4/9/10

espresso bars


What's not to love here people? I mean we have butter, we have sugar, we have espresso, we have dark chocolate, and we have a sugary milk glaze. Breakfast and coffee in a bar--I'm all set. Let's just open a cafe that sells these and those chocolate dipped levain bakery cookies (and some coffee too, I guess), fabulous right?
I can't claim fame to these little gems, but I can say they were tasty with a HUGE side of addictive. You will eat way more than one bar. I would like to experiment again with these with new flavors be it cinnamon, ginger and hazelnut--hazelnut has to be worked in here somehow along with a creamy cream cheese glaze.
The only thing, if I were to make this again, I would use shaved chocolate instead of chips or pulse the chips in the processor to make them teeny tiny. The flavor of chocolate goes very well with the Starbucks Via, but it needs to be in small-meldable (if that's a word) flavors. Please note my changes.


Come join my vanilla sugar fan club

espresso bars
adapted from With Love & Butter 
print recipe


To get really flat bars, I find it works best to smooth them over with an offset spatula, using gentle pressure, just after they come out of the oven and before you apply the glaze.

bars:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed (I used light brown)
1 TB espresso powder (I used 1 Starbuck’s Via)
1 ts vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups flour (I used 2 cups)
1/2 ts baking powder
1/2 ts salt
(I added 1 ts cinnamon)
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (I used 1 ½ cups)

glaze:
2 TB milk (I used half & half)
1 TB butter (I used 3 TB)
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 375 F with the rack at the middle level.
Mix the flour, baking powder and salt, set aside.
Line a 10×15 inch jelly roll pan with baking parchment or grease lightly.
Cream together the butter, brown sugar, instant coffee, and vanilla.
Blend in the flour mixture, until just combined, no overmixing. Then stir in the chocolate chips by hand. The mixture will be very crumbly, with barely enough dough to hold together the chocolate chips.
Use your fingers, palms, and heels of your hands to press the dough evenly into the pan. If necessary, cover the dough with wax or parchment paper and use a small rolling pin to flatten the lumps.
Bake 5 minutes, rotate the pan, and bake 5 to 10 minutes more or until the edges are just starting to brown (watch carefully). Cool in the pan 5 minutes before spreading with glaze.
For the glaze, put all the ingredients in a small saucepan on medium heat. Whisk until smooth and barely bubbly. Drizzle the glaze evenly over the bars and smooth out to the edges and corners with a rubber spatula.
Cool until the pan is just warm to the touch and cut into bars with a sharp knife.
Should make 28-32 bars.

64 comments:

  1. Dawn, these look magnificent. My type of dessert. I'll try them next week and let you know how they come out. Maybe I'll throw some Mexican chocolate in there just for kicks. :)

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  2. oh my! Chocolate+ espresso...mmmm. Although I'm not a HUGE chocolate fan...I think it mixes so well with coffee flavoring. Hope you're enjoying the weekend

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  3. Wow! I know the flavors on this must be out of this world!!

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  4. These like absolutely dreamy. I like this hazelnut idea. then they would be kind of like nutella espresso bars!

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  5. I made these bars a couple of days ago and just posted them on my blog too :) I added pecans and butterscotch chips because I was low on chocolate chips and they turned out great!!

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  6. These are no less than magnificent, especially by how beautifully they're presented in the photos. There's everything to love here; I am going to make a tub of the milk glaze!

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  7. Lordy lordy, what have we got here?
    Foods with addictive qualities is what has me on a low carb diet these days:) Needless to say, I would love to sample one of these and pass the rest over to a friend or neighbour.

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  8. THose might get my motor running while I'm on day shift for another couple weeks!

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  9. Que cosas tan deliciosas haces. Esta receta se ve sencilla y curiosa. Un saludo

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  10. I am making these tonight! There is no way I could wait any longer. It would be now, except hubby is in the kitchen making dinner. Brussel sprouts :-( and chicken :-( no comparison to these bars.

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  11. Dangerous...very dangerous. I must not make these, for if I do.... I will eat THEM ALL!!!

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  12. If you have any left I'll take a few of them.

    ps... I promise I'll so more avocado recipes. Just as soon as things calm down. :)

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  13. I'm expecting a big package from you soon..

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  14. espresso bars? not a big fan of coffee, but i will give it a try! :)

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  15. it looks heavenly, I can just imagine how good these bar taste like..yum! ..beautiful shots :)

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  16. I was looking for something like this to put on the banquet menu. I think it would be a hit.

