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Coffee Toffee Bars

Posted by in Baking, Step-by-Step Recipes

WINNERS – Here are the winners of the KitchenAid mixers:

Jamie M.“We made Cookie Salad last night with girl scout cookies, it was delish!”

Kimberly“We wanted something fruity and spring-like, even though it was February. I had 3 kinds of berries in the freezer, along with some rhubarb–and combined a few recipes to make a delicious rhuberry crisp!”

Congratulations, winners! Contact prizes@tastykitchen.com to claim your loot.

Thank you, everyone, for sharing your most recent desserts.

More fun giveaways next week – see you then!

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I have a problem. I’m addicted to coffee-flavored anything. Coffee caramels, coffee ice cream, tiramisu, coffee itself. So as I was browsing the Desserts category yesterday for a sweet recipe to prepare, I grabbed at the first coffee-flavored treat I could find.

They’re Coffee-Toffee Bars, submitted by nhsweetcherry back in October, and I just knew they’d be something that would satisfy my coffee urges, at least for the afternoon.

When I read the recipe, I noticed right away that they’re not unlike these Spreads that I’ve made since I was a little girl—except with those, you bake the cookie base first, then spread melted chocolate chips over the top. These Coffee Toffee Bars are more of a chunky, substantial bar. Yum!

Here’s how you make them! Verdict is down below…along with a special surprise at the end.

 
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The ingredients. Simple, pure, perfect…except I called the baking powder BAKING SODA. Why do I do this every time?

 
 
 

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The “coffee” in these Coffee Toffee Bars comes from this ingredient—instant coffee granules. Did you know you can add a couple of teaspoons of instant coffee to most chocolate chip cookie recipes? Just throw it into the dry ingredients and it’ll add a delightful depth of flavor.

 
 
 

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The recipe calls for 1 to 2 cups of chocolate chips. I decided to do 1 cup of semi-sweet and 1 cup of MILK CHOCOLATE chips. I’ll let you know how that turns out.

 
 
 

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Begin by creaming softened butter and brown sugar.

 
 
 

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Then you grab these four ingredients: instant coffee, salt, baking powder, and…almond extract! I wondered what that flavor would do the bars, since the standard choice would normally be vanilla.

Intellesting. Velly, velly intellesting.

 
 
 

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Then you dump all of that into the bowl…

 
 
 

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And mix it all together. You’ll want to scrape the sides of the bowl to make sure it all gets mixed together well.

 
 
 

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After that, you dump in the flour. The recipe calls for approximately 2 1/2 cups of flour, so I decided to add the full amount in order to get a point of reference.

 
 
 

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The result was a pretty crumbly dough; I had to really mix it in order for it to come together.

 
 
 

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However, it turned out fine! I dumped it into a greased 9 x 13-inch pan…

 
 
 

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And pressed it lightly into the pan.

Yes, I will be getting a new manicure, probably sometime in the year 2011.

 
 
 

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Then I sprinkled the chocolate chips all over the pressed dough.

 
 
 

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The recipe calls for 1 cup of chips…but UP TO 2 cups. I used about 1 3/4 cup of chips, just to see how far I could push it. ***More on this later***

 
 
 

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Then you just pop it in the oven for about 25 minutes.

 
 
 

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Mmmmm. It smells so, so good.

 
 
 

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The dough isn’t a hugely rising, overly poufy thing since it doesn’t contain eggs or baking soda like the average chocolate chip cookie. But it does rise and pouf just enough to anchor the chocolate chips without completely swallowing them up.

 
 
 

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Look at that yummy crust.

 
 
 

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Cut the bars into squares or rectangles, depending on how many servings you’d like to squeeze out of the recipe.

 
 
 

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Oh, yummy. How lovely!

 
 
 

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And I’m sorry…

 
 
 

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But I had to do this.

The devil made me do it.

 
 
 

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THE VERDICT: These were really delicious. I definitely used too many chocolate chips, though—the chocolate overpowered the flavor of the cookie/bar below. When I make them next time, and I will make them again, I’ll use 1 cup of chocolate chips, tops. Maybe even less. You really want that cookie to shine through.

The almond extract is very interesting! It definitely comes through in the flavor of the cookie. I thought it was delicious, but if you aren’t a fan of almond flavor, I think you could easily substitute vanilla extract.

You could also sprinkle finely chopped pecans on top, before you sprinkle on the chocolate chips.

And vanilla ice cream, of course, would be a divine accompaniment!

Thank you, nhsweetcherry, for sharing such a delightful treat!

Here’s the recipe:

Coffee-Toffee Bars

 
THE FUN PART

And now for the fun part.

