Millionaire's Shortbread

Hey there, 

What do you do when two lovebird soulmates are about to meet again after a few decades apart and separated by 200 years? The answer is, you make amazing chocolate caramel bars! This recipe was actually quite simple and didn't take long at all. 

First, butter the sides and bottom of a 9-inch pan. I chose to not use any parchment paper and the butter worked just fine. Then I started on the shortbread layer. Combine flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Grate in 1 1/2 sticks of butter and mix. Use your fingertips to blend the mix together until it resembles cornmeal then press the dough into the pan and poke with a fork. Bake until firm and golden brown, about 30 mins.

While the shortbread cools down, grab a saucepan and melt 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar and sweetened condensed milk. Bring to a gentle boil and stir frequently. Then reduce the heat and stir until it thickens for about 10 mins. Pour over the shortbread evenly and let cool.

Embarrassing but I didn't realize that caramel was just brown sugar and condensed milk. Sure you have to keep your eye on it to prevent burning, but it is quite simple! This caramel came together well, the texture wasn't as silky but the flavor was perfect. 

While waiting for the caramel to set, melt the chocolate and remaining butter in a double boiler. This way the chocolate melts evenly. Once smooth, pour over the caramel. 

Check out my poor-person makeshift boiler! 

I let the bars cool and then cut out a nice square to taste. The chocolate melted in my mouth with the delicious crunch of cookie and I was in heaven....SO GOOD! So rich! Craig's review..."These bars combined a bit of sweet and chewy crunchy decadence."  

Just the right amount of chocolate to caramel to cookie. Perfect! I even took some to work to share. They were a hit! Thank you Theresa Carle-Sanders!

They were indeed worthy of a great romance.

Thanks for readin!

Bunny

Nicholas Mosse

Hi there!

I was really taken by a small Pottery company in Ireland, Nicholas Mosse. Something about their simple yet lovely designs made me eager to see more. I first saw an article/ad for them in the Irish Central newsletter. Link below. I love this quote from their page: "To us, Nicholas Mosse is more than just a business - it’s a love affair. We pour unending love and care into all that we make." So immediately I added them to the list of places to visit during our honeymoon. It was torture waiting until the second to last day to go...it made sense, since it would be on our way back toward Dublin.

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A bit from their site about the mill: 

"We know we are privileged to live and work in a place as beautiful and natural as Bennettsbridge, County Kilkenny, Ireland. We love the old mill where we work. Steeped in history, Nick and Susan purchased the Mosse family mill and lovingly restored its hydro electrical power to fire the pottery. Despite it burning to the ground in 1985, Susan and Nick determinedly restored it to its former glory and it continues to be the hub and engine of Nicolas Mosse pottery."

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Finally we made our journey north toward Mosse Pottery...our navigation couldn't find it so we guessed a little bit using google maps. Off the freeway there is also a big sign, that we saw on our way out...so we felt a bit silly having missed it! Finally we came up to the big gates and there it was, Nicholas Mosse Pottery. I had thought it would be small...and perhaps it was compared to Waterford but I was not expecting such a large mill.

I felt like a little kid...so much joy and anticipation! I practically ran to the front doors. Inside we were greeted with a nice hello and their new holiday pottery front and center! Adorable! I was overwhelmed with the sheer volume of pottery, my eyes didn't know where to look first! We started slowly making our way around the tables and shelves filled with plates, bowls, pitchers and other items. They had each design grouped together. Toward the back was some info about the company and someone actually making pottery. I tried not to stare but I love seeing artists work their magic!

I wanted to grab everything but Craig insisted we slow down and start at the top. The second floor had a small coffee shop and the second chance pottery, at a lower price which either had mistakes or was not replicated. Breathing for a second we ordered some coffee, cocoa and an apple crumble with cream...real cream OMG!

After our quick bite I found a few pieces in the second chance section that were really special. One was a pitcher for my mom with clovers on it, she collects them for her kitchen. The other was a one-of-a-kind vase with their old rose design but a slightly different red color. It turned out to be from their mother's day collection. I fell in love! I'm a mom to cats....so it's okay he he!

Next we took our time finding a big fruit bowl, which we did technically need! We went back and forth between a few designs but the clovers won and represented our trip well. We grabbed a clover vase for my grandma and a large tulip mug for myself...something I collect from my travels. Turns out the blue and green in the vase are my Grandma's colors so she was very happy! After Craig managed to get me to narrow down my finds, we went to checkout. Staff were very sweet about wrapping up our purchases and setting them up to ship to our home.

I really didn't want to leave the cozy mill but we had to continue our adventure. Outside the air was crisp and the river calm...feeling a bit surreal. We were both immensely happy to visit the Mosse company and to see such a loving business and family. I could see that each piece meant something to them! 

Be sure to check out all of their social media sites. *The little vase with the tiny clovers is from Bunratty castle! Super cute and perfect for a small bunch of flowers!
-Bunny

http://nicholasmosse.com/

http://www.irishcentral.com/