P-E-R-F-E-C-T-I-O-N. Honestly I’m kicking myself for not having made all the candy bars I love at home this whole time. They’re so much tastier and I can adapt them to my preference. Say goodbye to milk chocolate and hello to all that dark chocolate goodness (or if you prefer, white chocolate). A few weeks ago (or has it been months? COVID time is real), I whipped up those Take 5 Chocolate Twists. I’m not going to lie, I went on a quite a chocolate binge after that. I made the biggest batch and made sure to eat 2 minimum daily.
After they ran out, I started playing with the idea of different chocolate candy bars. Obviously it didn’t take long to come across another of my childhood favorites: Twix. There’s just something so simple and delicious about shortbread cookies layered with caramel and coated in chocolate perfection.
For these Twix bites, I made the shortbread cookies two days in advance and kept them in an airtight container (though should’ve locked it too since people kept sneaking a cookie out after every meal). And then the rest was simple! I lined a muffin pan with liners and then added a small layer of melted chocolate in each one. Then I pressed the shortbread cookie into each layer. The caramel was the next step- and honestly the reason this recipe took so long to perfect. I tried doing the caramel several ways but they always turned out messy and time/energy consuming. Either the caramel didn’t harden enough or it turned into brick. I finally figured out that store bought soft caramels were IDEAL. They were so soft that I just had to mold them to fit the shape of my cookie and that was it! You couldn’t ask for a simpler process, am I right? So after you pop those caramels on top of each cookie, then you add another layer of melted chocolate to coat the candy bar completely. A sprinkling of salt to top off the masterpiece if your heart desires it.
So go forth and make these- but be warned, the convenience, the taste, and the money saved will be very addicting!
Twix
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup AP flour
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 20 soft caramel candies
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1 tsp sea salt optional
Instructions
- In a mixer bowl with paddle attachment, place butter and salt. Mix on medium speed until creamy.
- Add sugar and continue to mix until well blended. Add flour, cornstarch, and vanilla extract. Mix until just combined and mixture comes together to form clumps.
- On a floured surface, drop dough on top and mold into a cylinder shape.
- Wrap dough with plastic wrap and place in fridge for 30 minutes, until the dough is chilled and firm enough to cut.
- Once ready, remove plastic and place on cutting board. Using a knife, cut 1/4 inch circular slices.
- Transfer cut cookies on to a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone paper on top. Place cookies 1/2-1 inch apart from one another. Bake at 350 degrees F at the middle rack for 15-20 minutes or until the bottom and edges are browned.
- Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool to room temperature. You may store in an air-tight container if you're making this recipe over two days.
- In a double boiler set up*, melt chocolate chips until smooth and creamy.
- Using a muffin pan, line with cupcake liners. Drop 1 tbsp of melted chocolate at the bottom of each liner. Top with one shortbread cookie.
- Unwrap each caramel candy and using thumbs, flatten to fit on top of the shortbread cookie. Place on top. Add another tablespoon of melted chocolate on top of each candy. Top with sea salt sprinkling if desired.
- Place in refrigerator for 1 hour or until chocolate covering is hardened.
Notes
