Salted caramel and peanut shortcakes in 30 minutes!
There’s something wonderfully irresistible about a freshly baked shortcake biscuit, but add a generous layer of salty, buttery peanut caramel and you have something truly special. These Shortcake Biscuits with Salted Peanut Caramel Filling are the kind of treat that will have everyone reaching for another before they’ve even finished the first. Think crisp, buttery, melt-in-the-mouth shortcake, sandwiched together with rich, sweet and slightly salty peanut caramel. It’s a match made in dessert heaven, with just the right balance of sweetness, crunch and indulgence.
The best part? They’re surprisingly easy to make! With less than 30 minutes of preparation and just 30 minutes in the oven, you can have a batch of these little beauties ready without spending your entire afternoon in the kitchen. They look wonderfully impressive, taste utterly decadent and are guaranteed to get people talking, making them perfect for serving at a dinner party when you want to finish the evening with something a little different from the usual pudding.
Of course, you don't need a special occasion to make them. In fact, these biscuits might just be the perfect rainy-day baking project. You know those miserable afternoons when the rain is pouring, you're feeling a little trapped and bored in the house, and you fancy doing something comforting? This is exactly the recipe for that moment. Put the kettle on, get your apron out and fill your kitchen with the irresistible smell of buttery shortcake and homemade caramel. Just try not to eat them all before anyone else gets a look in!
Salted caramel and peanut shortcakes- ingredient list!
Ingredients for the salted caramel peanut toppers-
50g (2oz) caster sugar
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons salted peanut halves
Ingredients for the biscuits-
250g (8oz) unsalted butter
250g (8oz) caster sugar
2 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter
375g(12oz) plain flour, plus a little extra for dusting
For the caramelised peanuts, lightly grease a non-stick baking tray and spread the salted peanut halves evenly across the surface. Place the caster sugar and water into a saucepan over a mediumheat andallow the mixture to gently come to a boil. Continue cooking until the sugar has completelymeltedand the caramel turns a lovely golden-brown colour. Avoid stirring the mixture while it cooks,asthis can cause the caramel to crystallise. Once it has reached the desired colour, carefully pourthehot caramel over the peanuts, making sure they are evenly coated. Leave the tray to one sideandallow the caramel to cool completely and harden. Once set, break the caramelised peanuts into pieces, roughly chop and set aside until needed.
Meanwhile, begin preparing the biscuits by preheating the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 4. Line two baking trays withbaking parchment and set them aside ready for the biscuits. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar togetheruntil the mixture becomes smooth and creamy. Add the peanut butter and continue mixing until everything is thoroughlycombined. Next, sift the flour into the bowl and gently stir until the ingredients come together to form a soft dough. Oncethe dough has formed, cover the bowl with cling film and place it in the fridge to chill for approximately 15 minutes,allowing it to firm up and become easier to roll out.
Roll out the biscuit dough on a lightly floured surface and use a biscuit cutter to cut out 24 biscuits.Arrangethem on the prepared baking trays and place them in the fridge for another 15 minutes.Bake for 12–15minutes, until the biscuits turn golden brown. Remove from the oven and leave tocool on the trays for 5minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Once the biscuits have cooled completely, take half of them and spread a generous, even layer of dulce de leche over theflat underside of each biscuit. Make sure the caramel reaches right to the edges so that every bite has a delicious filling.Next, lightly sprinkle some sea salt over the caramel to balance out the sweetness, followed by a scattering of choppedpeanuts for extra texture and crunch. Take the remaining plain biscuits and carefully place one on top of each caramel-covered biscuit. Gently press them together to secure the filling, creating neat biscuit sandwiches. Be careful not to presstoo hard, as this may cause the caramel to squeeze out of the sides.
Next, break the chocolate into pieces and place it in a heatproof bowl setover a sauce pan of gently simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Stir occasionally untilthe chocolate has melted completely and is smooth. Carefully removethe bowl from the heat and allow thechocolate to cool slightly. Drizzle the melted chocolate overthe assembled biscuits, then finish by sprinklingthe caramel peanuts on top while the chocolateis still wet so that they stick. Leave the biscuits to set beforeserving.
Leave the biscuits to one side at room temperature until the chocolate has completely hardened and set. Once firm,carefully transfer them to a serving plate or airtight container. They are now ready to enjoy and serve!
Allow the biscuits to cool completely before adding the dulce de leche, as warm biscuits may causethecaramel to become too runny. When sandwiching them together, press gently to avoid the filling spillingout of the sides.
When melting the chocolate, use a low heat and make sure the bowl does not touch the simmering water to prevent the chocolate from overheating or burning. Add the caramel peanuts while thechocolateis still melted so they stick properly, then leave the biscuits to set completely before serving.
