Millionaire Shortbread - a recipe

Google Millionaire Shortbread and you're sure to find a lovely variety of recipes to make. Upon our return from vacation, we had one of our Gardener Nights where volunteers help us control the overgrowth of plants (weeds) at this time of year. Since we had just returned from Scotland, and I haven't made Millionaire Shortbread in a while, I decided to offer that as our dessert since we provide dinner as their 'payment' for volunteering in the gardens. It was a fun treat and a sweet remembrance of our cafe visits with tea and millionaire shortbread.

Millionaire Shortbread
For the Shortbread:
3/4 c. flour
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. butter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the flour, sugar, and butter until crumbly. Press into a greased 8" square pan. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes, until golden brown. Cool.

For the Caramel Layer:
1/2 c. butter
2 Tbsp. corn syrup
1 - 14 oz. can Sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla

While the shortbread crust cools, prepare the caramel layer. In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter. Add the corn syrup and sweetened condensed milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook 12 - 15 minutes, stirring constantly, until the sauce turns a medium caramel color. Be careful to not let the mixture burn. Reduce heat if necessary. Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla. Pour evenly over the crust. Cool.

For the Chocolate Layer:

6 oz. semisweet chocolate chips

Melt the chocolate chips (on the stove, or gently in the microwave). Stir until melted and spread over the caramel layer. Cool until set. You can chill in the fridge for a while, but they are easier to cut at room temperature.

Enjoy! 

Sampling Millionaire Shortbread in Scotland

We recently enjoyed Millionaire Shortbread while vacationing in Scotland. This delicious buttery shortbread kicked up a notch layered with creamy caramel and topped with decadent chocolate is a staple in any respectable cafe, bakery, or tearoom. We sampled a lovely variety of this traybake at various cafes. 

This bakery case labeled it as a caramel traybake, and I was eager to try it, along with a few other sweet treats as noted in the picture above. The first tasting was in Aberdeen at the cafe at the Duthie Park Winter Gardens where we explored the grounds, and the impressive tropical and arid greenhouses.

This collection of sweets included millionaire shortbread discovered at the Stirling Highland Games where they had a row of specialty vendors. The line for these treats was quite long!

This was a quick grocery store run in Nairn as we were on a bus tour with limited time for lunch. We grabbed sandwiches, drinks, and I spotted the bakery counter where I ordered the Snowballs and two round millionaire shortbread cookies. Just know that I wish I had ordered four of the shortbread and skipped the snowballs since the kids opted for the shortbread leaving the snowballs to the adults who really wanted the shortbread, too! Angelica sums up Millionaire Shortbread with one word, 'delicious'. We'll share a recipe with our next post.

 

Stock's Manor Afternoon Tea, Mechanicsburg, PA

Stock's Manor in the Mechanicsburg countryside is a lovely 1786 limestone mansion that offers an elegant location for your special events. They have recently started offering Afternoon Tea. We attended their buffet-style tea held in July.

This beautiful collection of teapots catches your eye as you enter into the location. There is a list of the available tea options, and if you look closely, you'll spot two familiar flavors selected from The Rosemary House including Party of the Jungle and Angel Falls Mist. We each selected our tea flavor and were escorted to our seats while the teas were being prepared.

Once we were shown to our table, we were encouraged to go to the buffet table where another menu board announced the various teatime treats, sweets and savories. It was a beautiful table laden with delicacies.

In the forefront, Cucumber Sandwiches on fresh white bread and farther down, Turkey Salad Sandwich with Strawberries.

Assorted Deviled Eggs were set atop this wine bottle pedestal. These were topped with a flavorful fresh basil pesto.

Caprese Skewers were very tasty with the tomato, mozzarella, and fresh basil. 

Some of the other treats included a Smoked Salmon Flatbread, an Italian Sandwich, and Sundried Tomatoes and Olive Flatbread. 

The Goat Cheese in Endive cup with walnuts was particularly tasty.

And the Raspberry and Brie Phyllo Cups were fun!

There was a lovely, elevated tray with assorted cheeses, blackberry jam, and fruit placed in front. This was a very pretty offering.

We selected our savories, cheeses, and fruits and headed back to the dining area. By then, our teas had arrived along with a complimentary Mimosa. Having a buffet style Afternoon Tea provided the opportunity for each of us to select what we wanted which created a lovely variety of treats on the plates.

We returned to the buffet to select our Scones and Sweets. There were Blueberry Drop Scones and Plain Scones, both served with Lemon Curd. In addition, the Assorted Tea Cakes included a Chocolate dipped Madelaine, an Almond flavored Petit Four and a Lavender Glazed Cake.

We had an enjoyable Afternoon Tea. May they continue offering this specialty event throughout the year. We learned about this event by following their Facebook Page.

MATBA Summer Seminar at Oxford Hall Cafe, New Cumberland

Members of the Mid-Atlantic Tea Business Association recently gathered at the Oxford Hall Celtic Shop and Cafe in New Cumberland, PA for their summer seminar. This specialty shop offers afternoon tea by advance reservation, but you may stop in and visit the cafe during business hours and order from the menu. They have a large selection of loose-leaf tea and a fabulous food case filled with Irish goodies.

Since our members travel from various states, including PA, NJ, MD, and WV the host location typically has a welcoming reception where members can nibble on something, visit the gift shop, and catch up with fellow tea business entrepreneurs. Fresh fruit and a moist muffin were set up near the seating area.

Owner Cindy Washburn, and newly elected MATBA vice president, welcomed us before we enjoyed afternoon tea. Members selected their tea for the day, and it was served in 2 cup or 4 cup pots. MATBA secretary Monika Mraz of Doehrn Tea Co ordered a pot of Golden Monkey. A flavorful Tomato Basil Soup was the first course. 

