Buttery shortbread topped with stretchy, creamy caramel, all coated in a thin layer of chocolate, cookies inspired by my favorite candy bar Twix
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What's inside a Twix bar?
A Twix bar is one of the quintessential candy bars, and a favorite loved by so many. It is essentially made of three components, shortbread, caramel, and a milk chocolate coating.
There is something so delicious about that combination, and the shortbread offsets the sweetness of the chocolate and caramel for a well-balanced chocolate bar!
These cookies are inspired by Twix candy bars but think of a butterier shortbread and creamier caramel. And all that deliciousness is wrapped in a perfectly thin layer of chocolate. If you thought Twix couldn't get much better... you've been mistaken!
How do you make homemade caramel?
Caramel is usually made by caramelizing white sugar and stirring in whipped cream. This method is great, but without a thermometer, it can be difficult to gauge the temperature of the sugar. As a result, you can get really runny or thick caramels.
This method is foolproof, delicious, and even creamier! The brown sugar and treacle add a deep caramelized flavor, while the condensed milk brings a rich and creamy mouthfeel.
Tips to keep in mind when making the caramel
- Completely dissolve the sugar: When heating the caramel make sure the sugar has dissolved before removing it from the heat, otherwise, the caramel will be grainy. Stir the caramel with a spoon as it heats to help the sugar dissolve completely.
- Bring the caramel to a boil: Make sure the caramel comes to a boil and simmers for a couple of minutes to thicken. Otherwise, the caramel layer will be too runny
Tips for perfect shortbread cookies
Shortbread is one of those simple bakes that bring so much joy. How can you resist a buttery melt-in-your-mouth cookie?!
Here are a couple of tips that will help you achieve shortbread with the perfect texture without it spreading into a buttery mess.
Use chilled butter
Chilled butter is essential when making anything with a short texture. The colder the butter is the better! Rub the cubes of chilled butter into the dough with your fingertips until it resembles sand, work quickly to prevent it from warming up too much.
If you don't want to get your hands dirty you can pop the flour and butter in a food processor and blitz for a quick fix.
Chill the dough
Chilling the dough is essential to create that short cookie texture, but it also prevents the cookies from spreading while they bake and adds extra flavor.
I like to chill my cookie dough after I've rolled it out. Simply roll the dough out between two sheets of parchment paper and place it on a baking sheet in the fridge. If you chill the dough first, you'll be stuck trying to roll out a rock-solid chunk of cookie dough.
Once the dough has chilled you can take it out and cut them into cookies right away, this ensures razor-sharp edges on your cookies that won't budge when baked.
How to get the perfect chocolate coating
The perfect chocolate layer comes down to the kind of chocolate you use. For home bakers, I recommend using compound chocolate as it is the easiest to work with.
Why should I use compound chocolate?
A lot of people don't know the difference between different kinds and will attempt to make chocolate-coated fruits and cookies with regular chocolate. You'll notice that if you do, the chocolate won't set firm at room temperature.
The chocolate will set if stored in the fridge, but the moment it comes out of the cold environment it'll turn into a melted mess. There are two options to fix this: temper your chocolate or use compound chocolate!
Tempering chocolate is a skill that takes a bit of practice, but compound chocolate is found readily in most supermarkets and all it needs is to be melted down.
How do you know whether your chocolate is compound?
To check whether your chocolate is compound or not, look at the ingredients. If there is vegetable oil or palm oil listed instead of cocoa butter you've found the right one!
A lot of chocolate chips and chocolate melts are made from compound chocolate, so check those! Semi-sweet chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips would be perfect for this recipe.
Candy melts are also a perfect alternative!
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do these last/how should I store these?
These last up to 3 days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature, or up to a week when stored in the fridge.
If you are storing the Twix cookies in the fridge allow them to come to room temperature before consuming. This allows the shortbread, chocolate, and caramel to soften up to the best texture.
Why are my cookies spreading?
