The Pioneer Woman Tasty Kitchen
Profile photo of Ree | The Pioneer Woman

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!

___________________________________________________

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.

 
TPW_9126

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

 
 
 

TPW_9129

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.

 
 
 

TPW_9127

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.

 
 
 

TPW_9132

Begin by creaming softened butter and brown sugar.

 
 
 

TPW_9135

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.

 
 
 

TPW_9139

Then you dump all of that into the bowl…

 
 
 

TPW_9141

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

 
 
 

TPW_9142

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.

 
 
 

TPW_9150

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

 
 
 

TPW_9155

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

 
 
 

TPW_9159

And pressed it lightly into the pan.

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

 
 
 

TPW_9167

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

 
 
 

TPW_9172

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***

 
 
 

TPW_9177

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

 
 
 

TPW_9179

Mmmmm. It smells so, so good.

 
 
 

TPW_9183

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.

 
 
 

TPW_9190

Look at that yummy crust.

 
 
 

TPW_9194

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

 
 
 

TPW_9199

Oh, yummy. How lovely!

 
 
 

TPW_9216

And I’m sorry…

 
 
 

TPW_9224

But I had to do this.

The devil made me do it.

 
 
 

TPW_9204

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!

_________________________________

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

26,637 Comments

Comments are closed for this recipe.

Nessa on 3.2.2010

brownie mosaic cheesecake from the smitten kitchen. oh, it was so good! yum!

Crystal on 3.2.2010

I made 5 layer bars for some friends that just had a baby. Graham cracker crust, chocolate and butterscotch chips, coconut, pecans and sweetened condensed milk…delicious!

B Craghead on 3.2.2010

I made a peach crumb cobbler it was pretty yummy!!

Emily on 3.2.2010

Fudge! It was a Nestle Tollhouse recipe I tore out of a magazine several years ago! It’s my 5 year old son’s fav so I made it for him, and it was soo good!

Miya on 3.2.2010

I made a dozen jumbo Casada Cupcakes last night. Vanilla Buttermilk cake, stuffed with fresh sugared strawberries and topped with real sweetened whipped cream. I am drooling over here!

JudyJudy on 3.2.2010

I guess streusel coffee cake doesn’t count, so it’s the chocolate chip cookies I baked a week ago. Thanks, Ree!

sharon on 3.2.2010

I made a peach cobbler (cheated and used canned peaches with yellow cake mix)

katherine nuccio on 3.2.2010

angel food cake, with berries and whipping cream. The cake is from a box. I don’t know if I will ever be brave enough to try angel food cake from scratch.

MARY H on 3.2.2010

As a single mom, working 2 jobs, I have so little time to cook desserts. Christmas was probably last time I cooked desserts when the boys and I baked cookies and bars to give to neighbors. Can’t wait to try this recipe!!!

Katie on 3.2.2010

Paula Dean’s Gooey Butter Cake. YUM. I would like some more right now!

Julia on 3.2.2010

peanut butter cookies – yesterday!

Marcia on 3.2.2010

So the oven part of my stove has been nonfunctioning for about 4 weeks now. I’ve finally decided we need a new stove even though we can’t afford the dream stove. So I don’t remember what the last dessert I baked. I did make some fudge in the microwave, does that count?

Hallie on 3.2.2010

Chocolate chocolate chip muffins!

Lori in MN on 3.2.2010

made crack pie over the weekend

theresa lynch on 3.2.2010

chocolate chip cookies….the staple of young boys everywhere!

Jodi on 3.2.2010

I had cream that needed to be used which was a perfect excuse to make cream cake topped with strawberries and icecream.

Lisa K. on 3.2.2010

I made white chocolate hazelnut cookies a couple weeks ago. My friend ate half of them before I left her apartment.

Jennie D. on 3.2.2010

The Pioneer Woman cookies in the mini-muffin pans with candy in the middle! What a hit! P.S. Please pick me… it’s my birthday! :o)

Jill on 3.2.2010

Dutch chocolate brownies last night!

Victoria on 3.2.2010

Brown sugar vanilla bean ice cream. OM nom nom!

Mandy on 3.2.2010

As much as I wish it was something amazing, adventurous and unique … it wasn’t. I just made plain ol’ chocolate chip cookies this week. Simple. Basic. Yet they satisfy my chocolate craving … yum. They will always be one of my first true love desserts.

