Sourdough Twix Bars

Close up of sourdough twix cookies broken open to show texture.

Featuring layers of sourdough shortbread, buttery salted caramel and milk chocolate, these Sourdough Discard Twix bars are richly indulgent and absolutely irresistible!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Sourdough Discard

Prep Time 35

Cook Time 45

Chilling Time 2

Total Time 3 20

Servings

Calories 240kcal

Author Kate Freebairn

Equipment

2 8x8-inch/20x20-cm pans
Food Processor

Ingredients

Sourdough Shortbread Base

250 g All Purpose Flour
185 g Butter cold and diced
100 g Sourdough Starter (or sourdough discard)
120 g Powdered Sugar
5 g Salt

Caramel Topping

300 g Granulated Sugar
115 g Butter softened
160 g Heavy Cream (left out for 30 minutes)
5 g Salt

Chocolate Coating

450 g Milk Chocolate Chips or chunks (16 ounces)
1-2 tbsp Coconut Oil optional
Flaky Salt optional

Instructions

Make the shortbread base

Preheat the oven to 320ºF/160ºC and grease two 8x8-inch/20x20-cm pans. Cut 2 pieces of parchment that fit your pans with enough overhang on opposite sides for a sling (this makes it easy to remove the shortbread after it’s baked).
Add the flour, butter, powdered sugar, sourdough discard, and salt to a food processor or Thermomix. Pulse until the butter is cut in and it forms a rough dough. Divide the dough in two.
Place one piece of parchment into a prepared pan and place a dough ball on top. Use your fingers to roughly press the dough into the base so you have a layer about 1 cm/½-inch thick. If you want the shortbread dough to be very smooth, you can use the parchment sling to take the dough out and place another piece of parchment on top.
Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough as best as you can, then place it back into the pan. Repeat with the other half of the dough.
Bake the shortbread for 20 to 25 minutes, or until lightly golden on the top. Remove from the oven and let cool completely in the pan.

Make the caramel sauce and top the bars

Meanwhile, make the caramel sauce. Start by measuring out the butter, cream and salt and placing them near your stovetop so you have them to hand.
Place the sugar into a medium sized saucepan and place over a medium heat. Allow the sugar to liquefy (this takes around 10 to 15 minutes depending on your stove top). During this process, you'll need to stir the sugar consistently to ensure it doesn't catch and burn. I use a whisk or spatula to do this. Be patient at this stage of the process!
Once the sugar has fully dissolved and is an amber color, remove from the heat and add the butter cubes. The sugar will froth up and seem like it's going to overflow - this is very normal. Whisk the butter continuously and vigorously until the mixture has completely emulsified together. It will look fairly thick and glossy at this stage. Add the salt and continue to whisk
Slowly add the cream while continuing to whisk. You can stop whisking once all the cream has been added and the sauce looks rich and glossy. Let the caramel sauce cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
Carefully pour half the hot caramel sauce over one cooled shortbread and repeat with the other half. Tilt the pans to make sure the layers are even.
Chill the caramel-covered bars in the fridge for about two hours, or even overnight, covered in foil, until the caramel is set to the touch.

Cut and coat the bars

Once the bars are set, use the parchment paper sling to transfer the caramel-topped shortbread to a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut the shortbread in half, then into 8 to 10 pieces per half.
To coat the bars, place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl (with the coconut oil, if using). Microwave in 30-second bursts until the chocolate is smooth. If you prefer, you can also do this over a double boiler.
Use tongs or clean hands to dip the caramel-covered top into the chocolate and use a spatula to smooth chocolate over all the sides. Transfer the Twix bar to a parchment-lined cookie sheet and repeat until all the bars are covered in chocolate. Place in the fridge for about 15 minutes, or until the chocolate is set.

Notes

Use the best quality ingredients you can, especially the butter, cream and chocolate.
If the caramel sticks while slicing, dip your knife in hot water and wipe dry between cuts.
If the caramel softens too much while dipping, place the bars in the freezer for a few minutes to firm up.
Don’t worry if your bars aren’t perfectly shaped. They’ll taste better than the packaged kind, no matter how they look.

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