Irresistible Christmas Tree Twix Cookies: Your Ultimate Holiday Baking Guide
Get ready to infuse your holiday season with an extra sprinkle of magic and a whole lot of deliciousness! These remarkable Christmas Tree Twix Cookies are more than just a treat; they’re a celebration of festive flavors and joyful baking. Starting with a perfectly tender sugar cookie base, each cookie is generously crowned with a luscious layer of melted caramel, enrobed in smooth, decadent chocolate, and adorned with vibrant, festive sprinkles. Imagine the delightful crunch and chew, the sweet and salty balance, all wrapped up in a charming Christmas tree shape. These aren’t just any holiday cookies; they taste uncannily like your favorite Twix candy bar, but with the heartwarming touch of homemade goodness!
The holiday season is truly my favorite time of year for baking, and these festive delights have quickly ascended to the top of my “must-make” list. I have always been absolutely enamored with the classic Twix candy bar, and the way these cookies capture that iconic flavor profile is simply brilliant. The buttery shortbread-like cookie, the chewy caramel, and the smooth chocolate coating are all present, but with an added charm thanks to their cheerful Christmas tree silhouette. This makes them truly perfect for holiday gatherings, cookie exchanges, or simply enjoying with a warm cup of cocoa by the fireplace. Of course, you don’t have to limit yourself to just Christmas trees; use round cutters or any shape you desire, and you can savor these delightful cookies all year long!
The Magic Behind Christmas Tree Twix Cookies: A Simple Overview
Crafting these holiday-themed Twix cookies is a surprisingly straightforward process that yields incredibly impressive results. The journey begins with a foundational, yet flavorful, sugar cookie dough. This dough is chilled briefly to make it perfectly pliable for rolling and cutting into charming Christmas tree shapes. Once baked to golden perfection and cooled, each cookie receives its first glorious layer: a warm, gooey caramel. This sticky-sweet layer sets the stage for the grand finale – a luxurious dip into melted chocolate, creating that signature candy bar experience. A final touch of festive sprinkles adds visual appeal, making these treats as beautiful as they are delicious. The best part? They’re ready to be devoured as soon as the chocolate has set!
Essential Ingredients for Your Holiday Twix Cookies
Each component of these Christmas Tree Twix Cookies plays a vital role in achieving their delightful flavor and texture. Here’s a closer look at what you’ll need to gather:
Cookie Dough Essentials:
Butter: For the ideal sugar cookie base, softened butter is key. I typically opt for salted butter as it naturally enhances the overall flavor profile by balancing the sweetness. If you prefer to use unsalted butter, simply add an extra pinch of salt to the dough. Whatever you choose, ensure your butter is genuinely softened to room temperature, not melted. Melted butter will drastically alter the dough’s consistency, leading to flatter, greasier cookies.
Sugars: A harmonious blend of granulated sugar and brown sugar contributes both sweetness and a tender chewiness to the cookies. The molasses in brown sugar also adds a subtle depth of flavor. For the best texture and moisture, always ensure your brown sugar is fresh and soft.
Eggs: These are the essential binders in our cookie dough, holding all the ingredients together. Using two large eggs ensures the cookies bake up properly with a cohesive structure, preventing them from crumbling and providing a rich texture.
Vanilla Extract: A high-quality vanilla extract is paramount here, as it significantly elevates the overall flavor of the sugar cookie. For a truly gourmet touch, consider using a good quality vanilla extract or even a Vanilla Bean Paste, which offers a more intense and aromatic vanilla presence.
Flour: All-purpose flour is my go-to for these cookies, providing the perfect balance of structure and tenderness. However, you can experiment with bread flour for a slightly chewier cookie, or pastry flour for an even more delicate crumb, depending on your preference.
Baking Powder: This acts as the primary leavening agent, giving the cookies a slight lift and a tender texture. Always check the expiration date on your baking powder; old or expired leavening agents can lead to flat, dense cookies.
Salt: A small amount of salt is crucial. It doesn’t just add its own flavor; it’s a flavor enhancer that makes all the other sweet notes in the cookie dough “pop,” creating a more balanced and delicious profile.
Decadent Topping Ingredients:
Chocolate: The chocolate layer is a defining characteristic of a Twix cookie. I highly recommend using a 10-ounce bag of Ghirardelli milk chocolate melting wafers for their smooth melting consistency and rich flavor. However, feel free to use your favorite brand or type of milk chocolate. Chocolate chips can also work, but melting wafers or good quality chocolate bars often provide a smoother, glossier finish.
Caramel: For convenience and ease, caramel bits are fantastic as they eliminate the tedious task of unwrapping individual caramels. Simply melt them down, and you’re ready to go! If you can’t find bits, regular soft caramels (like Kraft Caramels) unwrapped and melted will work just as well.
