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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.

Pat on 3.3.2010

My last dessert recipe was chocolate brownies with ice cream and a very special Maramor Chocolate Sauce–sooo good.

JB on 3.3.2010

I made Brown Sugar Cookies this past Sunday to serve along with vanilla ice cream – buttery, chewy and delicious!

Vicki on 3.3.2010

Fudge and peanut butter balls

Chrissy on 3.3.2010

Lemoncello and Lemon Cream Fruit Tart – Fabulous!

kb97501 on 3.3.2010

Applesauce Cake – from a 62-year old recipe in my Mom’s cookbook. It was delicious!

Yvonne on 3.3.2010

The last dessert recipe that I made was your Apricot Bar recipe, but I used Olallieberry Jam (that I canned last summer) in place of the Apricot Jam. It will be a keeper at our house!

Nina C on 3.3.2010

peanut butter cups a few weeks ago. I’m not sure if I got the recipe from here or not. reminded me why I hate candy making. and my hips have been reminding me why I shouldn’t do it since then.

Heeyeon on 3.3.2010

Last dessert I made was banana cream cheesecake~
It’s a copycat of Cheesecake Factory’s & it’s very yummy! My roommates always ask for it :) By the way, did you know that “desserts” is “stressed” spelled backwards? No wonder those go hand in hand ;D

Victoria on 3.3.2010

A French-style yogurt cake (Gateau au citron) from Orangette: http://orangette.blogspot.com/2004/08/slow-roasting.html

Marin D on 3.3.2010

I can’t emember the last thing I made for dessert. I usually buy something or my mom sends something home for us. But these make me want my sister’s cookie bars. Yum!

Princess Nixie on 3.3.2010

I made peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies a couple of days ago from a couple of recipes here on Tasty Kitchen. I modified them to fit the ingredients I had on hand.

Maggie on 3.3.2010

Funfetti Cake

Debbie on 3.3.2010

The last desert I made was a recipe my oldest daughter (24) loves. Scotcharoos! YUM! They’re all gone.

Jennifer F. on 3.3.2010

I made the Hershey’s “Perfectly Chocolate” Cake recipe into cupcakes about a month ago. When a recipe says to fill the tin 2/3 full, it doesn’t mean you should ignore it and go 3/4 full. They looked like crazy toadstools. lol :D Recipe: http://tinyurl.com/yh4s8hz

Karen W. on 3.3.2010

Banana Bread (the healthier version from Jessica Seinfeld’s book)

Courtney McCowen on 3.3.2010

I made turtle brownies tonight for Bible study… and may or may not have stuck a spoon into them for a bite while they were half baked…

Catherine on 3.3.2010

As a college student, I miss out on being able to prepare a lot of things because the stand mixer I was so used to using daily is 2,000 miles away.
As it is, I make the best of what I can. This morning I got some chocolate chip-carrot bread from the school’s cafeteria and spread peanut butter mixed with cream cheese over the bread and topped it with some sliced bananas.

APRIL on 3.3.2010

had a playdate on Friday for a couple three year old boys. I made dirt pudding, complete with crushed oreos, and gummy worms. I stopped at the dollar store and scored little plastic flower pots for them too!

Leslie on 3.3.2010

No pudge Brownies

jason on 3.3.2010

Cherry Cobbler… m m m m m

Mariel on 3.3.2010

I made red velvet cake balls for Valentine’s Day- no time to do anything else since then!

LIL BAKIN ANGEL on 3.3.2010

I just made chocolate covered vanilla cake balls. Tomorrow will bring the individual pound cakes. Hubby asked if I got bit by the bakin bug. LOL! My very own Kitchenaid Mixer sure would make it all sooooooo much easier. <3

Amy Wells on 3.3.2010

The last dessert I made was peanut butter Snicker cookies. Take a bite-sized snickers, and roll peanut butter cookie dough around it. Bake, and Wallaaaaaahhhhhhhh.

Cheryll on 3.3.2010

I made carrot cake for my girlies 8th birthday!

Vicki Weyrough on 3.3.2010

Chocolate graham crackers with powdered sugar icing. Best cookie in the world.

Brandy on 3.3.2010

I made brownies the last time, if you don’t count the 10,000 times we’ve had ice cream in the last week!

PapuaMama on 3.3.2010

I made my famous Oatmeal Chocolate Chip cookies last week. It’s a version of the excellent recipe in the Joy of Cooking, substituting spelt for the wheat and a few other things.

Cary on 3.3.2010

chocolate sheetcake with chips inside and on top… WOW!

Gina on 3.3.2010

Sour cream chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting and chocolate peanut butter glaze! Oh, mama.

Wendy on 3.3.2010

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies! Yum!

Nanabanana on 3.3.2010

I made a lemon pound cake on Sunday afternoon. Did it a little different this time, when it was done I poked holes in it with a skewer and then poured a lemon juice/powdered sugar sauce all over that so it soaked into the cake. When cooled enough, I turned it out on a plate and made a little move lemon glaze and drizzled it all over. The last piece was taken over to my father-in-law this afternoon. He is almost 80 and in very poor health – but he LOVES lemon cake!

Mike on 3.3.2010

Top secret recipes Mrs Fields chocolate chip cookies.

Suzanne Weizenbaum on 3.3.2010

Cinnamon Walnut Bread- yummm!

Rochelle on 3.3.2010

Last weekend I made a version of Blondies; the recipe was given to me by my wonderful father-in-law.

PeggySue on 3.3.2010

We had to try you Chocolate Sheet Cake – it was wonderful! That was the last dessert I made (unless you count poppy seed muffins as a dessert).

joyce on 3.3.2010

chocolate cake w. cherry filling

Belinda Lindberg on 3.3.2010

Iowa Hawkeye Monster cookies I made on Sat with my great niece.

melissa mitchell on 3.3.2010

my daughter and I love to bake and we are always in the kitchen mixing up brownies- the last batch was dark chocolate fudge and yummy!!

Gretchen on 3.3.2010

I made brownies from scratch from a recipe off some lady’s blog. They were good and easy!!

Kandice on 3.3.2010

I made red velvet cupcakes so yummy!

Karen Nielsen on 3.3.2010

Pioneer Women’s Cinn Rolls!

suzanne on 3.3.2010

Peach Crunch Cake!

Tiffany @ The Gracious Pantry on 3.3.2010

I made Clean Eating Chocolate Chip Cookies. Yummy AND healthy!

Michelle Hamstra on 3.3.2010

I don’t make them often but I think the last dessert I made was banana nut muffins! :)

Emily on 3.3.2010

I made weight watchers brownies that contain only brownie mix and a can of black beans! sounds crazy, i know, but they’re really pretty yummy!!

Gretchen on 3.3.2010

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread! Because Chocolate and Bananas were made to be together.

Jesse on 3.3.2010

Does banana bread count? It’s certainly buttery and yummy enough to be a dessert.

SarahS on 3.3.2010

carrot cake with cream cheese frosting–Yum!

Suzie on 3.3.2010

Red Velvet Cupcakes with pink frosting and hearts made of mini candy canes for a cancer fundraiser – the kids LOVED them!

laur on 3.3.2010

Last thing I made was Chocolate Cupcakes Dipped in Chocolate Ganache and then piped with chocolate buttercream. Amazing!