    Too bad I can't indulge in them anymore. I can just taste them. LOL

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  17. Oh, these would be perfect w/ morning coffee. Or mid-morning snack attacks...or anytime of day! Love the flavors.

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  18. Dawn, I'm so glad you liked them and they turned out for you! You did a much better job than I did with the cutting, I have to say. :) Thanks so much for the link.

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  19. What is not to love here Dawn! Wow - absolutely a show stopper for me. My mouth is watering.

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  20. these look and sound to be the perfect breakfast bar, dawn, although i can see how slivers of chocolate would be advantageous. also, YES to cinnamon and cream cheese glaze!

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  21. These sound delicious! I love chocolate & espresso together. Yum!

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  22. i just love the big chunks...the swirly top...mmm....

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  23. Dawn These look awesome! I would eat anything covered in that glaze. Felt like Spring here in NY today hope it was the same for you.

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  25. Saw your profile on another page. Glad I read your informative and well-written blog. Look forward to following you here. Have a great night. Cheers!

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  26. yes posti4 you read right 5 mins, then turn, then add'l 5-10 minutes watching them

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  27. These have to be some of the prettiest, most perfect bars I've ever seen! and the flavors are right up my alley!

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  28. OH man, you know I'd be all over these. They look fabulous!

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  29. there is everything to love there!

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  30. Heaven - they look like pure bliss.

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  31. Damn, I want to be your neighbour. These look fantastic and simple which is the best kind of treat.

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  32. I'm with you Dawn! I'm so with you! What's not to love? Just give me all those ingredients in a bowl and I'll be fine ahahahaha! Ps- Can't see the 1st picture :(

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  33. These sound incredible with chocolate and espresso!

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  34. Ooh, I am loving the marbly effect of the glaze on top :) And, er, of course, chocolate :)

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  35. Nice! You are absolutely right! I could have one of those every day till they are gone!

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  36. I love the glaze and I am already a fan:)

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  37. Oops! Sorry Dawn That last comment was from me!

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  38. These look wonderful, Dawn. I'm always looking for something divine to serve to my Garden Club when I have them in the fall. Copying now!

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  39. Ah! What a gorgeous treat!

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  40. Of course you added cinnamon, I would expect no less of you. Dawn you really know how to jazz things up and the glaze on there looks so pretty! I would visit your little coffee shop anyday. Will be in Boston this Thurs to Sun. I can't wait to eat my way through the entire city.

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  41. Oh I'm going to have to try these when my mom comes to visit. She LOVES espresso! This looks to die for. Don't I say that about all your recipes? :)

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  42. These look incredible, especially with that glaze. I personally would love the big chocolate chunks ;)

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  43. Oh my goodness! These sound nothing short of heavenly! What a great post. They look delicious!

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  44. those look very yummy and pretty!

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  45. what do I have to do for you to send me some of these, cuz i sure don't have the time or patience to make them; but you know I'm a huge, huge, huge espresso fan!! They look sinfully lovely! And, for that, I love you!

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  46. Oh my Lord this bar is stunning!!! Looks so swish too! Thanks

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  47. These look amazing!!! I have never had Starbucks Via, is it their version of instant coffee??? Can you buy it in any of their stores?

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  48. Those look incredible!

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  49. Crazy about these bars! The family will love this! Wonderful blog you have here...Cheers!

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  50. oh, and I am a part of your Fan club. ;o)

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  51. These look awesome and being I am totally addicted my coffee and would love one of these to go with!

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  52. What a flavorful treat. Now if only they sold desserts like yours at Starbucks!

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  53. Truly a beautiful stack of sweet love! GREG

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  54. I am trying to shed a boatload of pounds, so I'm avoiding eating such wonderful treats for now. But I enjoy them vicariously through this blog.

    I swear I could eat that whole plate. Including the plate.

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  55. I'd want to wake up to that in the morning even more than my usual cup of Peet's coffee. And that's saying something!

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  56. Lovin the glaze. These sound wonderful!!

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  57. They're cooling on my counter right now. Can't wait to try them. I work at Starbucks so I'm always looking for recipes that use Via.

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  58. I am wondering how well you think these might freeze?

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  59. how they might freeze? oh boy, not so sure. maybe if you put them in an air tight container they might do ok?

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