Twix Cookies

My favorite candy bar has long been the Twix. The crunchy cookie, the ooey gooey caramel, and the melt-on-your-hands-and-in-your-mouth chocolate has made itself a home in my heart. And so, when I saw these cookies for the first time, I knew I had to make them. Pronto.

The shortbread cookie is phenomenal. It has a wonderful salt/sugar combination and is just the right texture. It converted me from an "I like shortbread on occasion" to an "I loveshortbread, feed me moooore" kind of girl. The shortbread could easily stand alone, but when combined with the chocolate and caramel? Let me just say you will no longer be buying Twix bars from the supermarket.

Twix Cookies
Adapted from Foodie With Family

Yields 36 cookies

Shortbread Cookies
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Lightly grease a mini-muffin pan.

Beat together the butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the flour and continue beating until the mixture has the appearance and texture of sand.

Heap the dough into the muffin cups. Press firmly into the cups. Make a circular indent with your thumb to make a nice pocket for the caramel.

Bake shortbread cookies for 15 minutes, no more no less. Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan before moving to a cooling rack.

Caramel
1 cup sugar
5 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

To prepare the caramel, heat the sugar in a thick-bottomed large saucepan on a moderately high heat. As the sugar begins to melt, stir quickly to allow for even heating. Once boiling, do not stir the sugar. Once the sugar is a dark amber in color (like an old penny), add butter. Whisk until the butter is melted. Remove from heat.

Wait a few seconds before adding the cream. The sugar will boil, bubble, and steam like crazy (watch out for your hands) and whisk until caramel becomes smooth. Let cool.

Fill the cooled shortbread cookies with caramel and allow to settle.

Chocolate
12 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, melted

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler and stir until smooth. Dip the bottom of each cookie into the chocolate and let excess drip off before placing the cookie onto wax paper to cool. Any chocolate leftover in the double boiler can be placed in a pastry bag and piped onto the top of the cookie in any style you choose.

And there you have it--homemade Twix cookies.