Soft, buttery, crumbly shortbread cookie base that’s spiced with ginger and warming spices, and then covered in smooth, creamy vanilla caramel and semi-sweet chocolate layers.
Christmas treats
Growing up, my family never celebrated Christmas, although we definitely enjoyed the spirit of the holidays. Family dinners and get togethers happened, and considering those were the only times I was allowed to consume a bit of alcohol as a kid, I had even more reason to enjoy ’em. And food played a very important part during the holidays, as it often does. I’ve been trying to recapture a bit of that spirit by going on a baking spree these last two weeks with some classic Christmas treats. And one thing that I just can’t get enough of is COOKIES. As a kid, I was the girl who ate only the cookies that had chocolate on ’em from the cookie assortment box and left everything else untouched. Yep, I knew what I wanted and I went for it. I had conviction even as a kid. Even if it only applied to cookies.
Millionaire’s Shortbread (Homemade Twix Bars)
And one type of cookie that always had a special place in my heart were cookies with caramel and chocolate. So it probably shouldn’t come as a surprise to you that I also love Twix bars! 🙂 And I bring you guys the homemade version of that today – Millionaires Shortbread Cookies, or caramel squares, or caramel shortbreads, or caramel crowns or whatever you want to call them! It’s the absolutely divine combination of soft, crumbly, buttery shortbread cookie, smooth caramel and luscious chocolate. Maybe that’s why they call it that. It’s like the only time you’re going to feel like a millionaire while eating a candy bar. Unless of course, you know, you are a millionaire.
How to make classic millionaire’s shortbread even better
So we all agree that it’s rich, decadent and tastes incredible right? But could you make it better? You’re damn right, you could. How about kicking it up a notch with some gingerbread flavors to make Spiced Ginger Millionaires Shortbread? As much as I love making gingerbread cake, gingerbread cupcakes, gingerbread truffles, gingerbread house etc., I love the idea of incorporating those festive flavors into other candy recipes and cookies and bar recipes even more! So, here I made an incredibly soft, crumbly spiced ginger shortbread cookie base that incorporates ginger, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg. That’s basically all the flavors of gingerbread, sans molasses. Then I topped it with a smooth, delectable vanilla caramel layer and a semi-sweet chocolate layer. Yup, I made spiced ginger twix candy bars, and I’m not even sorry. 🙂 And the best part? These are surprisingly easy to make too! Perfect for gift-giving this holiday season. Or to indulge with a cup of coffee. That sounds more like me anyway. I modified my recipe for Cardamom Orange Melting Moments for the base in these millionaires shortbread cookie bars. I just loved how soft, crumbly and melt-in-your-mouth those cookies were, and I really wanted to use that texture for the base here. So this base isn’t going to be crunchy, it’s a more crumbly and buttery base. It’s delicate, so you have to be just a little careful when you handle the base. I actually cracked mine a little while trying to move it. The vanilla caramel layer is buttery, soft and delicious. It’s not too chewy and totally addictive. And it’s really easy to make if you have a candy thermometer (it’s really not intimidating at all, even with the candy thermometer 🙂 ). But if you don’t have one, you can buy soft caramels and then heat and melt them instead. I used compound chocolate to cover the cookie + caramel bars here. I love using couverture chocolate, but compound chocolate is easier to find and less finicky to work with. But of course if you can get your hands on some couverture chocolate, you should totally go for it. That wonderful creamy flavor and the sheen and snap you get with couverture chocolate are hard to beat. And finally, a dusting of gold luster petal dust on the candy bars, because you know, it’s the festive season after all.
Recipe highlights
These millionaires shortbread cookie bars have everything going for them. That wonderful contrast of textures with the buttery, crumbly shortbread cookie layer and the soft, slightly chewy caramel layer and the cold, hard snap of the chocolate layer on top. And then of course you have all those amazing flavors. The ginger shortbread cookie layer spiced with cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg, topped with slightly salted vanilla caramel layer and semi-sweet chocolate that tempers the sweetness of the caramel. I seriously love that warmth, that spicy kick you get from the ginger and all the spices in the shortbread cookie layer. The vanilla caramel is also soft, buttery and melts in your mouth with minimal effort. Just the way I like it. These are insanely addictive, you better believe it! 🙂
More Christmas cookie recipes you’ll love
Classic shortbread cookies Chocolate shortbread cookies Linzer cookies Classic thumbprint cookies Soft ginger cookies Funfetti cookies Buttery espresso shortbread cookies S’mores cookies Juniper berry spiced chocolate hazelnut cookies Chocolate chip and cranberry shortbread cookies Italian pistachio cookies Mexican wedding cookies (snowball cookies) Thyme and cheddar cheese cookies (savory cookies) Savory thumbprint cookies
The simple twist here was the addition of those warming spices that are characteristic of gingerbread cookies, but it makes a huge difference in flavor. If you like Twix, you’re going to love this! 🙂 If you liked this recipe don’t forget to subscribe for new (and free) recipes and updates by entering your email address below (and get all these recipes delivered straight to your inbox), so you don’t miss out on a thing. You can find me on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST and GOOGLE-PLUS too.