Sprinkles: While entirely optional, sprinkles are the perfect way to add a festive flourish to your Christmas Tree Twix Cookies. Choose red, green, and white for a classic holiday look, or any colors that match your festive theme!
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Craft Christmas Tree Twix Cookies
Making these delightful holiday treats is a joyous process, and following these steps will ensure your Christmas Tree Twix Cookies turn out perfectly every time. Each stage, from preparing the dough to adding the final chocolate layer, is designed for ease and maximum flavor payoff.
Preparing the Perfect Cookie Dough
The foundation of these amazing cookies is a well-prepared sugar cookie dough. Start by creaming together your softened butter, both granulated and brown sugars, eggs, and vanilla extract in a stand mixer or with a handheld mixer. This initial mixing for 2-3 minutes is crucial for incorporating air, resulting in a light and fluffy base. Next, gently fold in your dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix until a cohesive dough forms. It might seem a little sticky at this stage, but resist the urge to add extra flour! Chilling the dough will firm it up wonderfully, making it much easier to handle for rolling and cutting.
Cutting and Baking Your Festive Shapes
Once your dough is nicely chilled, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper. Divide the dough and roll it out directly onto the parchment-lined sheets. Using a festive Christmas tree cookie cutter, press out your shapes, ensuring they are evenly spaced. Carefully remove the excess dough around the trees; this can be re-rolled and cut. Bake your cookies for precisely 11 minutes. This baking time is essential for a tender, not overly crisp, cookie. Repeat this process until all your dough has been transformed into charming Christmas trees.
Creating the Silky Caramel Layer
As your freshly baked cookies cool, prepare the star of the show: the gooey caramel layer. Melt your caramel bits using either a microwave (in 30-second bursts, stirring in between) or a double boiler until it’s perfectly smooth and lump-free. If the caramel seems a bit too thick to spread easily, a tiny splash or two of milk will help achieve that ideal, silky consistency. With a knife or a small spoon, spread a generous layer of this warm, melted caramel over the top of each cooled Christmas tree cookie. This creates the signature chewy heart of our Twix-inspired treats.
The Irresistible Chocolate Coating
Finally, for the decadent chocolate shell, melt your chocolate wafers in a microwave-safe bowl. Use 30-second intervals, stirring diligently after each, until the chocolate is gloriously smooth and fluid. Dip each caramel-topped cookie into the melted chocolate, ensuring it just barely covers the caramel layer. This creates that perfect balance of cookie, caramel, and chocolate. If you’re adding festive sprinkles, do so immediately after dipping, while the chocolate is still wet, to ensure they adhere beautifully. Allow the chocolate to fully set – perhaps in the fridge for a quick chill – and then prepare to enjoy your magnificent homemade Christmas Tree Twix Cookies!
Christmas Tree Twix Cookies
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Ingredients
Cookie dough:
- 1 cup butter softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Topping ingredients:
- 1 bag 10 oz Ghirardelli milk chocolate melting wafers
- 1 bag 11 oz caramel bits
- sprinkles optional
Instructions
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MAKE THE COOKIE DOUGH: In a stand mixer or hand held mixer, combine the butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla and mix for about 2-3 minutes or until fluffy.
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Add in the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix until a dough forms. If the dough seems too wet, resist the urge to add more flour! When you let it chill in the fridge, it should firm up to make rolling out and cutting easier.
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Cover the cookie dough and let it chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
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CUT OUT AND BAKE THE COOKIES: Preheat the oven to 350°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
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Remove the dough from the fridge and divide the dough onto the two baking sheets. Roll the dough out onto the parchment lined baking sheets and use a christmas tree cookie cutter to cut out cookies, evenly spaced on the pans. Remove the excess dough from around the tree cookies and set aside for later.
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Place the cookies in the oven and bake for 11 minutes. Repeat the processes of cutting out the tree shapes until all the dough is used.
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CARAMEL LAYER: While the cookies cool, melt the caramel bits in the microwave or in a double boiler (you can use a bowl over a saucepan of boiling water). If using the microwave, microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between each one until caramel is completely smooth and melted. If the caramel seems too thick, add a splash or two of milk to make it easier to spread.
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Spread caramel over each cookie using a knife or spoon.
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CHOCOLATE LAYER: Place the chocolate wafers into a microwave-safe bowl and melt them in the microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring between each interval until the chocolate is smooth. Dip each cookie into the chocolate, just barely covering the caramel layer.
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Decorate with sprinkles if you’d like, making sure to place them before the chocolate sets.
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Allow chocolate to fully set and enjoy!
