These Billionaire's Shortbread Bars are my take on a homemade Twix Bar made even more rich with a pecan shortbread crust, brown butter caramel, and dark chocolate ganache topping. This combination is incredible!
You may be wondering why these are called "Billionaire's" bars. Well, there are quite a few recipes out there called "millionaire's bars" or "millionaire's shortbread" which are basically recipes for homemade Twix candy bars. They mostly feature a plain shortbread crust, a light caramel layer, and a milk chocolate topping. This is, of course, very similar to a classic Twix bar.
Billionaire's Shortbread Bars
I decided to go a little crazy with this idea and make my version much more rich and luxurious by adding pecans to the crust, using brown butter to make the chewy, soft caramel layer, and adding a dark chocolate ganache topping for a sophisticated touch. Oh, and don't forget the little sprinkle of flakey sea salt on top that just set these bars off taste and appearance-wise! And boy, oh, boy are they ever tasty!!
Love caramel? Here are some other delightful recipes with caramel!
- 15-Minute Caramel Sauce -- This easy and quick caramel sauce is a perfect dessert topping.
- Caramel Peanut Clusters -- These little clusters are so chewy and delicious! Plus, they are gluten-free!
- Pumpkin Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting -- This creamy salted caramel frosting can definitely be used on any flavour of cupcakes but it is especially good with these moist pumpkin cupcakes! Fall in a cupcake!!
Just look at those amazing layers! So yummy!!
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Billionaire's Shortbread Bars
Equipment
- 9x9-inch baking pan
- parchment paper
- mixing bowls
- medium-size saucepan
- electric handheld mixer
- measuring cups & spoons
- whisk
- silicone spatula
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- ⅓ cup salted butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup chopped pecans
For the Caramel:
- ½ cup salted butter, room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups sweetened condensed milk (10 ounces)
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons golden corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Ganache:
- ½ cup whipping cream
- ½ cup chopped dark chocolate
- optional: flakey sea salt to garnish
Instructions
To Make the Crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line a 9x9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, allowing the paper to hang over the side of the pan.
- In a medium-sized bowl using an electric handheld mixer on high speed, cream the softened butter and powdered sugar together for 1 minute. The mixture should be smooth and creamy. Add the flour and mix at low speed until incorporated, the mixture should be crumbly. Stir in the chopped pecans. Press the mixture firmly into the prepared baking pan to make a crust. Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes or until slightly golden around the edges. Let the finished crust cool slightly while you prepare the caramel.
To Make the Caramel:
- Melt the salted buttter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring frequently until the butter is chestnut brown in colour and has a nutty aroma. It is completely normal for the butter to sputter, bubble, and foam during the process. Turn off the heat and let cool slightly in the saucepan for about 10 minutes.
- Add the sweetened condensed milk, brown sugar, and corn syrup to the slightly cooled brown butter in the saucepan and whisk to combine. Turn the stove on to medium heat and cook the mixture for about 5 minutes in total, while whisking constantly. The mixture should turn boil and turn a light caramel colour. Take the finished caramel off the heat and whisk in the vanilla before immediately pouring over the finished, slightly cooled crust, spreading well into the edges of the pan and smoothing the top. Let cool to room temperature before refrigerating for at least 1 hour to firm up.
To Make the Ganache:
- Place the chopped dark chocolate in a heat-safe bowl. Heat the whipping cream to scalding and pour over the chocolate. Let sit for 2 minutes before whisking briskly until smooth.
- Pour the ganache over the chilled bars and smooth out the top as best as you can. Top with flakey sea salt, if desired. Cover and return to the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to allow the ganache to firm up.
- To serve, remove the bars from the pan using the overhanging edges of parchment paper as handles. Slice in 16 pieces using a sharp knife. Serve chilled or at allow to warm up on the counter for 15-20 minutes if you prefer a softer caramel. Enjoy!
Love and Cookies,
Naomi ♡
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