Caramel Shortbread

Lucy and I have always been a fan of baking. And so when we get together it's one of the things we do.

Recently I have become very keen on making caramel shortbread. It is the boyfriend's all time favourite thing, and if you do manage to make it people seem very impressed.

However, my various attempts have not proved particularly successful, so much that recently the boyfriend, on trying another batch, suggested that we just buy it.

The shortbread and the caramel seem to be the two areas of downfall (the chocolate I can cope with).
The shortbread seems to cakey, or stodgy, or rises (that was possibly down to the human error of adding self-raising flour rather than plain).

And the caramel.... Well, i've already destroyed two saucepans (literally NOTHING removes burnt sugar) and the caramel is constantly full of little black flecks (burnt bits) and is lumpy (again, I've attributed this to the burnt bits) and not a good colour (aside from the burnt bits).

So Lucy and I decided to brave it a final time.

Now the reciepe really is extremely simple. There are few ingredients, and very little to actually do to them.

Firstly we actually weighed the flour, sugar and butter for the shortbread.

We mixed it all together and then pressed it into one of the crazy rubber bendy baking tins Lucy had (they are actually really good - non-stick and easy to remove the finished article) and baked until hard and golden brown.



We then melted the condensed milk, more sugar, and more butter for the caramel into a non-stick saucepan, that actually survived the ordeal, and is still looking shiny and new.




And stirred.


And stirred some more. We had to keep stirring until it was no longer all liquidy, but thick.





And then the shortbread was done so we took it out and spread the lovely thick, caramel coloured caramel on top.




And popped it into the freezer while we went and watched Love Actually (a definite part in the countdown to Christmas). When it was all set and hard, we melted the chocolate and spread it all over


Back in the freezer until set, and then cut into sizeable chunks.

And this time it actually, looked, tasted, smelt and had the texture of real millionaire's shortbread. Although the final test is giving a sample to the boyfriend. And sadly it was so good that none of it made it out of St Andrews.

Countdown to Christmas: Switching on the Christmas lights

My sister is a student at St Andrews. And so this weekend I decided to brave the epic train journey, the freezing weather and the reenactment of student life, and go to visit.

When I arrived Lucy, knowing my soft spot for anything festive suggested we go and watch the St Andrews Christmas lights being switched on. Obviously I was very keen.

So we went outside her house (she lives on one of the three streets in St Andrews) where the rest of the population of the town had gathered. And there were stalls with roasted chestnuts and mulled wine, and those silly wind up light toy things, and carol singing and then there was a speech, followed by another speech.

And then we all counted down for the lights to be switched on. And by this point I am MEGA excited (seeing as every year I miss the London ones, and so finally I was involved with this festive occasion). And then they switch them on.....

Six trees have been adorned with fairy lights. White fairy lights. That have now been illuminated. I was on the verge of being incredibly disappointed.



When I realised - this is St Andrews. It is small. Everything is on a smaller scale. And suddenly it didn't matter that we had chanted and sung and waited out in the cold only to see six trees be lit up.