Twix Bars

The dulce de leche is finally finished! It ended up happily sandwiched between shortbread and chocolate in what is classically known as Millionaire's Shortbread. Because it does have all the elements of a Twix bar, I took the liberty of renaming them so that I wouldn't have to explain what Millionaire's Shortbread is to the girls. What I liked about these is the contrast between the crunchy shortbread cookie and the smooth, creamy caramel and chocolate toppings. My very first taster, R, wheedled me into giving her the first tasting and she quite enthusiastically raved about these. The truth is, with such a killer combination of flavors here, it's hard to go wrong. They are also incredibly easy to assemble, especially if you're not making your own dulce de leche. This recipe comes from Flo Braker's Baking for All Occasions. The only change I could possibly think to make is to add a bit of salt to the shortbread layer, an ingredient surprisingly missing. The cookie is fine without it but the salt would much improve it. No cookie should ever be without salt! Cut these rich cookies into small squares and serve. I'm just wondering.... is it too soon to restock up on the dulce de leche?

Twix Bars

slightly adapted from Baking for All Occasions

Shortbread:

1 3/4 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

6 ounces cold margarine, sliced

Filling:

A heap of prepared dulce de leche, depending on how thick of a layer you want

Chocolate Topping:

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

2 ounces margarine

Preheat the oven to 350. Line a 9x13 inch pan with parchment. Set aside.
In a bowl, place the flour, sugar and salt.
Whisk to combine.
Add in the margarine. Combine with your hands or a food processor until the mixture has coarse crumbs and much of the flour is absorbed.
Pour the mixture into the pan,
and press it in as evenly as you can. If you remember, (I did not!) prick the surface with a fork.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until lightly golden.
When the crust has cooled, spread the dulce de leche in an even layer over the bottom. Refrigerate until set and cooled.
Place the chocolate and margarine in a pot or microwave safe bowl.
Heat until almost melted. Stir until smooth.
Pour this onto the caramel layer.
Spread until smooth. Chill this mixture until the topping is set.
Cut, plate and serve!