Nutrition
Expert Tips for Flawless Christmas Twix Cookies
Achieving bakery-quality Christmas Tree Twix Cookies at home is entirely possible with a few insider tips. Pay close attention to these details for the best possible results:
- Mind the Dough Consistency: Sugar cookie dough is naturally quite sticky. This is normal! The key to making it workable is sufficient chilling time. Resist the temptation to add more flour to a wet-looking dough before it has chilled. Adding too much flour throws off the delicate balance of wet and dry ingredients, leading to cookies that are dry, crumbly, and lose their tender chewiness. The fridge will do the heavy lifting of firming it up.
- Butter Temperature Matters: Always use softened, room-temperature butter, not melted butter. Softened butter creams beautifully with sugar, incorporating air that gives cookies their light texture. Melted butter, on the other hand, will result in a greasy dough and flat, hard cookies. Plan ahead to let your butter sit out for an hour or two.
- Creaming for Perfection: Don’t rush the creaming process of butter and sugars. Dedicate a solid 2-3 minutes to mixing them until they are light and fluffy. This step is crucial for aerating the mixture, which directly impacts the final texture of your cookies, making them tender and airy rather than dense.
- Preheat Your Oven Properly: Always allow your oven to fully preheat to the specified temperature. A properly preheated oven ensures that your cookies begin baking immediately at the correct temperature, leading to even baking and preventing them from spreading too much or baking inconsistently.
- Invest in Baking Liners: Using parchment paper or a silicone baking mat on your baking sheets is a game-changer. These liners create a non-stick surface, making it incredibly easy to remove your delicate cookies without any scraping or breakage, ensuring they retain their perfect festive shapes.
- Optimal Dough Thickness: When rolling out your dough, aim for a consistent thickness of about 1/4 inch. If the dough is too thin, your cookies will bake up crispy, hard, and prone to breaking. Conversely, if the dough is too thick, the cookies may not bake through evenly in the center, leaving them doughy in the middle and overbaked on the edges. Consistency is key for a tender, perfectly baked cookie.
- Avoid Overbaking: Sugar cookies can go from perfectly baked to overbaked very quickly. Keep a close eye on them! Even if the tops don’t look fully “done,” if the edges or bottoms start to turn golden brown, it’s time to take them out. They will continue to set as they cool, resulting in a soft, tender center.
Storing Your Delicious Twix Holiday Cookies
To keep your festive Christmas Tree Twix Cookies tasting fresh and delightful for as long as possible, proper storage is essential. Once the chocolate layer has completely set and hardened, carefully transfer the cookies into an airtight container. Layering them between sheets of parchment paper can help prevent sticking and preserve their beautiful appearance. Store the container at room temperature, away from direct sunlight or heat. The airtight seal will protect them from drying out and help maintain their soft, chewy texture. Additionally, ensuring your cookie dough is rolled to the correct thickness during preparation contributes significantly to their longevity and prevents them from becoming brittle.
How Long Do Homemade Twix Cookies Last?
When stored correctly in an airtight container at room temperature, your homemade Christmas Tree Twix Cookies will maintain their optimal freshness and delicious flavor for up to one week. If you need to store them for longer, they can be frozen for up to 2-3 months. To freeze, arrange the cookies in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Then, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container, again separating layers with parchment paper to prevent sticking. Thaw at room temperature before serving for a delicious treat that tastes just as good as fresh!
More Chocolate Caramel Cookie Delights
If you’re as big a fan of the irresistible chocolate and caramel combination as we are, then you’re in for a treat! We have a whole collection of recipes that capture that magical Twix-like flavor in various delightful forms:
You’ll definitely want to explore these Twix Cookie Cups, which feature buttery shortbread cups generously filled with warm, gooey melted caramel and rich chocolate – a truly decadent bite-sized dessert.
For an incredibly quick and easy fix, these Twix Cookie Bites are a must-try. Made with just 3 simple ingredients, they deliver big on flavor with minimal effort!
Our Caramel Brownie Cookies offer a different twist, starting with a convenient cake mix base and featuring a delightful surprise of soft caramel centers.
These Stuffed Rolo Cookies take a classic sugar cookie and elevate it by stuffing it with the iconic chocolate caramels. For a chocolate lover’s dream, try this chocolate version, made with a rich chocolate cake mix for an extra cocoa boost!
And of course, for the ultimate candy bar experience in a sliceable form, our Twix Cookie Bars are legendary. They’re built with a baked layer of crisp shortbread cookie, lavishly topped with chewy caramels, and then covered in a smooth chocolate layer. Just look at that gooey caramel – pure bliss!
These Christmas Tree Twix Cookies are truly a highlight of holiday baking. With a simple, buttery sugar cookie base, a rich caramel filling, a smooth chocolate coating, and a sprinkle of festive cheer, they deliver the irresistible taste of your favorite candy bar in a delightful holiday shape. Get ready to bake, share, and enjoy!