Twix is my husband’s favorite candy bar, and I immediately knew I wanted to make him these bar cookies when I first saw the recipe for Millionaire’s Shortbread on Joy of Baking.
Millionaire’s Shortbread is nothing other than shortbread topped with a layer of caramel and then a layer of chocolate – just like Twix! It’s a pretty simple and straightforward recipe to make; the only thing that’s even a little difficult/time consuming is the caramel filling.
In her recipe on Joy of Baking, Stephanie uses sweetened condensed milk to make the caramel filling. She says to turn the sweetened condensed milk into caramel, you can either cook the milk down using a stovetop double boiler or the microwave. (I usually go with a stovetop double boiler, but to give you fair warning, it takes quite a bit of time and needs supervision, so plan on being in the kitchen for an hour and a half if you go with that method.)
Paula Deen explains another method for caramelizing sweetened condensed milk. In her recipe for Banoffee Pie, Paula uses the oven to turn the sweetened condensed milk into caramel. To be honest, I’ve had sketchy success with this method in the past, which is why I usually stick with the stovetop double boiler method. Another interesting method for making caramel from sweetened condensed milk is to boil it directly in the can; The Tough Cookie describes this method here. (Just be forewarned, cans have exploded, so be sure you read her post fully and take precautions if you go with this method!)
Last but not least, I recently stumbled on what looks like the easiest (and quickest!) method for making dulce de leche (aka milk caramel) from sweetened condensed milk. Claire Robinson uses a stovetop method but without the double boiler in her recipe for Millionaire’s Shortbread, which is much faster! Next time I make these bar cookies I plan on trying this method.
So, about these cookies…they’re a cute homemade twist on a classic candy bar and they always go over well at parties. They’re also a fun addition to a Christmas cookie platter!
- 12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract, divided
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ + ⅛ teaspoons salt
- 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
- 6 oz good-quality dark or semisweet chocolate (I use 65% cacao)
- For the shortbread, preheat the oven to 350F; line a 9 by 9-inch pan with 2 pieces of parchment paper so that the paper hangs over the edges. Cream together the butter, sugar, and ½ teaspoon vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the flour and salt and stir to combine. Press the dough into the prepared pan and bake until lightly golden, about 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
- For the caramel filling, add the sweetened condensed milk and remaining ½ teaspoon vanilla to a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (make sure the water level is low enough so that it isn't bubbling up onto the bottom of the bowl; periodically check the water level and add more as necessary so the pan doesn't run dry). Drape a piece of aluminum foil over the bowl and cook until the sweetened condensed milk is thickened and light caramel in color, about 60 to 90 minutes, stirring occasionally. If lumpy, transfer to a bowl and beat until smooth. Spread the caramel as evenly as possible onto the cooled shortbread and let the caramel cool to room temperature.
- Once the caramel is cool, melt the chocolate in a double boiler or microwave. Evenly spread the chocolate over the cooled caramel, and allow it to set before cutting into squares.
- Store leftovers wrapped in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Update (November 19, 2014): I made this dish again and snapped a few pictures, so I decided to update the photos in this post.
I’m Faith Gorsky, the writer, cook, and photographer behind An Edible Mosaic. My goal is to inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new! Feel free to 
Karyn Bernard (French Charming) says
November 23, 2009 at 7:04 pmFirst of all I would like to say that your husband has excellent taste in candy bars! Oh…I can’t wait to try this one as Trix is also my favorite candy bar! They look absolutely divine!!
I wanted to tell you that your individual cheesecake pastries were an absolute hit at my office potluck…thanks for making me look good sweet friend!
zoe says
November 23, 2009 at 7:38 pmOooh! I love twix! These wont last long!
Selba says
November 23, 2009 at 7:38 pmWow! Looks totally incredible delicious!!! I like twix :)
Soumya says
November 23, 2009 at 7:50 pmOhh, thats a great recipe and wonderful presentation for the holidays, it tops my to do list.
donna says
November 23, 2009 at 8:22 pmI have got to try these asap! Id love to add them to my holiday tray, they sound fantastic!
Chaya says
November 23, 2009 at 9:08 pmIs there something I can substitute for the condensed milk. I need non dairy. Any suggestions?
ingrid says
November 23, 2009 at 9:10 pmMy one twin like twix bars. It would be fun to make him a homemade version. Did your hubby think these taste similar? Thanks for sharing!
~ingrid
theUngourmet says
November 23, 2009 at 9:20 pmTwix bars are right at the top of my favorite candy bar list. There are second only to Snickers. I love your homemade version! Yum! :D
Nutmeg Nanny says
November 23, 2009 at 9:47 pmThese look AMAZING! Feel free to ship me some…Hehehe :) I’m totally trying these for Christmas.
Heavenly Housewife says
November 24, 2009 at 1:44 amAbsolutely beautiful. They sell millionares shortbread here in the UK and hubby loves it. Imagine how impressed he would be if i made him these :)
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella says
November 24, 2009 at 4:02 amI like Twix bars too so this is such a celver, delicious idea! I love recreating favourite chocolate bars :D
Krista says
November 24, 2009 at 7:07 amMmm…those would be great at a cookie exchange!!!
admin says
November 24, 2009 at 8:32 amKaryn — Yay! I’m so glad you liked the cheesecake pastries! :)
Chaya — I googled “vegan caramel” and this recipe came up: http://dairyfreecooking.about.com/od/sweetsaucesfrostings/r/vegancaramel.htm. I hope this helps!
Ingrid — Yeah, hubby said they did taste like Twix, the major difference was the shortbread…this shortbread wasn’t as crisp as the shortbread in the candy bars.
Heavenly Housewife — You’re absolutely right! Another real hubby pleaser! ;)
holly says
November 24, 2009 at 12:12 pmummm i just forwarded this onto my co-worker. looks ridic good!
Blond Duck says
November 24, 2009 at 12:53 pmSweet wounded wuffles.
ingrid says
November 24, 2009 at 1:05 pmThanks!
~ingrid
Jen says
November 24, 2009 at 7:41 pmWho doesn’t love Twix bars? Your husband and I are in agreement -yum! Perfect! The layering of cookie, caramel, and chocolate is exquisite!
lynn@queenofthecastlerecipes says
November 24, 2009 at 7:56 pmMmmm, mmmm, these look good!
grace says
November 25, 2009 at 6:09 amdang, lady! these look amazing, far better than a twix bar. i say that because more often than not, most of the twix ends up in my lap in the form of crumbs. :)
nora@ffr says
November 25, 2009 at 1:24 pmi should try this for my daughters b’ day party! :) m sure she will love it! thanx faith for sharig!!
cheers!!
Dina says
November 26, 2009 at 4:31 pmyum! these look very good.
Chakh...le...Re!!! says
December 1, 2009 at 4:44 pmlovely bars!! I am craving these now!!
The Wifey says
December 7, 2009 at 6:15 pmHi! Just dropping by to let you know that I linked to your recipe and nine others in a blog post this week, and can’t wait to try it out! Thanks for this awesome kitchen contribution!
—The Wifey
Rose says
December 12, 2009 at 2:12 pmAwesome.Calorie free too .Ha! Ha!
Veronica M. says
January 22, 2010 at 3:15 pmThis is so funny! I saw this pic in your header above so I hunted this down to see if it was what I thought it was. YUP! I just made these last week for Cookie Monday–they were so fabulous!! I make my dulce de leche by boiling it in the can on high for two hours. It always scares me but I make sure not to let the water line drop below the top of the can and I make 2-3 at a time so that I don’t have to do it very often–LOL! Anyway, I love your pic, as usual.