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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.

Linda on 3.2.2010

The last dessert-type thing I made was anise cookies for Christmas. We had a lot of fun mispronouncing anise. In fact, I now see that word and intentionally mispronounce it in my head, just as I mispronounce the anise extract that goes into it. I laugh now (in my head of course) just thinking about it. Thanks for the contest! Oh, and by the way, I also entered for the Le Creuset pot last week hoping I would get it for my birthday. I didn’t, of course, but now you’re drawing for this ON my birthday. This would make an awesome birthday present for me!! Don’t you think?

mandi ferrell on 3.2.2010

Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Debbie Rivers on 3.2.2010

Candy bar cake.

Jen M on 3.2.2010

I made apple crisp last night for my number one man. <3

rosanna on 3.2.2010

I made a spicy raisen nut cake last night…so good i even skipped making the frosting!

Tiffany on 3.2.2010

I made cinnamon rolls for my FIL on Friday. (Yes, I did eat half of them myself…it wouldn’t be healthy for him to have all those!)

Valerie McCollum on 3.2.2010

I made the Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes from your blog for my whole family…they were soooo delicious and wonderful!! In a silent moment as the cakes were being devoured, my two year old nephew (face covered in chocolate) looked up at his Mom and said, “I yuv these Mommy!!”…which only made them that much better!!!!

Melissa on 3.2.2010

Lemon poppyseed muffins with lemon glaze last night. They were fantastic!

Niki38 on 3.2.2010

Brownies in a heart-shaped pan for my honey on Valentines Day.

Krystle on 3.2.2010

Hmm, I think that the last dessert I made was a batch of cupcakes for Mardi Gras.

Rachel on 3.2.2010

My daughter was begging me to make a cake, so she and I made a carrot cake Sunday night.

Profile photo of Shelley

Shelley on 3.2.2010

I made chocolate chip banana bread.

amybee on 3.2.2010

Peanut butter cookies for my dad’s birthday.

Nicole on 3.2.2010

I made the Valnetine’s Heart Cake Box from Bakerella’s website, but use it for our anniversary. Oh man, he loved it! That baby was gone…

Gina on 3.2.2010

fudge pie! yum!

Alisa on 3.2.2010

Nutter Butter balls

Sarah on 3.2.2010

Yesterday, just for kicks, I made some brownies from a box mix…I usually do homemade desserts, but boxed brownies are my favorite kind! :-p

Mel on 3.2.2010

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies.
LINK

Amy McGee on 3.2.2010

I made a chocolate trifle dish! Delish!
You take chocloate cake and toffee chips and Kaluha and choclate syurp and CoolWhip and layer it is a trifle dish.
So yummy and moist and a feast for the eyes too…..

Amy on 3.2.2010

Just made my dad a coconut cake for his birthday!

Melissa Albertson on 3.2.2010

Angel food cake with strawberries.

Tiffany on 3.2.2010

Pdubs chocolate sheet cake! I ate the whole thing and then gave up chocolate for lent. and the rest of my life.

Emily Hodge on 3.2.2010

Chocolate Chip Cookies at Christmas – what’s wrong with me – that was months ago!!!

Carolyn Shafer on 3.2.2010

Creme Brule

Steven S on 3.2.2010

A family recipe for spiced fudge pudding!

quesa on 3.2.2010

ice cream roll up cake! delicious!

Sharleen on 3.2.2010

Last night I made rhubarb upside down cake. It was a great way to look forward to spring.

becky g. on 3.2.2010

rice krispie squares! or rice krispie treats as you americans call them. :)

Grace on 3.2.2010

Almond Cranberry Scones. It’s the English in me. :-)

Melissa Newby on 3.2.2010

Coconut Cream Pie!! So yummy!! And only 200 calories a slice!

KookyCulinary on 3.2.2010

Peanut butter chip cookies!

Stephanie Yepez on 3.2.2010

Brownies

Eugene on 3.2.2010

Apricot Teacakes. My wife spoils me.

Danielle Wivagg on 3.2.2010

Homemade Chocolate Chip cookies last night! Yum!

Cindy on 3.2.2010

I made a 4 Layer Spice Cake with Peaches & Whipped Cream. For Changstein’s birthday. I got ALOT of good wife credits for that!

joyjoy on 3.2.2010

Red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese and vanilla bean frosting. I’m drooling just thinking about them again…

Audi B on 3.2.2010

i made an ice cream cake out of ice cream sandwiches!! it was amazing!!

Chris on 3.2.2010

Some cheese rolls over the weekend (hey, I was in the mood for savory, and cheese can be a dessert!). I think the last sweet thing I made was mint brownies.

Brenda B on 3.2.2010

fudge swirl cake.

Jamie on 3.2.2010

key lime bars, except I used ginger snaps for crust. Crust floated making bars gooey mess, however they wer still consumed with zest

Sarah on 3.2.2010

Chocolate cake garnished with strawberries for my father’s birthday. I used leftover ganache from the frosting to make some chocolate covered strawberries too!

Joan in London on 3.2.2010

Apple crisp……it was delicious warm from the oven with a big ol scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.

Cathy on 3.2.2010

Banana cream pie :)

Carolyn McLain on 3.2.2010

chocolate covered breadsticks….and i’m currently munching on one now! White chocolate is my favorite.

Jenny on 3.2.2010

I made blueberry crumb bars last night! yummmm

Stefanie on 3.2.2010

Do blueberry scones count? If not, I think the last thing I made was a chocolate pound cake for someone’s birthday.

Stephanie-Oh on 3.2.2010

I made KA’s Triple Play Peanut Butter cookies over the weekend for my granddaughter. They are my absolute favorite peanutbutter cookies ever.

Onna on 3.2.2010

The last dessert I made was a chocolate with chocolate icing. I could go for more now. Ha

Melissa E on 3.2.2010

I have made to two….The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake and Prune Cake! We loved the chocolate cake best, but my sister said the prune cake was the moistest cake she had ever eaten! No matter what I cook for my family, my sister is who I strive to please!

I just showed my son the coffee-toffee bars and he asked me to make them tonight…. he is addicted to anything that tastes like coffee as well and he is only 12!

Marie L on 3.2.2010

Lemon Squares.