Chocolate Espresso Bars

The problem with visiting food blogs … is that when I’m done with my rounds, I have another set of recipes to add to my to-try pile.  The same holds true, of course, for watching Food Network and reading cooking magazines.  Of course that doesn’t stop me, but sometimes, the clippings, well, they threaten to take over.  Case in point: a few weeks ago, I headed to The Pioneer Woman‘s semi-new cooking forum, Tasty Kitchen.  A co-worker wanted me to make a recipe from there and I had misplaced my copy.  Once there, I lost all track of time and some forty-five minutes later, another ten recipes to make, I found what I was looking for.  One of the recipes I printed out was this one for Chocolate Espresso Bars.  You might remember seeing the picture in a Weekend Photos in Review post recently.  Technically, on The Tasty Kitchen, they are called Coffee Toffee Bars.  I wasn’t getting the “toffee” part, and renamed them in my head right away.

The recipe is crazysimple and the hint of coffee in the dough gives you a nice little java fix from the get-go.  The bars cut super-neat, and they smell amazing while they’re baking.  I bet you even have the ingredients on hand already, making it a fun sweet treat to whip up on the spot when you need to satisfy a craving or have last-minute guests pop in.

Project 365
March 18, 2010, Photo #66

I am not a big flip-flop fan. Never have been, though I’m working on it. Madeline, on the other hand, has got that area covered. And then some. Every morning, when I get her ready, I put on her socks and shoes. Once we get downstairs, I head to the kitchen to get her morning milk, and she has, within minutes, taken off her socks and shoes and put on Nick‘s flip-flops. There are constantly little socks left in her wake around the first floor, and very often hidden wherever she feels like stashing them. I missed a class last week because not only had she hidden her socks, but her shoes too. So maddening sometimes, it’s a darn good thing she’s so cute.

A year ago today … a tasty weeknight meal courtesy of Sausage Stromboli.
Three years ago today … big, fat delicious chocolate chip cookies.
Four years ago today … a field trip to a local foodie haunt.
Chocolate Espresso Bars (aka Coffee Toffee Bars)
Recipe courtesy of The Tasty Kitchen

1 cup soft butter or margarine
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon instant coffee (up to 2 tablespoons for more flavor) (I used espresso powder)
½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoons salt
2-½ cups flour (approximately)
1 cup chocolate chips (up to 2 cups!)

Cream together the butter and brown sugar. Blend in the almond extract, instant coffee, baking powder and salt. Add enough flour to make a stiff dough. Press into a well-greased 9×13 pan (or a jellyroll pan if you’re doubling it) and sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Bake at 350 F for 20 to 25 minutes.

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