Allow me to breakdown the world’s most glorious chocolate bar(s). Take a buttery cookie, drench it in caramel, and then wrap that sucker in chocolate. Now permit me to translate that into a homemade bar recipe starting form the bottom and making our way to the top: we have shortbread, followed by a layer of caramel, and then topped with chocolate.

Shortbread
⅔ cup butter; softened
¼ cup sugar
1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour

Caramel
½ cup butter
½ cup brown sugar
2 tbsp. corn syrup
½ cup sweetened condensed milk

Chocolate layer
300 g of really good milk chocolate (I use Lindt after payday, otherwise Dairy Milk does a great job)
1-2 tbsp. butter

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×9 square pan with butter or cooking spray.

Prepare the shortbread: In a small bowl, mix together flour and sugar, and cut in ⅔ cup butter until the mixture has formed evenly-sized crumbs. Press mixture into bottom of the pan and bake for 18-20 minutes. Cool completely.

Prepare the caramel: In a saucepan over medium heat, combine ½ cup butter*, brown sugar, corn syrup, and sweetened condensed milk. Bring to a boil while stirring constantly. Continue to stir for 5 minutes (do not burn). Remove from heat. Stir for an additional 2-3 minutes. Pour over cooled shortbread. Cool completely.

* If you find that not all the butter will incorporate into the caramel, feel free to drain the excess.

Prepare the chocolate layer: In a double boiler, melt chocolate completely. Stir in butter until smooth. Spread over cooled caramel.

When it is time to serve, warm the blade of your knife with hot water and score the chocolate layer first before cutting into it.