The coffee and toffee flavors of this crunchy dessert are heightened by the dark brown sugar and espresso powder. This version is an adaptation of Leah Reichs recipe, which was a variation on her grandmothers recipe.
Ingredients
Makes 48
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 325°F. Whisk first 3 ingredients in medium bowl to blend.
Step 2
Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in another medium bowl until blended, about 2 minutes. Add espresso powder and almond extract; beat 1 minute. Stir in flour mixture in 3 additions, mixing until just absorbed after each addition. Stir in chocolate chips and almonds (dough will be thick).
Step 3
Turn dough out onto ungreased rimmed baking sheet. Using hands, press dough into 12-inch square. Pierce all over with fork at 1-inch intervals.
Step 4
Bake until edges are lightly browned and beginning to crisp, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool on sheet 1 minute. Cut into 48 bars. Immediately transfer to rack; cool (bars will crisp as they cool). DO AHEAD: Can be made 5 days ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.
Leave a Review
Reviews (123)
Back to TopMade as directed except for pan size. Used 9X12 and cut into 32 cookies.
kerr12
illinois
12/29/2018
I read all the reviews before I made this recipe. To be honest I wasn't excited due to the many negative reviews. My bars came out amazing and I would make again and again. I reduced the cooking time to 25 minutes and I did add a splash of very good vanilla extract. Other than that I followed the recipe. These bars are so yummy!! I used the cookie sheet- everything the recipe called for I did and I am so happy with these bars. Please don't be scared of reviews and try!!
LyneF
Naperville Illinois
8/1/2017
Not worth the effort and the ingredients. Too greasy and not a well balanced flavor.
gaio450
Fort Lauderdale, FL
10/25/2014
I've looked for a coffee-flavored cookie for a long time so had to try this recipe. I made the following changes: Whole wheat pastry flour instead of all-purpose 3/4 cup butter (it was plenty and achieved the buttery toffee flavor others liked) Scant cup 1/2 brown, 1/2 turbinado sugar (I plan to reduce this to 2/3 cup next time as the cookies are still too sweet for my taste) Coffee extract instead of vanilla 3/4 cup five-grain cereal instead of nuts and chocolate chips (I can't eat chocolate and am also accomodating someone else with a tree nut allergy) 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ginger Bake at 325 for 25 minutes. Yields chewy cookies with crunchy edges with a definite but not overwhelming coffee flavor
kroshka
9/8/2013
I made the change of adding an egg to make it a little more like a brownie and I only cooked it for 25 minutes. Turned out great!
Sdanissa
San Diego
5/23/2012
I have made these several times, AS IS and they are amazing. They are "coffee CRUNCH" bars, so expect them to be hard and crunchy. There was some butter residue in the pan afterward, but I think the amount of butter is necessary to carmelize the cookies and create a candy-like crunch. If you have a gas oven, decrease the cooking time by 5-10 min.
doctorpeck
Santa Barbara, CA
4/21/2012
I'm not a novice baker but these were just a disaster: burnt, greasy...not worth making multiple times just to figure out what went wrong! I thought recipes in Bon Appetit were tested? Instead I felt like the guinea pig.
workerbeeorama
CA
11/1/2011
I reduced the butter to 1 cup and also added 1/2 tsp of vanilla along with the almond extract. I also added 1 egg, but don't think that was actually necessary. I baked it in an 8x12" baking dish at 325 for 40 minutes, and I wish I had left it in longer, but I let the other reviews scare me. It has a great flavor, though, and it was quick to make, so I am a fan.
licensetocut
Springfield, MO
2/19/2010
I took the advice of previous reviewers and cut back on the butter and on the baking time. These bars are tasty, but too crunchy. Perhaps baked in a 9 X 9 pan, they would be softer with some crunch from the chips and the nuts. I will tyr this the next time, but there are other recipes with these flavors that are better.
Anonymous
Wilmette, IL
11/5/2009
WITH THE SUGGESTED MODIFICATIONS. 1 cup butter, 1 cup brown sugar. I added 1/4 cup cocoa nibs and 1/4 cup almonds instead of 1/2 almonds. Baked about 40 mins; it REALLY FIRMS UP AFTER COOLING so keep that in mind (high sugar content). They were popular at work; neat TOFFEE FLAVOUR from the brown sugar; kind of like a toffee latte; not amazing, though.
octovus
Octovus
9/30/2009
I'm with those who said they cooked faster than the stated amount of time. The dough spread out and the edges burned. Maybe a regular baking pan would be better. I don't think I will try these again. It was a waste of good ingredients.
Anonymous
Rehoboth Beach, DE
8/11/2009
Wow, these are fantastic -- but only with the following changes: 1 cup butter (or even 1 cup ls 1-2 tbsp.), no salt, 1 cup dark brown sugar, baked at 325 for 30 minutes, and not a minute longer. Totally perfect !! The first time I made these, they were almost burnt (45 minutes baking time), they were hard, and way too greasy. But I still liked the taste, so I thought I would make them one more time. With the changes above, these are real keepers.
Anonymous
Bismarck, ND
7/7/2009
These are amazing! My friends and family love them! The other reviewers are correct-you need to tweak it slightly for best results. I've made them 4 times and finally got it down. Use less butter-I used 2 sticks minus a TBL. I also used 1 cup brown sugar & 1/4 cup raw sugar (it gave it a little extra cruch and mellowed it out). Also, vanilla extract is better and I used 1 tsp. I hope you love this recipe as much as i did. happy baking!
Prov4
chino hills, CA
5/6/2009
I tried this recipe twice. The first batch tasted burnt. With the next batch, I reduced the cooking time, but it didn't help that much. The bars were very hard and the flavor was mediocre- a huge disappointment after the great article. However, we found that they taste great when crushed up and used as a topping on Mexican Vanilla ice cream.
Anonymous
Austin, TX
4/22/2009
Well, these were crunchy, tasted of coffee, and were bars. That's about all one can say about this recipe. Reducing the butter and the cooking time might help somewhat. But, I wouldn't bet on it. A disappointing use of perfectly good ingredients. Not going to bother with this again. This tastes like an unfortunate cross between badly made biscotti and burnt brownies with the virtues of neither.
Anonymous
dc
4/21/2009
