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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.

efw on 3.2.2010

I made your Life by Chocolate cupcakes over the weekend and they were DIVINE!

Liz on 3.2.2010

The last thing I made was Peanut Butter Things, we never know what to call them so they are just peanut butter things…basically peanut butter, corn syrup, sugar and cornflakes. mmmm. delicious!

Leanna on 3.2.2010

Mocha Brownies!!!!!

Julia Wreyford on 3.2.2010

Sadly…slice and bake Pillsbury Chocolate Chip Cookies. I need a stand mixer so badly, ha!

Theresa DePaepe on 3.2.2010

Made two desserts yesterday for church group meeting – Ina Pinkney’s New Famous Old-Fashioned Vanilla Bean Pound Cake (fabulous with Nutella) and Olive Oil Cakes with Lemon and Thyme (from Tasty Kitchen website). The Olive Oil Cakes were a HUGE hit with our group – we ended up talking food rather than repentance but oh well . . .

Brianna on 3.2.2010

An insanely delicious, moist, dense, and chocolatey, chocolate cake.

Emily on 3.2.2010

I just made Smitten Kitchen’s flourless chocolate cupcakes on Sunday night for a dinner party, and they disappeared within minutes.

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katiebpemberton on 3.2.2010

It was a “cheesecake” souffle with no cheese at all. Just Greek yogurt and some eggs and a little sugar I’m sure..can’t remember specifically. It was great!.

Sara on 3.2.2010

I made some very bad christmas cookies, they were soo bad that there are still soem in my messy fridge. Yeeaaa

Melissa Dix on 3.2.2010

The last desert recipe I prepared was a lemon cake for my husband’s birthday. Lemon cake, lemon filling, lemon icing. He looooves lemon and I looooove him. ;-)

Amber Guffey on 3.2.2010

I made a red velvet ice cream cake for my husband’s birthday. It was delicious!

CBeene on 3.2.2010

Peanut butter cookies…my husband’s favorite!

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emilyh on 3.2.2010

Some brownies (from scratch) with butterscotch chips (and vanilla ice cream) on Sunday evening. Yum!

Jennifer K on 3.2.2010

I made Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes this weekend. They turned out lovely. I may have to try these cookies, though.

Emily on 3.2.2010

I made banana bread yesterday… not technically dessert, but we heat it up and it’s the perfect sweet ending to the meal.

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cjbmm on 3.2.2010

Wow – it’s been a long time since I made a dessert. I’m guessing it was probably chocolate chip cookies.

Cris on 3.2.2010

I made blueberry cobbler, using Pioneer Woman’s blackberry cobbler recipe. It’s the best :)

thatedeguy on 3.2.2010

Mocha Ice Cream Shakes. Vanilla ice cream, instant coffee, chocolate syrup. Yum.

Brittany on 3.2.2010

I made Blueberry Boy Bait! And oh my Lord, how good…: http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/07/blueberry-boy-bait/

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honeybee on 3.2.2010

strawberry cake with cream cheese frosting! =]

Hannette on 3.2.2010

Brownies

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angierash on 3.2.2010

The last dessert recipe I made was a crumb cake.

GranJan in NM on 3.2.2010

Are cookies considered as dessert?

The last dessert I made was a batch of peanut butter cookies.

Ruth Ann on 3.2.2010

Homemade brownies with chocolate chips inside.

JoyceD on 3.2.2010

Alas, since I trying to lose weight the last sweet recipe I made was Pineapple Jello. I know, I know. Pitiful, isn’t it?

Cherylann on 3.2.2010

Chocolate chip cookies. Always good!

Kimi the Qtswede on 3.2.2010

Actually, I made some Oatmeal/Date bars yesterday for the baby. He got shots, so he NEEDED them. :)

Jill Brown on 3.2.2010

Last week I made monkey bread for the first time. It was a huge hit! Yum!

Lena on 3.2.2010

Mini strawberry cupcakes with vanilla buttercream frosting. I brought them to a game night w/ some friends over the weekend and they were devoured!

catie on 3.2.2010

Espresso panna cotta with chocolate ganache and vanilla whipped cream.

Kim Walker on 3.2.2010

I tried the homemade Twix cookies. OMG, those were GOOD!

Aunt Granny on 3.2.2010

I made my grandmother’s tea cakes–a mildly sweet batch of goodness that always takes me back to a wonderful place in my childhood…

Pat Terhune on 3.2.2010

Chocolate chip cookies and brownies…basic happy dessert food!

Jackie on 3.2.2010

Chocolate Sheet Cake from The Pioneer Woman Cooks! Divine!!

Gail on 3.2.2010

chocolate chip cookies but I cheated and used a package from BJs that already had the individual cookies separated, just had to pop it in the oven.

Delicious

Rel on 3.2.2010

A chocolate cake … so good you don’t even need icing!

Jacquelyn on 3.2.2010

Cookie Dough truffles. Amazing.

Emily on 3.2.2010

Pazookie (Chocolate chip cookie underbaked in a cast iron).

Ooh, pretty white mixer! We’re making an offer on a condo today that has white appliances…it would go so nicely…

Emmy on 3.2.2010

The last desert I made was at Thanksgiving?!?!?! How can that be possible? Anyway, I made Apple Crisp and Pumpkin Pie.

I ate desert last night, but to Girl Scout Cookies count as ‘making desert’? I didn’t think so…

Susanne on 3.2.2010

I made chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting for my Sunday School kids…they were gone within the hour :)

Monica on 3.2.2010

I made raspberry lemon cheesecake bars AND toasted coconut candy for a girlfriend’s birthday celebration.

Wendy on 3.2.2010

Oreo chocolate cake

Josh King on 3.2.2010

Failed attempt to make Pilsbury chocolate chip cookies

sharon chadwell on 3.2.2010

I made coffee brownies! They were delicious!

December on 3.2.2010

Poires Helene. A french dessert and it’s soo easy to make but so delish!

Angelica on 3.2.2010

I made peanut butter rice crispy treats about a week ago…barely counts as dessert but it was yummy and sweet.

September on 3.2.2010

My chocolate chip cookies. They’re so yummy! (Even better than my mom-in-laws but don’t tell her ;) it’s the only thing I make better than her ai I have to take some pride in the fact.

Danielle C on 3.2.2010

Choc chip Banana bread! I was bad and didn’t eat all of my bananas before they turned really brown.

Alexandra on 3.2.2010

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread!

Amy Swanson on 3.2.2010

I made triple chocolate cupcakes with whip cream frosting! Triple yummy!!!