Recipe: White Chocolate and Raspberry Caramel Shortbread
Summer fruit season has arrived, and with it that unmistakable burst of Scottish raspberries: bright, sharp and worth the wait every single year. Around Litha, the Summer Solstice, the days feel long and honey-warm, and I always find myself drawn to recipes that celebrate sweetness balanced with brightness.
This white chocolate and raspberry caramel shortbread does exactly that. The base is buttery and light, the caramel soft and deeply comforting and the topping brings a lovely contrast: creamy white chocolate cut with the sharp, jewel-like tang of freeze-dried raspberries. It’s simple to make, deliciously moreish and a joyful treat for the height of summer.
Ingredients
For the shortbread:
125g plain flour
40g caster sugar
90g butter
For the caramel:
300ml condensed milk
40g butter
40g soft brown sugar
For the topping:
100g white chocolate
5g freeze-dried raspberry pieces
Method
Make the shortbread. Preheat the oven to 160°C fan. Mix the flour and sugar in a bowl, then rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Bring it together into a soft dough.
Press into a lined 20cm tin, prick with a fork, and bake for 25 minutes until golden. Cool in the tin.
Make the caramel. In a heavy saucepan, heat the butter, sugar, and condensed milk until dissolved. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly, then reduce the heat and cook until thickened and a rich caramel colour.
Pour over the cooled shortbread and leave to set completely.
Finish with the topping. Melt the white chocolate gently and pour over the caramel. Sprinkle generously with freeze-dried raspberries. Chill until firm, then slice into squares.
A Seasonal Note
Litha marks the sun at its highest point, a moment of fullness, warmth, and celebration. Raspberries are one of summer’s earliest gifts and their brightness feels perfectly in tune with this point in the Celtic year. This shortbread is a small way to honour the season: sweet, vibrant and best shared in the long, lingering light.
