Ingredients
For the Shortbread Crust
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
For the Salted Caramel
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
For the Chocolate Coating
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp instant espresso powder
Make and Bake the Shortbread
First, preheat your oven to 350 F. Line an 8×8 inch pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides so you can lift the bars out later.
In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter and light brown sugar together until they’re completely combined and the mixture looks glossy.
Whisk in the egg and vanilla extract.
Add the flour and kosher salt and fold with a spatula until a soft dough forms.
Press the dough into an even layer in the bottom of your prepared pan. Bake for ~20 minutes, until the edges are set and lightly golden. Set the pan aside to cool while you make the caramel.
Make the Salted Caramel
In a medium saucepan, combine the unsalted butter, dark brown sugar, corn syrup, and kosher salt.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the butter is melted and the sugar has dissolved.
Stir in the sweetened condensed milk and bring the mixture to a low boil. Let it bubble gently for ~5-7 minutes, stirring the whole time, until it has thickened slightly.
Pour the hot caramel evenly over the cooled shortbread crust.
Let the pan cool at room temperature for ~30 minutes, then move it to the fridge to chill for at least ~2 hours, or until the caramel is completely firm.
Cut and Coat the Bars
Once the caramel is set, use the parchment paper overhang to lift the whole thing out of the pan and onto a cutting board.
Use a very sharp knife to cut the block into 16 bars, about 3 inches long and 3/4 inch wide. A hot, clean knife works best here; run it under hot water and wipe it dry between cuts.
Place the cut bars on a parchment-lined plate or small baking sheet and put them back in the freezer to stay firm while you melt the chocolate.
In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips, vegetable oil, and instant espresso powder. Microwave in ~20-second intervals, stirring between each, until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.
Drop one cold caramel bar at a time into the melted chocolate. Use a fork to turn it over and make sure it’s fully coated.
Lift the bar out of the chocolate with the fork, letting any excess drip off, and place it on a clean piece of parchment paper. Repeat with the rest of the bars.
Place the finished bars in the fridge until the chocolate has completely hardened.
Homemade Twix Bars
Ingredients
For the Shortbread Crust
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 stick, melted
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
For the Salted Caramel
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 stick
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk 14-ounce
For the Chocolate Coating
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp instant espresso powder
Instructions
- Line 8×8 pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang. Preheat oven to 350F.
- Whisk melted butter and light brown sugar until glossy.
- Whisk in egg and vanilla extract.
- Fold in flour and salt until soft dough forms.
- Press dough evenly into pan. Bake 20 minutes until edges are golden.
- Combine butter, dark brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt in saucepan over medium heat until melted.
- Stir in condensed milk, bring to low boil. Cook 5-7 minutes until thickened, stirring constantly.
- Pour caramel over cooled shortbread. Cool 30 minutes at room temperature.
- Refrigerate 2 hours until firm.
- Lift from pan using parchment. Cut into 16 bars (3″ x 3/4″).
- Freeze bars while preparing chocolate coating.
- Microwave chocolate chips, oil, and espresso powder in 20-second intervals until melted.
- Dip each frozen bar in chocolate, coating completely.
- Place on parchment paper. Refrigerate until chocolate hardens.
Notes
