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.

lookie lookie: chocolate chip banana bread with ginger

Delivered as promised. Banana bread. Chocolate chips? Check. Soft ginger melty bits? Check. Deliciousness? Oh yes! I found this recipe over at Molly's and it figures that if she could venture to try my recipe for a chocolate chip banana bread then I could try out one of hers. And, whoa Nelly, it's a good one!

I made this for a New Years Eve feast, but we were too stuffed from eating mussels and carelessly imbibing way too many different types of cocktails, that the banana bread got lost in the shuffle. A true shame. However, the next day we gladly cut into the loaf and loved each and every slice. The banana bread brimmed with chocolate chips, pecans and caramelized ginger bits...and the gingery bits were the best part. When making the loaf, I realized that I was out of candied ginger, but I did find a tiny box of ginger chewy candy, so I subbed that instead. Instead of remaining a solid chunk, like normal candied ginger, it melted and bubbled and turned into a hidden golden lump of gingery caramel. It was wonderful and made the loaf extra special.

Oh, and if you'd be so obliged, I'd love to be nominated for the Bloggies (which is some big deal blog award thingy) as Best Food Blog. Normally, I'm not one for asking for votes but lately, I feel the need to win something, anything! Or at least get nominated. Nominations close tomorrow, Monday January 12th at 10pm Eastern time. Thank you, thank you, thank you, in advance.

chocolate chip banana bread with ginger
(recipe adapted from Orangette)
1 c sugar
1 large egg
½ c unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 ripe medium-size bananas
3 T milk
2 c unbleached all-purpose flour
1 t baking powder
½ t baking soda
1 c chocolate chips
Small chunks of candied ginger or soft ginger candies, to taste
½ c chopped roasted pecans, optional

1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease and flour a loaf tin.

2. In a bowl, mix the sugar, egg and butter until fluffy. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and baking soda. In a small bowl, mash together the bananas and milk and set aside.

3. Add flour mixture to butter mixture in three parts, alternating with banana mixture in two parts, stirring until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips, ginger, and pecans.

4. Pour batter into prepared tin, smoothing the batter with the back of a spoon. Bake for 1 hour or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool for a few minutes and then turn loaf out onto a wire rack to cool.

can't eat just one: peanut butter raisin bars

When I saw these squares on this blog, I wanted them in my belly, stat! But like all food porn, I knew I'd have to wait until I could make these myself. And boy, was it worth the wait. I wouldn't call these a bar cookie or a square, instead, they fit nicely in the brownie/blondie category. They reminded me of my most favorite stand-by brownie recipe in that everything is all mixed up in one pot. Chewy, dense and with a golden (almost flaky) top, these are a perfect snack. And I say snack for those of you who have restraint. Me, almost never. After one small square, I had to have another and another. I wasn't alone either....Cornelius kept heading back for seconds and thirds bits of peanut-buttery-raisiny-chocolate goodness. It's amazing that these lasted 4 days!


I made a few changes to Lynn's recipe but loved the results. I always use natural peanut butter instead of the processed stuff and this recipe didn't suffer for it one bit. I also reduced the raisins and subbed in some chocolate chips to make things a bit more decadent. Try them and see if you can resist a second piece. Be the better person...or not.

peanut butter raisin bars
1/2 c natural peanut butter
1/2 c unsalted butter
1 c white sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 T vanilla
1 c all-purpose flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
pinch of salt
1 c raisins
1 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium sized pot, combine peanut butter and butter on medium heat until melted. Remove from heat and add in sugar. Mix well and then add in vanilla and eggs. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt and combine. Add raisins and chocolate chips. Stir well.

2. Pour batter into a greased 9x9 square pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool.

snackin' cake

As a kid, I used to hate the word "snack". I don't know what it was, but it always made me scowl and cringe with embarassment. Maybe because everyone who said "snack" ended up sounding like a big ol' whiner ("snnnaaaaaaaaaaaack") that it totally drove me up the wall. But times change and pretty much everything about "snack" just seems right. It's true that I love it for it's by-gone day notions...somehow it conjures up family rec rooms and wood paneling and the colours avocado and orange. Snack time and snack break and even "Snackin' Cake" (a commercial cake mix) totally makes me think of being a kid in the '70s.

Earlier this week, I was on a snack mission. I wanted something sweet (but not overly so) and easy to make with no muss or fuss. This square is very similar to a brownie in texture, so I guess this is what could be termed a "blondie"? It's dense and chewy and the edges got a bit crispy which is just how I like 'em. Cornelius couldn't get enough of them! And for my snack quota? Totally fulfilled.

chocolate chip walnut squares
1 c brown sugar (not packed)
1/4 c butter, softened
1 egg
1 t vanilla
1 1/4 c flour
1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1/2 c chocolate chips
1/4 c walnut pieces, chopped

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, butter, egg and vanilla until smooth. Add in flour, baking powder and salt and beat until combined. Add in chocolate chips and walnuts.

2. Grease up a square baking pan and add batter to the pan. Smooth out tops and bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes or until the top is golden brown.