Ingredients

• 175g/6oz unsalted butter
• 75g/2½ oz caster sugar
• 1 vanilla pod
• split and seeds scraped out
• 225g/8oz plain flour
• 200g/7oz unsalted butter
• 1 x 397g/14oz can condensed milk
• 4 tbsp golden syrup
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 350g/12oz milk chocolate

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease and line a 20cm/8in square cake tin.
• Rub the butter
• sugar
• vanilla seeds and flour together in a bowl to make rough dough. Press the dough into the cake tin and prick all over with a fork.
• Bake the dough in the oven for five minutes
• then reduce the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2 and bake for a further 35 minutes. Once cooked
• allow to cool in the tin.
• Meanwhile for the caramel
• place all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil for 10 minutes
• Pour the caramel mixture over the shortbread. Chill in the fridge until the caramel has cooled and hardened slightly.
• For the topping
• melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Once melted
• pour the chocolate over the caramel. Chill in the fridge again until the chocolate has set
• then cut into 9 squares.