Not that Coffee Toffee Bars aren’t fun!

 

Today, Tasty Kitchen is giving away two (2) KitchenAid artisan stand mixers in the classic White color above. There are so many yummy dessert recipes on Tasty Kitchen, and you need one of these babies to facilitate all the baking.

 
TO ENTER

To enter this giveaway, just answer the following question in the Comments section of this post:

“What’s the last dessert recipe you prepared?”

Did you make a chocolate cake last night?

Red velvet cupcakes last week?

Or was it that yellow Easy Bake Oven cake you made in 1974?

Just shout out the last dessert you prepared with your hot little hands (and feel free to include a link to the recipe if it’s online!) and you’re automatically entered to win a mixer.

 
THE RULES

One entry per person, please.

No entries after 11:00 pm Pacific Time Tuesday.

Winners will be selected at random and announced Wednesday morning.

Good luck!

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Contest sponsored by Tasty Kitchen, with cooperation from CHEFS Catalog.

26,637 Comments

Comments are closed for this recipe.

Heather B on 3.2.2010

I made lemon bars this past weekend. Yummy.

Margaret on 3.2.2010

An expresso martini…that’s dessert!

R.Park on 3.2.2010

Birthday Brownies for my friend H.

I just realized how illegal “Birthday Brownies” sounds but they were PG goodness, promise!

katybug on 3.2.2010

Last night I made a trifle that had layers of brownies, chocolate pudding, toffee, and cool whip! Yummo!!!

Traci on 3.2.2010

Seven layer bars and chocolate mint cookies

Lisa on 3.2.2010

The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake Ever from Pioneer Woman! It was trully the best chocolate sheet cake ever!

Liz on 3.2.2010

That would be my french vanilla cake! Doing an awesome “Little Cowgirl” baby shower cake. Three tiers of heaven! Yum! The only thing that would make it better would be that KitchenAid mixer with all three attachments! Come to Mama!

PaulaClark on 3.2.2010

I made rice pudding with some leftover rice on Sunday. Yumm

Jessica Y. on 3.2.2010

I made Honey Bars. They are fabulous. And I hate honey.

Melanie on 3.2.2010

I made a twist on your Best Chocolate Sheet Cake Ever, I call it the Best Peanut Butter Sheet Cake Ever. It is very very simple… just replace the cocoa with peanut butter and milk instead of buttermilk. It was to die for, if you are a peanut butter fiend like myself and my family.

Tricia on 3.2.2010

Chocolate chip cookies.

Solomon Awe on 3.2.2010

Dark chocolate and rum fudge. My research lab loved it, or maybe it was the double dose of rum…

Traci on 3.2.2010

Seven layer bars and chocolate mint cookies for my friend’s engagement party.

Harper 26 on 3.2.2010

I made a three layer German Chocolate cake from scratch for my sisters birthday on Saturday and it was delicious!

Michelle G on 3.2.2010

Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes…amazing!

Emily in NYC on 3.2.2010

The last dessert I made was chocolate fondue. Dipping things is fun!

Negram on 3.2.2010

I made apple dumplings (the ones with Mountain Dew!) for a young family that was moving into a new home. Soooo good!

Sarah on 3.2.2010

I made chocolate cake with pecan sprinkles… nothing fancy, straight out of a box, but it’s my favorite.

Kristin on 3.2.2010

The last dessert I made was your texas sheet cake. I love that it takes almost no time to prepare and it’s always scarfed down when I bring it in the office. Most people think it’s a brownie which I think is weird because it tastes like cake to me!

Winnie on 3.2.2010

I made brownies!

Penny on 3.2.2010

Unfortunately it’s been awhile. Red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting for Valentine’s day pot luck for our church group at my house. It was delicious but a long time ago…

Anna J. on 3.2.2010

The last dessert I made was peanut butter cookies from my mom’s secret recipe! So yummy!

Kathryn on 3.2.2010

“What’s the last dessert recipe you prepared?”
PW’s apple dumplings

Leigh Ann on 3.2.2010

Milkshakes. But only when the kids were asleep.

Alina on 3.2.2010

I made chocolate zucchini brownies

Emily on 3.2.2010

No bake chocolate pizza :) Great for cooking with your little kids!

1 package chocolate bark + a bit of vegetable oil + 1/2 package of white chocolate bark

Zap in microwave until semi-melted

Stir all together, so all the chocolate is melted

Mix in 1 cup peanuts +1 cup small marshmellows + 1 cup rice krispys

Scoop out spoonfuls on to wax paper

Add sprinkles/M&Ms/anything else you want before they cool

Let cool–and eat!

