Homemade Twix Bars

My mother and I both eyed the recipe for these bars found in a magazine. My mother is the one who actually made them. They are supposed to be reminiscent of the popular chocolate bar. Of course it is not an exact replica, but I think the base could definitely be improved as this base is more of a shortbread base rather than a cookie base. Other than that, these squares are certainly sweet and gooey, with plenty of caramel and a nice chocolate topping. But I think there is definitely room for improvement. 

Homemade Twix Bars
COOKIE BASE
1/3 cup butter, softened
3 Tablespoons granulated (white) sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
CARAMEL FILLING
1/3 cup butter
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1 Tablespoon light corn syrup
1 teaspoon molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
CHOCOLATE TOPPING
1 Tablespoon butter
1/3 cup ( 2 ounces) bittersweet or dark chocolate chips, or chopped chocolate

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease or line an 8x8 inch square pan.
CRUST: In a medium bowl, beat the butter and sugar. Mix in the flour. Press evenly in prepared pan. Bake for about 15 minutes until golden.
FILLING: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, milk, syrup, and molasses. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Simmer for 5 to 7 minutes until mixture is slightly thickened and pale golden brown. Stir in vanilla and salt. Immediately pour over crust. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
TOPPING: Melt the butter and chocolate in the microwave until smooth. Spread carefully over the caramel mixture. Refrigerate 30 minutes until set, then cut into squares. 

NOTES & OBSERVATIONS: My mother didn't find there was enough crust, so she ended up whipping up a little more to fill the pan. We think the crust should be baked for a shorter time as well, as it was quite hard. The caramel filling is very good, but didn't seem to firm up as much as it should have, despite being chilled for longer. It also seemed like there was a lot more caramel than crust or chocolate. The chocolate topping didn't come together very smoothly - not sure if it was how or how long it was melted that influenced it. However, my mother was unable to pour the melted chocolate over top, but rather had to spread it, which disturbed some of the caramel.
BOTTOM LINE: They taste delicious, but presentation and serving (they're a bit messy) does not earn top marks!