Our new president, Melissa Fitch-Ciccotelli of Tea You There is shown seated on the left. Both Melissa and Monika have their businesses located in MD. A Chopped Salad with Honey Vinaigrette was the next course. This was very fresh and tasty. Owner Cindy has a roof top garden where she harvests fresh herbs and tomatoes during the growing season.

The three tiered tray was presented to each table, laden with a variety of sandwiches, scones, and desserts.

The sandwiches included their signature Tomato Pesto Tart, Chicken Salad on a petite roll or hummus 'tuna' salad for the vegetarian option, and Egg Salad with Watercress. The watercress is also grown in abundance on the roof top garden.

The Scone was served with Devon Cream, Lemon Curd and a petite jar of Strawberry Preserves. Our program for the day was presented by Cecille Steele from Harrowgate Fine Foods, the source for the lemon curd. Cecille shared their history of their growing business and presented a small jar of curd to each attendee as a favor. 

dessert tier rounded out the tea and included a Welsh Griddle Cake, Macaron, Shortbread, and Apple Strudel. It was a tasty array of assorted goodies. Special thanks to Cindy for an enjoyable event.

MATBA members will gather again in October at Tea by Two in Bel Air, MD.

 

Penn Cumberland Annual Herb Tea - A Celebration of Lavender

"A Celebration of Lavender and Our History" was the theme for the 2026 annual herb tea hosted by members of the Penn Cumberland Garden Club. From selecting the theme. to choosing a menu that complements the theme and to organizing the event, members and assigning recipes, it can be an overwhelming task, but the committee makes it look like it was an easy process. As members and guests arrived, they were invited to enjoy a refreshing cup of Lavender Lemonade.

Celebrating the 61st Annual Herb Tea, the menu was available at each table, and lavender was predominant throughout.

Cheerful lavender floral plates and napkins gaily wrapped with purple flowers and a silk white bow set the scene. The lavender lemonade was refreshing, and the pale lavender paper cup kept to the theme. Members bring their own teacups to this event, and Susanna and Nancy brought two of their mother's floral teacups in a nod to Bertha Reppert, a past president and longtime member of the club.

The sandwiches were plated and placed on a central table. They were then distributed to each table where the guests were seated. The tasty sandwiches included Mint Lavender Cucumber Sandwich, Lavender Chicken Salad Sandwiches, and Lavender Hummus Sandwiches.

There was a tiered tray placed on each table which included the scones and the desserts. Plain Scones and Blueberry Sour Cream Scones were served with Clotted Cream, Cream Cheese, and Apple Lavender Jelly. A Lavender Tea Bread with Cream Cheese Spread rounded out the scone course. The medley of desserts included cleverly decorated Mini Lemon Lavender Cupcakes and Lavender Earl Grey Cookes.

The hot teas that accompanied this lovely lavender themed tea included Blueberry Tea and Earl Grey Lavender Tea. Long standing member and club historian Terri Maclay shared anecdotes about past herb teas and their unique themes, each incorporating different herbs throughout the menu. Photos of past herb tea parties were available at each table to stroll down memory lane. To complete the day, Wendy, of Hope Hill Lavender Farm presented a program on the many types of lavender and the variety of uses for this versatile and fragrant herb.

Celebrating the Semiquincentennial of the USA

Happy 250th Birthday, America! We celebrated the semiquincentennial of the United States at a very special afternoon tea honoring the Women of Liberty; with red, white, and blue the theme, of course.

The first course included an All-Star Salad featuring mixed salad greens with strawberries, blueberries, and pepper jack cheese, dressed with poppyseed dressing and topped with a star shaped crouton. Tiny decorative red, white, and blue candy stars were also on the salad. Pieces of Russel Stover Star Bangled Taffy were sprinkled on the table, wrapped in paper adorned with stars, and candy in red, white, and blue, it fit the day perfectly.

The Patriotic Tea Sandwiches included a Puff Pastry Tower of Vegetables with a paper flag jauntily placed atop the sandwich. There was a Turkey, apple, and cranberry triangle shaped sandwich. The skewer with a wooden star at the top held red cherry tomato, a piece of creamy garlic herb cheese, and several blueberries. The little bundle was a warm chicken salad sandwich. The Glazed Strawberry Crostini was a bold flash of red on the plate, and in the center was a tart shell with rosemary red beets topped with Feta cheese.

The Scone Course, 'Let's Hear it for the Red, White, and Blue' featured our Traditional English Scone and a triangular Blueberry Scone served with Sweet Cream and Strawberry Preserves. A fresh strawberry garnished the plate. The berry was dipped in white chocolate two thirds of the way up leaving part of the red top of the strawberry uncovered and then the tip was dipped in flag blue sugar creating the red, white, and blue design.

The plate of All American Desserts included a Mount Vernon Cake topped with Cherries and a blue ribbon gaily adorned the top of the cake.  Mamie Eisenhower's Million-Dollar Fudge was on the plate along with a Petite warm Apple Pie, and Star Shortbread Cookies. 

Many dressed in their red, white, and blue garb adding to the celebratory feeling of the day. Following the afternoon tea, Angelica Brill presented a program on the Women of Liberty. She highlighted seven notable women of America's early years. Representing women from varying backgrounds, from wealthy plantation owners, frontier wives, Native Americans, African Americans and ordinary citizens who performed extraordinary deeds, she shared the influences of women that often go unnoticed as they stand behind the powerful men of the century. She included Martha Washington, Abigail Adams, Mary Ludwig Hays (Molly Pitcher), Sybil Ludington, Hannah Till, Sacagawea, and Betsy Ross. Special thanks to Angelica for her presentation of these important women, to Susanna for coordinating the event, to Gail and Claudette for their hard work during the event, and to Nancy for her culinary talents.