coffee crunch bar cookies

Sometimes all it takes is just a bit of peer pressure and I'm done in. No turning back. When I spotted these tempting baked goods in my Flickr stream and I had to find out more. I was warned by the baker and by the comments on Bon Appetit about the screwy bake times, but I didn't let that deter me. I mean, c'mon, these bars have nuts, coffee and chocolate which are pretty much the holy trinity as far as I'm concerned. Plus, they are egg-free which was perfect since I was out of eggs (which makes them easily vegan).

Of course, I switched things up a bit. Added in walnuts since that is what I had on-hand and subbed in vanilla for the almond extract. I even did without the extra 2 tablespoons of butter, because, really, there's already a cup in there and that should be enough (it was). As for all those dire warnings about baking times, please do take caution! I used a 13x9 pan instead of a 12x12 pan which resulted in thicker bars so I was able to bake mine for about 35 minutes or so. If you do decide to go with a 12x12 pan, see how the bars are at 25 minutes in. If they need a bit longer, let 'em go, but keep a careful eye on them. Also, it's important to cut the bars right out of the oven, so if they do harden up considerably, you can still get at 'em.

Warnings aside, my bars were perfect. They were chewy and crisp all at once. And not only were they delicious warm out of the oven, they got better the longer they were around. And trust me, in the grand scheme of things, they weren't around too long. The espresso flavour just intensified which made these cookies extra amazing. Perfection had been attained!

coffee crunch bar cookies
(adapted from Molly Wizenberg)
2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1 c unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 c (firmly packed) brown sugar
2 T instant espresso powder
1/2 t vanilla extract
1 c semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 c chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 325F. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt together. In another bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, espresso and vanilla extract together. Add in the flour in 2 additions until well mixed. Stir in the walnuts and chocolate chips.

Press dough into an ungreased 9x13 inch pan. Use a fork to poke holes in the dough every inch or so. Bake for 35 minutes or so, but check after 25 minutes just to be sure it doesn't over-bake. Remove from oven and slice into bars right away. When they cool, they will crisp up.

it's a cinch: oatmeal coconut pecan squares with chocolate chips

Summer seems to be fading here in the ol' Northwest. Grey skies, constant rain and cooler temperatures set up shop this morning and things don't seem to be letting up. I'm not impressed. At least I've got some heirloom tomatoes and some Rathtrevor cheese from yesterday's farmer's market to keep me company. But instead of holding onto fading memories, I decided to take this new direction out for a stroll and do a little baking. So I dug out some pantry staples and whipped up this little number. Easier to make than cookies and the results are sweet, chewy and dense. Did I mention good? Oh yeah, really good. The recipe exists in so many places online, that it's hard to find its lineage. With so many variations, I think it's safe to say that this recipe belongs to everyone. Here's my stab at it.


oatmeal coconut pecan squares with chocolate chips
1 c rolled oats
1/2 c flour
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 c chocolate chips
1/2 c unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 c chopped pecans
1/4 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
5 T unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 egg
1 t vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all the dry ingredients (oats through salt) in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, mix together the melted butter, egg and vanilla. Dump the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until well blended. Oil up an 8x8 pan and pour mixture in, patting the top flat with your hands while making sure the mixture gets into the corners. Bake for 25 minutes and cool. Cut into squares.