Make Ahead

Homemade Twix Bars

October 17, 2013
0
0 Ratings
  • Makes 18 candy bars
Author Notes

Shortbread layered with caramel and dipped in chocolate compose these homemade twix bars. —Kristin Rosenau

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Ingredients
  • Shortbread Layer
  • 3/4 cup butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • Assemble the Twix Bars
  • 10 ounces soft caramels (or caramel bits)
  • 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
Directions
  1. Shortbread Layer
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 9-inch pan and set aside.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt until the mixture looks like a coarse sand. Mix in the flour until the dough comes together.
  4. Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes, or until the surface of the shortbread looks completely dry. Cool in pan for 15 minutes.
  1. Assemble the Twix Bars
  2. In a microwave safe bowl, microwave the caramel candies until completely melted and smooth, about 1-1 1/2 minutes. Using an offset spatula, spread the caramel evenly over the shortbread layer. Allow to cool for 15 minutes to set.
  3. Turn out shortbread onto a cutting board and cut into 9 1-inch wide pieces. Then, in turn, cut those pieces in half, creating 18 1-inch wide and 4 1/2-inch long candy bars.
  4. In another microwave safe bowl, melt the chopped chocolate for 15 seconds at a time, stirring between each interval, until smooth. Dip each candy bar into the chocolate, remove any excess chocolate, and set on wax paper to set completely (about 1 hour). Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

I'm a student, photographer, and science teacher with a sweet tooth. As a self-taught baker, my love affair with pastries began in my own kitchen. The voice behind the blog Pastry Affair, I develop recipes for the home baker, combining a mixture of rusticity, homespun flavors, and honesty.

5 Reviews

Nicole T. March 23, 2015
I'm reading the comments about the cookies crumbling. Maybe a little bit more butter is needed? Also, shortbread needs to be cut the second it comes out of the oven. Once it cools it does get a bit harder to work with. Hope it helps folks. ;-)
Adam H. October 27, 2014
I haven't made these yet, so I'd like to hear if anybody can solve the cookie crumbling issue. Please let us know!

Perhaps they are best cut upside down, since it seems the caramel could provide a strong base?
Patricia February 9, 2014
I too was very excited to try these (as Twix are my favorite candy bar). My cookies were not only too powdery/flaky, the caramel completely seperated from the cookie. The caramel was too thick as well, it was impossible to cut and dip. I was really looking forward to these too I'm just glad I wasn't making them for company. I followed the recipe exactly too.
Leigh9980 November 28, 2013
My cookie was also too brittle, or powdery actually, and the caramel too thick and hard, so that I could not get them cut into uniform rectangles.
GourMel October 28, 2013
Was so excited to try this, but my cookie was too brittle to cut and I ended up with crumbs. Any ideas what went wrong?