I bet you thought caramel shortbread couldn't get any better... I'm here to try and change your mind! Impress your friends and family with fancy-pants marbled chocolate on top of a rich caramel filling and crisp shortbread base. You'll have to fight them off if you want a piece for yourself! Enjoy :)

Step 1: Prepare the Ingredients for the Shortbread Base...

For the buttery shortbread base of your dreams, you'll need:

1 cup plain flour
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup (125 g) butter, melted

Step 2: Get Ready to Crumble!

First things first, grease and line a 1 inch deep, 7 x 11 inch (3 cm deep, 18 x 28 cm) baking pan with cooking spray and baking paper. There should be at least 1 inch (3 cm) of overhanging paper, which will make it easier to remove the caramel shortbread from the pan.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, coconut, sugar and melted butter with a fork until well combined. It should be mixed enough that you can pinch some of the dough between your fingers and it melds together.

Step 3: They See Me Rollin...

Spoon the mixture evenly into the pan and press down firmly to flatten. You can roll a cylindrical glass or container on top of the mixture to flatten it out evenly. Make sure it covers the entire base of the pan - check those pesky corners!

Using a fork, prick the base around 20 times to allow for spreading in the oven. This will let moisture escape and keep your base perfectly crisp.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden. Set aside to cool slightly.

Resist the urge to eat it yet!

Step 4: Ooey Gooey Caramel

The clincher... an ooey, gooey, rich caramel filling.

Prepare for your caramel by having the following ingredients ready to go:

1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup golden syrup or light molasses
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 cup (125 g) butter, roughly chopped
14 oz (395 g) can sweetened condensed milk

Step 5: Concocting Your Caramel

Let the magic happen.

Combine brown sugar, golden syrup, vanilla and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir continuously for 5 minutes, or until mixture darkens and begins to bubble.

Add sweetened condensed milk and stir for a further 5 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened and thickly coats the back of the stirring spoon.

Step 6: Ready, Spready, Cook!

First, it's important to admire your amazing caramel cooking skills.

Once you've done that, you can pour the caramel over the slightly cooled shortbread base. Spread it evenly over the whole base.

Bake for a further 15-20 minutes at 350°F (180°C) or until the caramel has bubbled and looks golden around the edges. It should be reasonably firm with only a slight wobble. Set aside to cool completely - don't refrigerate it.

You can now lick the spoon and the bowl clean - go on, I won't tell anyone.

Step 7: Now for the Chocolate Pièce De Résistance

Prepare to make your masterpiece (and earn some serious baking cred).

Set aside your ingredients:

1 cup (180 g/6 oz) dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup (100 g/4 oz) white chocolate chips
2 tbsp canola oil, separated

First, stir together the dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips and ONE tablespoon of the canola oil in a medium heat-proof bowl.

Microwave at full power for 1 minute. Stir. Microwave in further 30 second bursts, stirring well in-between, until chocolate is completely melted and smooth (it took me two bursts in the microwave, but this will depend on how powerful your microwave is).

Repeat the process with the white chocolate. In a separate small heat-proof bowl, combine the white chocolate and the remaining ONE tbsp of canola oil. Microwave at full power for 1 minute. Stir. Microwave in further 30 second bursts, stirring well in-between, until chocolate is completely melted and smooth.

Carefully transfer the melted white chocolate into a piping bag, snipping the plastic to create a very small opening. No piping bag? No worries. You can use a zip-loc bag and snip a small part of the corner off.

Step 8: It's All Coming Together Now!

If you have managed to stop yourself from drinking the melted chocolate, you can begin the easier-than-it-sounds process of marbling the chocolate.

Give the melted dark chocolate a good stir then pour evenly over the cooled caramel shortbread. Using a flat palette knife or spatula, spread out the melted chocolate evenly over the caramel. Tap the whole pan firmly on the bench to further smooth out the chocolate (this will also help get rid of air bubbles).

Working quickly (no pressure), get your piping bag of white chocolate and pipe thin lines of white chocolate (about 1/3 inch or 1 cm apart) across the entire width of the pan. It's useful to check out the pictures here!

Run a toothpick or skewer length-ways through the white chocolate to 'pull' it down and create a marbled effect.

Repeat for the entire pan, running the toothpick up and down the chocolate about 1/3 inch (1 cm) apart each time. Tap the whole pan firmly on the bench again to further smooth out the chocolate.

That's it! You've done it. Move the caramel shortbread to the refrigerator and leave for two hours or until chocolate has firmly set.

Take a deep sigh of relief. Celebrate with a bonus overhead photo that will make all your friends jealous.

Step 9: Make the Cut!

Once the chocolate has set (it will look matte), use the overhanging baking paper to gently remove the chocolate caramel shortbread from the pan and place onto a cutting board.

Trim the edges (this is just for show, you can definitely eat them!)

Cut into 16 even pieces. Enjoy the magical goodness that is marbled caramel shortbread.

I hope you like this recipe! I've recently started a baking blog where you can find more of my recipes - find the link in my profile or follow me on Instagram (@bakingenvy)!