PaulaJean on 3.2.2010

I made fudge. Which was supposed to be a dessert item, but also served as breakfast and snacks for a few days. :)

emily forest on 3.2.2010

I made fried dough and then covered it in powdered sugar. It wasn’t even a real recipe…just something made up during a desperate urge to satiate my craving for something hot, fried, and sweet.

Jessica on 3.2.2010

I made your coffee cake (literally) for my boyfriend’s birthday!
I’ve actually started making it for just about everyone’s birthday – including my own.

Iris on 3.2.2010

Spice Cake mix cookies — I added a little orange zest and ginger to the batter. Used some yogurt instead of the full amount of oil; sprinkled with sugar, cinnamon & (fresh ground) nutmeg while still warm. They’re disappearing way too quickly!

Tricia on 3.2.2010

Angel food cake (from a box)
with strawberries and whipped cream
My 94 yr old grandmother’s “special “recipe she made for every birthday and family gathering
don’t forget to tint the cream pink!!
Some how the pink makes it taste better–

Karen (kkmbrs) on 3.2.2010

Botticelli cake. It is a cake made with Botticelli cappuccino liqueur. Sooooo good!

Courtney on 3.2.2010

I made chocolate chip cookie dough truffles last night – amazing is all I can say.

Keilah on 3.2.2010

that’s easy. It was Ree’s cinnamon rolls! And shame on you for creating such an easy recipe. I eat 5 cinnamon rolls a day when I make those!!! I did not need all that sugar, but they are Oh so delish!!

linken on 3.2.2010

Oh dear, the last dessert I made for our family…was Friday night – we had a school function – (hangs head) M&M Cookies from a tub. (Do I get points that it was from the cookie dough sale from our elementary school?) The cookies weren’t bad, as long as you ate them warm. :)

LindseyLou on 3.2.2010

I made the Apple Cake in an Iron Skillet (PW recipe of course) for dessert when we had a girl’s night last week. It was fantastic!!!

Alex H. on 3.2.2010

Red velvet cake!

Sarah on 3.2.2010

In all honesty the last dessert I made was red velvet cupcakes for my bosses birthday. The cupcakes might have been for him and my other co-workers, but the bowl was mine!!!

tymmie on 3.2.2010

chocolate chip cookies

Cindy on 3.2.2010

I made funfetti cupcakes for Valentine’s Day! I took them to her school to share with her class.

Katy on 3.2.2010

Oatmeal cookies with raisins…(and with chocolate chips too:)

NG in NH on 3.2.2010

Uh… I think it was an apple walnut cake for my co-worker’s birthday in late January. And it was tasty.

Michelle on 3.2.2010

Chocolate chip cookies…..yummy!!! I overcame wanting to hide them from my husband and children!!

Jen on 3.2.2010

I made a low-fat chocolate cherry cake in my pampered chef rice cooker….why use it to cook rice in?? :)

Laura on 3.2.2010

Chocolate chip pecan cookies, last night.

Susan D on 3.2.2010

Carrot Cake made with pecans, pineapple tidbits and lemon flavored cream cheese icing… my favorite!

Darcie on 3.2.2010

I made brownies

Dawn on 3.2.2010

I made the Olive Oil Cakes with Lemon and Thyme. Yummmmm!

Alicia on 3.2.2010

Nothing, cause I’m a slacker! I really really really want these right now though. I’m starving and craving SUGAR!

Lori on 3.2.2010

I made Oatmeal Chocolate chip Nut cookies.

Iris Tate on 3.2.2010

PW’s Chocolate Sheet Cake. It is what my daughter and grandchildren request often. SO good.

Lena on 3.2.2010

Cinnamon Rolls.

mary in tennessee on 3.2.2010

Plain old blueberry muffins.

Amy on 3.2.2010

I made weight watchers meringue cookies. not bad!

Profile photo of koffeekitchen

koffeekitchen on 3.2.2010

The last dessert I made, last Friday, was this https://tastykitchen.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/appetizers-and-snacks/nutella-cream-cheese-fruit-dip/

It turned out delicious with fresh strawberries and green apples, not to mention colorful!