There are a couple of reasons why your cookies may be spreading:
- Chilled butter wasn't used
- The dough wasn't chilled
- Too much butter was used
What is the best kind of chocolate to use?
I like to use milk compound chocolate for these. Milk chocolate imitates the flavor of Twix best, but feel free to change it up to dark or even white chocolate.
Make sure the chocolate you use is compound chocolate as this will help the chocolate set once the cookies have been coated. See "How to get the perfect chocolate coating" above.
Why isn't my chocolate setting?
If you don't use the right kind of chocolate your chocolate won't set at room temperature. This is why it is important to use compound chocolate or temper your chocolate.
It isn't unsalvageable, just put your cookies in the fridge for an hour or so to set. Keep in mind that when you take your cookies out of the fridge the chocolate will begin to melt again.
Why is my caramel so runny?
There are a few reasons why the caramel in your Twix cookies might be runny:
- The caramel didn't have time to simmer on the stovetop
- Too much condensed milk was used
- The caramel hasn't fully chilled
Let's Get Baking
If you're like me and Twix is your favourite kind of chocolate bar you're in for a treat! These Twix cookies will be everything you've wanted and more.
If you liked this recipe make sure to leave me a comment and rating down below, I would love to know how you went. Also don't forget to tag me on instagram @catherine.desserts and hashtag #cattycakes so I can see and share your desserts.
Follow me on facebook, pinterest, youtube and tiktok for more of my baking creations and updates! Until next time... happy caking!
Print📖 Recipe
Twix Cookies
Buttery shortbread topped with stretchy, creamy caramel, all coated in a thin layer of chocolate, cookies inspired by my favorite candy bar Twix
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 15 Cookies 1x
- Category: Cookie
- Method: Easy
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Caramel
- 125g Condensed milk (a little less than ½ cup)
- 23g Brown sugar (2 tbsp)
- 40g Treacle or golden syrup (2 tbsp)
- 45g Unsalted butter (3 tbsp)
- Pinch of salt
Cookie
- 240g All-purpose flour (2 cups)
- 70g Powdered sugar (â…” cup)
- 180g Unsalted butter (¾ cup), chilled and cubed
- 1 Egg yolk
Chocolate Coating
- 250g Compound milk or semi-sweet chocolate (8.8oz)
- Flakey salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
Caramel
- Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil
- Simmer over medium heat until the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture has thickened slightly
- Remove from the heat and place in the fridge to chill completely
Cookie
- Combine the flour and powdered sugar in a large bowl
- Add the chilled butter and rub it into the dry mixture with your fingers until it forms a sand-like texture
- Add the egg yolk and begin to knead the dough until it forms a shaggy dough
- Transfer the cookie dough to your work surface and continue to knead until it comes together to form a ball
- Place the dough between two sheets of baking paper and roll it out to ¼ inch / 6mm in thickness
- Place the dough into the fridge to chill for a minimum of 1 hour
- Preheat the oven to 170C/340F, fan forced, and line an oven tray with baking paper
- Once chilled remove the baking paper and cut out medium-sized rounds with a cookie cutter
- Place the cookies on the lined tray and bake for 15 mins, or until lightly golden brown
- Remove and cool completely
Assembly
- Transfer the caramel to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip
- Pipe a dollop of caramel on top of each cookie, leaving a 1cm / â…“ inch border around the edge of the cookie (this gives the caramel some space to spread)
- Melt the chocolate over a hot water bath or in the microwave until smooth
- Place the cookies on a wire rack and pour the melted chocolate over the cookies to coat
- Carefully transfer the coated cookies onto an oven tray lined with baking paper and sprinkle with flaky salt
- Leave the cookies at room temperature for 30 minutes to set
- Enjoy!
Keywords: caramel, chocolate, cookie, shortbread, twix, salted, butter
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fatma
l like I am very impressed with your work and what you do, it is really amazing and perfect
Catherine Zhang
Thank you!!