylinders - these are your fangs. Position the fangs on either side of the head.
  • Cut 8 small pieces of fondant to make the legs, rolling each piece between your palms into long, thin sausages. Again, use your fingers to create one pointy end on each leg.
  • Gather 4 legs and squish the non-pointy ends together. Do the same for the other 4 legs.
  • Use a toothpick to gently make 2 indents on each leg one-third, and two-thirds of the way up. Repeat this for all 8 legs.
  • Bring the two sets of 4 legs together and squish together the middle.
  • Squeeze some edible glue on top, then place the body on top.
  • Take 3 tiny pieces of red fondant and roll them into little balls. These are going to be red dots on the back of your spider.
  • Use a small amount of edible glue to stick the red dots on the spider’s body.
  • Leave the spider uncovered to dry and set while you make your Millionaire’s Shortbread.

To make the shortbread base

  • Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F then line an 8-inch loose-bottomed springform cake tin with greaseproof paper.
  • Sift the flour into a large bowl, and add the brown sugar. Stir to combine.
  • Cut the butter into cubes and add to the dry ingredients. Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles breadcrumbs, then use your hands to bring the mixture together to form a dough.
  • Press the dough into the cake tin using your hands, smoothing the top with the back of a spoon.
  • Prick the top all over with a fork and bake for 30-35 minutes until slightly golden on top. Set aside and leave to cool.

To make the caramel layer

  • Put the condensed milk, butter, sugar and golden syrup into a non-stick heavy-bottomed saucepan.
  • Heat all the ingredients over a low-medium heat until they have melted.
  • Now turn the heat up to medium and bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Boil for 10 minutes, stirring all the time with a rubber spatula, until the caramel has thickened and turns a deep golden colour.
  • Pour the caramel on top of the shortbread and spread it out into an even layer using an offset palette knife.
  • Place in the fridge to set for at least an hour.

For the chocolate topping

  • Once the caramel has set, take the shortbread out of the fridge and set aside.
  • Break the white chocolate up into cubes and place into a small microwave-safe bowl. Melt on 360W in 1-minute blasts, mixing after every minute, until you have a smooth and consistent mixture. Spoon into a small piping bag, snip a small part of the tip off and set it aside for now.
  • Put your milk chocolate into a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Heat and stir until melted, and there are no pieces of chocolate left. Pour the melted milk chocolate on top of the caramel layer and spread it out evenly using an offset palette knife.
  • Get your piping bag filled with the melted white chocolate and holding it upright pointed towards the centre of the milk chocolate, pipe a spiral - starting from the centre and moving outwards to the edges.
  • Use a toothpick to drag lines through the spiral starting from the centre and working your way outwards to the edge of the tin to create a spider web effect.
  • Place the baking tin back in the fridge to set for 30 minutes.
  • When you’re ready to cut and serve, remove the millionaire’s shortbread from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature before slicing (this should take around 1 hour).
  • Serve straight away, or store in an airtight container at room temperature, for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for 5 days. Remember to bring it back to room temperature before eating.

Notes

I used Dr. Oetkar Ready To Roll fondant and edible glue