In honour of my friend's birthday, this weekend our flat hosted a party. Guests brought tapas dishes until we could fit no more in the kitchen. We ate, we played loud music and we danced. And at some point amongst the preparation I found time to make a birthday 'cake' - my replication of the aforementioned Starbucks 'salty caramel square'. I took it one layer at a time and the result was a much richer, more decadent version of the classic Millionaire's Shortbread (a Billionaire's Biscuit perhaps?) With a golden syrup, biscuit and butter combo of a base, a creamy caramel layer with biscuit and pecans, all underneath a topping of milk chocolate and more pecans, this makes for a treat suited to those who prefer them sticky and sickly. I would also like to take this opportunity to celebrate my new baking tool. A hand held blender is without a doubt the most used gadget in my kitchen and so it was inevitable that the life of my £5 Tesco Value one would eventually come to an end. Its replacement comes in the form of this rather more attractive Dualit version, complete with retractable power cord, 5 speeds and dough hooks. It's sad, but I'm excited.
