Shore Brownie Recipe

Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Line an 8x8 inch (20x20 cm) square baking pan with parchment paper leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides for easy removal; butter the parchment lightly.

Toast crumbs

In a medium bowl combine shortbread cookie crumbs and melted butter. Mix until evenly moistened. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan in an even layer, concentrating slightly toward one edge if you want a shoreline look. Bake for 8–10 minutes until set and just beginning to brown. Remove from oven and let cool briefly while you make the batter.

Melt chocolate and butter

Place chopped semisweet chocolate and 170 g butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water (double boiler) or microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring between, until fully melted and smooth. Remove from heat and let cool 2–3 minutes.

Whisk sugars and eggs

Whisk granulated sugar and light brown sugar into the warm chocolate mixture until incorporated. Add eggs one at a time, whisking briskly after each until glossy and combined. Stir in vanilla and espresso powder (if using).

Fold dry ingredients

Sift together flour, cocoa powder, and sea salt. Fold the dry mixture into the chocolate mixture with a rubber spatula until just combined and no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix.

Add nuts (optional)

Fold in 60 g of the toasted chopped nuts if using, reserving the rest for topping. The batter should be thick and fudgy.

Spread batter over the baked shortbread crumb layer in the pan, smoothing the top with an offset spatula. Leave a small exposed strip of crumb at the top or one side to resemble a 'shore' if desired.

Make salted caramel

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine light brown sugar and 40 ml of the heavy cream. Stir constantly until sugar dissolves and the mixture begins to bubble. Add remaining cream and butter carefully (mixture may steam and bubble). Bring to a gentle simmer for 1–2 minutes until caramel is smooth and slightly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the pinch of fine sea salt. Let cool 4–5 minutes until slightly thick but still pourable.

Layer caramel

Drizzle or spoon about half of the warm caramel evenly over the brownie batter. Use a skewer or knife to make gentle swirls so some brownie shows through but avoid fully mixing. Sprinkle remaining toasted nuts over the caramel and press lightly so they adhere. If you reserved a small area of crumb as a shore, allow more crumbs to remain exposed near that edge to enhance the shore effect.

Bake the assembled brownies in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes. The center should still look slightly underbaked and jiggle a little when you gently shake the pan — this yields a fudgy texture. For a firmer bar, bake an additional 3–5 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and immediately drizzle remaining caramel over the warm surface, if desired, and sprinkle the shortbread crumbs more heavily along the chosen shoreline edge to create a sand-like effect. Scatter any remaining chopped nuts on top.

Allow brownies to cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 2 hours (caramel will set as it cools). For cleaner slices, chill the pan in the refrigerator for 30–60 minutes before cutting.

Lift the brownie slab from the pan using the parchment overhang. If using, drizzle melted dark chocolate across the top and finish with flaky sea salt and a light dusting of edible gold dust or a little citrus zest for a bright shore accent. Cut into 9 or 12 squares.