Florrie’s chocolate and toffee squares

THESE much-loved biscuits, sometimes called millionaire’s squares, are fiddly to make, so get the maximum flavour for your effort by making them with butter and best-quality chocolate.

Makes 24 or 32

Biscuit base:

12ozs (340g) self raising flour

8ozs (225g) butter

4ozs (110g) castor sugar

Toffee filling:

8ozs (225g) granulated sugar (can be reduced to 6ozs)

8 ozs (225g) butter

4 tbsp golden syrup

1 tin Nestlé full creamed sweetened condensed milk

Chocolate top:

6-8 ozs (170g-225g) Lesme, Callebaut or Valrhona chocolate, melted

1 large Swiss roll tin 10 x 15 inch (25.5 x 38cm)

First make the shortcake base. Mix the flour with the sugar, rub in the butter and work until the mixture comes together. Alternatively, blend the three ingredients in a food processor. Roll the mixture evenly into the lightly-greased tin. Prick the base with a fork. Cook in a preheated oven 1801C/3501F/regulo 4 for 15-20 minutes or until golden in colour and fully-cooked.

Next make the filling.

Melt the butter over a low heat in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the sugar, golden syrup and lastly the condensed milk, stir after each addition and continue to stir over a low heat for the next 20 minutes approximately. The toffee burns very easily so don’t stop stirring.

When the toffee is golden brown, test by dropping a little blob into a bowl of cold water. A firm ball of toffee indicates a firm toffee, if it’s still a little soft continue to cook for a few more minutes but be careful if it gets too hard, as it will pull your teeth out later! When it reaches the correct stage pour it evenly over the shortbread base. Allow to cool.

Melt the chocolate over a gentle heat preferably in a pyrex bowl over simmering water and spread evenly over the toffee. Decorate immediately with a fork to give a wavy pattern.

Cut into small squares or fingers when the chocolate is set.