toffee caramel and chocolate squares (aka homemade twix bars)

i made these as a sweet treat for my husband who has been working so hard as he is studying for final exams and writing a ridiculous amount of papers to close out his collegiate career. he's almost done!! (WOOHOO!) so to reward his efforts, i decided that a sweet treat was in order... i wasn't quite sure how they would turn out, but i've been wanting to make them for awhile and i was really happy with the turn-out. it wound up tasting a lot like a homemade twix bar. these would be great on a holiday platter of sweet treats!

ingredients:
for the crust:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
10 tablespoons butter or margarine, cold

for the filling:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 can sweetened condensed milk
4 tablespoons light corn syrup

for the chocolate glaze:
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon shortening

directions:
1. in a bowl, combine flour and sugar.

2. cut in butter until crumbly.

3. press flour mixture into a greased 9x13 inch baking pan.

4. bake mixture at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.

5. once crust is complete, combine the filling ingredients in a saucepan. bring to a boil over medium-high heat. boil and stir continuously for 6-7 minutes.

it doesn't look so pretty when it first goes in...

but it gets better as it melts...

6. pour caramel mixture over crust.

7. in a microwave, melt chocolate chips and shortening. melt in 30 second increments and stir after each 30 second interval until chocolate mixture is easy to stir. pour chocolate on top.

8. let sit for 2-3 hours to set completely.

9. cut into bars and serve!

i've done other layered desserts before, but this one is one of the prettiest! the layers gel together really well too without falling apart from one another. i found this pretty fun to make! this dessert is VERY rich, so it's a good idea to cut the bars into smaller sizes and put them on a platter for a party or holiday gathering. it also works wonders when you make them for someone as a yummy surprise. hubs loved them, and i did too!! as a matter of fact, i may enjoy another bite now with a glass of milk...

fin.