Christmas Tree Twix Cookies

These decadent Christmas Tree Twix Cookies are a festive sweet treat that's perfect for the holidays!

I love baking at Christmastime, especially cookies! I mean, you've got to test out all the different cookie recipes to decide which one Santa will like best, right? Just like the candy bar, these Christmas Tree Twix Cookies are made of decadent layers of buttery shortbread, chewy caramel, and smooth chocolate but made festive for the holidays with the Christmas tree shape and red and green sprinkles. The cookies are easy to make, and are the perfect cookie to gift to friends and to share with Santa.

These Twix cookies taste just like the candy bar - better actually, because they are homemade! You can make them into circle or bar cookies, but you can also get festive with different shapes of cookie cutters (like a Christmas tree) to make a festive version! The cookies are made of three layers: cookie, caramel, and chocolate. When you take a bite of the cookie, the combined flavors and textures are decadent without being too sweet.

Shortbread Cookie Layer - This buttery, flaky cookie is just the right texture and flavor to be the base. Shortbread is traditionally not too sweet, so it balances well with the rich caramel and chocolate toppings.

When it comes to the shortbread cookie dough, I recommend that not skipping out on the refrigeration step. It's not necessarily mandatory, but I've found that when the dough is chilled, cutting the cookies is a lot easier and keep their shape better while baking.

Caramel Layer - You can use homemade caramel, pre-packaged baking caramels, or unwrapped caramel bits for this recipe. If you're looking for the easiest route, the caramel bits are my favorite! They are so easy to work with and taste just like the caramel candies.
Chocolate Layer - I recommend using a high-quality chocolate, like Ghirardelli, for the chocolate layer. You can also change things up by using semi-sweet or dark chocolate instead of milk chocolate.

Follow the recipe below to mix up the cookie dough. Once combined, cover the mixing bowl and chill the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. I know, I hate waiting for the dough to chill, too! However, it's important for this dough to be chilled before baking. Not only does the cold firm the dough up, making it easier for cutting, but it also helps prevent the cookies from spreading.

Divide the dough in half, and place one half on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roll the dough right on the baking sheet to about ¼"- ½" thick. Use the Christmas tree cookie cutter to cut the cookies, making sure they are evenly spaced on the baking sheet.

Carefully remove the excess dough from the baking sheet and set it aside. If you don't want to roll the dough on the sheet, you can absolutely roll the dough out the traditional way. After cutting the cookies, arrange them evenly spaced on the baking sheet.

Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes until the edges are *just* golden brown. You don't want to over-bake these cookies! Place the cookies onto a wire rack to cool completely, and then repeat the rolling and cutting process until all of the dough has been used.

Once the cookies have completely cooled, it's time to add the caramel layer. Melt the caramel bits in the microwave in 30 second intervals, or a melt in a double boiler until smooth. If the caramel seems too thick, you can add a small splash of milk to make it into a thinner, spreadable consistency. Use a knife or spoon to cover the tops of the cookies with the caramel. Allow the caramel to cool completely.

Next, melt the chocolate wafers in the microwave in 30 second intervals, or a melt in a double boiler until smooth. Dip the top of the cookies into the chocolate, or carefully spoon it onto the cookie to cover the caramel layer.

While the chocolate is still warm, add holiday sprinkles to decorate the Christmas tree. Allow the chocolate to completely set before serving. To make the process quicker, just pop them into the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes.