Millionaire Nuggets

My husband had a company picnic earlier in the week.  I like to bake for his work functions.  I get to bake something I would not usually make.  I can send it on without it sitting in the house where I am too tempted to eat it.  This year the company decided to make a dessert competition.  Wahoo, what fun!  I had to do it.  I knew I wanted to make these bars.

And guess what?  I won.  Best Taste category!  Uh huh!  Very fun!  Two tickets for a movie and two tickets for a car wash.  Yes!  Thank you very much.

This dessert is definitely meant to be shared.  It is REALLY rich.  Delicious.


I did have a few issues with the recipe.  So I would like to refer you to a few other recipes if you would like to try it. They all have a LOT less butter.  Food Network one.  My Baking Addiction.   Food.com, Millionaire Bars.    I will tell you what I did in the recipe below and the stars are next to the items I would change.  The ganache/chocolate topping seized on me.  Lucky for me I added some half and half and it melted once again.  

Millionaire Nuggets


Meant to be bars but I cut the bars in half, making them nuggets.

cookie bottom
2 cups flour
1 cup (8 ounces) butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoon s baking powder

caramel layer
1 cup butter*
2 cans (28 ounces total) of sweetened evaporated milk
4 tablespoons maple syrup
1 cup sugar*

ganache
8 ounces dark chocolate (the recipe called for milk chocolate but I figured since it was going to be so sweet, I wanted dark chocolate)
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 teaspoon corn syrup

Preheat oven to 325F.  Line a 9 x 13 pan with parchment paper, a little up and over the sides. In a large bowl or a mixer cream butter and sugar.  Beat about four minutes.  Add in vanilla.  In a small bowl combine baking powder, salt and flour. Add to butter mixture just until combined.  Press dough into prepared pan. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes.

While the crust is baking, combine butter, sugar, maple syrup and sweetened condensed milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Once the butter has melted turn up the heat watching closely and stirring often.  You know the caramel is ready when the mixture turns amber. Pour over baked crust and smooth out as much as possible. Cool completely and chill.

In a double boiler, combine chocolate, corn syrup and butter.  (Mine seized on me so I added about a 1/4 cup of half and half).  Heat until smooth.  Remove from heat and pour over caramel layer.