Warning: simple but addicting, and your kids will love them!

Tanya on 3.2.2010

I made truffle brownies – YUM. Basically it’s taking your favorite brownie recipe and adding 8 roughly chopped Lindt truffles to the batter. Ooey, gooey and delicious!

Kelly Harrison on 3.2.2010

Last night I baked dark chocolate brownies with orange, walnuts and white chocolate chips! Hooray!

Angela on 3.2.2010

I made a sour cream apple pie from a recipe on Posy Gets Cosy. It was the best pie I’ve ever made, my housemates and I devoured it!

Robert on 3.2.2010

It was these Brownies: http://thebrownieproject.wordpress.com/2009/08/25/perfect-brownies-for-kids/

Nearly a month ago. This week though I’m gonna break in my new Spring-Form pan and make some cheesecake.

Crystal N on 3.2.2010

Oatmeal cookies! YUMMY and so simple

AnnB on 3.2.2010

m & m peanut butter cookies

Profile photo of outlawwithgrace

outlawwithgrace on 3.2.2010

My grandma’s Chocolate Brownies. I made them for co-op yesterday. I brought 2 pans with 30 brownies on each pan, and came back with only four brownies. They are the best brownies I have ever had! Here is the recipe.

Chocolate Brownies:
1 Cup Butter
4 squares unsweetened Bakers chocolate
1 1/2 Cups flour
1 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Salt
4 Eggs
2 cups Sugar
2 tsp. Vanilla

Preheat oven to 350*.
Melt butter and chocolate together on medium heat on the stove stirring constantly. Let cool. Sift dry ingredients, set aside. Beat eggs until light and add into a large mixing bowl. Add sugar and vanilla to the egg mixture, mix well.Then, mix the chocolate in the bowl then add the sifted ingredients. Pour into greased 9×13 lightly floured pan. Cook for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Icing:
1 cup sugar
1stick butter
1/3 cups cocoa
1/4 cups milk
1 Tablespoon karo
1 tsp. Vanilla

Mix Sugar and cocoa. Add softened butter. Blend in Karo add milk.
Cook on stove top. Bring to a good boil for 1 minute.
Cool, add vanilla and beat with spoon until thick in ice water in the sink.
(Make sure that no water gets into the pan.) Then spread all of the icing evenly over the brownies.

Annette C on 3.2.2010

Cherry crisp. Served warm with ice cream.

Melissa on 3.2.2010

New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies
posted by “Two Peas and Their Pod”
http://twopeasandtheirpod.com/new-york-times-chocolate-chip-cookies/

Yumsters……….they are huge, both crunchy on the edge and soft in the middle.

Teresa on 3.2.2010

The last dessert that I recall making was a homemade carrot cake about a month ago. However, I may be making those coffee toffee bars tonight ;).

Sharon M on 3.2.2010

The last dessert I made was Hawaiian Wedding Cake.

Sonja Morris on 3.2.2010

Russian cream made with fructose topped with mixed berries……Delish!

Nancy Scheufele on 3.2.2010

I made a pound cake with a brown sugar topping. My husband ate it with sweetened strawberries.

Laurie on 3.2.2010

No bake chocolate oatmeal cookies! Just ate two and may go back for a third…

Linda B. on 3.2.2010

Made a heart shaped strawberry cake for Valentine’s Day…and ate almost all of it.

Cydney on 3.2.2010

Cookies, all kinds of cookies with a Valentine’s Day theme to send to my son in Southern Iraq along with another package to one of his battle buddies out of Ft. Lewis, Wa. in Baghdad. Need some Easter ideas for cookies and treats to send to them. Suggestions?

Julie Gaches on 3.2.2010

I made PW’s Chocolately Peanut Butter Pie, very yummy!!

keitt on 3.2.2010

home made brownies

Beth on 3.2.2010

I made an apple crisp – using 6 of the mangiest apples you ever saw lurking in the fruit drawer of the fridge. Delicious, nonetheless!

Joyce on 3.2.2010

The last dessert I made was “A Dutch Apple Pie”. Wait…Did I really make that or was it a frozen pie from the grocery store?

Julianne on 3.2.2010

S’more brownies. YUM!!

emilyG on 3.2.2010

Mud Pie – out of a cooking with children cookbook. Think graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar, and chocolate. Yum!

kimmie on 3.2.2010

I made these last week….YUM!!!!!

http://www.recipezaar.com/Chocolate-Cherry-Merlot-Brownies-210132

Melissa on 3.2.2010

the molten lava cakes for a friends birthday!! which was before lent :( but they were delicious!!!!