Twix Bars

 

I love shortbread. Like, a lot. It's my downfall at Starbucks. I love it so much, it was one of my first blog posts. Something about the crunch and texture. Like kinda sandy.

Once, in line at Marshall's, I was buying shortbread because the cookies stare at you in the check-out aisle, taunting you to make an impulse buy, fueling your shopping adventures with more sugar, I asked the checkout girl if she had ever tried the shortbread that stare at her day in and day out for hours on end? Why no, she was not a fan of my beloved shortbread because they are, and I quote, "sandy" cookies.

That is what she said. I couldn't believe it. Sandy! Cookies! Never thought of shortbread in that way, but I guess she's right. Gah! But I digress. Because these sandy cookies are covered in caramel and chocolate. And that makes any sandy cookie a yummy cookie.

 

Line up those cookies real straight. 

The cookies come in packs of something like 8 cookies per box. To make a 13 x 9 dish of Twix Bars you'll need 4 boxes, but you will only use 3 1/2. That means you get to eat 4 cookies while you make these beauties. But don't quote me on my math -- I could be way off. I just know that you'll have a couple cookies to munch on OR you could half the recipe and make an 8 x 8 dish of cookies. But why would you do that? You need all the Twix you can get in your life! 

 

Unwrap those caramels real fast. 

Lie. Not fast at all. The exact opposite of fast. 

You'll be unwrapping for what seems like 3 days. And you will hate it. And you'll think why the heck am I doing this? But you'll accept your tedious unwrapping task once you pop a couple in your mouth. 

 

I opted to add some salt to the caramel for the sweet salty thing. Unfortunately, it didn't add much salty. If you really want the salty factor punched up, you need to increase your salt to about 1/4 teaspoon. K? Love you! Mean it.

 

Upside down cookies. 

 

Chopped cookies. 

If you are having issues finding the shortbread I used in this recipe, I think that Lorna Doone's would work perfectly or homemade would work, too! 

 

Piled cookies. 

Speaking of cookies, this Cookie Monster video might get a chuckle after your 2 year old plays it on the iPad 283 times in one day (no, not my 2 year old).

Twix Bar cookies! Joy!

Printable Recipe Here

Twix Bars

adapated from A Beautiful Mess

Yield: 28 bars

21 ounces of caramels (or 1 1/2 14 oz. bags) 

1 1/2 tablespoons milk

3 1/2 5.3 ounce packages of Walker's shortbread cookies, or something similar

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1 1/2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 tablespoons lard, coconut or vegetable oil

Place unwrapped caramels and milk into a medium-sized glass bowl, melt in the microwave for a minute at a time, stirring in between, until completely melted, creamy and smooth. Meanwhile, line a 13 x 9 baking dish with parchment paper so the paper hangs about 1" over the sides and line shortbread cookies into the dish. Pour melted caramel over cookies and smooth gently with a spatula. Sprinkle sea salt over the caramel and set aside to harden in the refrigerator for an hour or so.

Once caramel has hardened move the bars, with the parchment, unto a cutting board and slice into 3" x 1/2" bars with a sharp knife. Melt chocolate chips and lard in a medium-sized bowl in the microwave for a minute at a time, stirring in between, until melted. Dip sliced bars into melted chocolate and place on parchment paper to cool and harden.

Keeps for 5-7 days on the counter, a couple weeks in the fridge, or 6-12 months in the freezer. If you don't eat them all in the next 9 minutes.