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.

like a velvet glove cast in iron: espresso ice-cream cups

Some days require advance planning, much organization and a roadmap to see you through. This weekend we had a house guest and while it was fun checking out our city through the eyes of a tourist and sharing our home with a new friend, it still required work. Work to search out recipes, work to grocery shop, work to prepare brunches and dinners. On Sunday evening, when all the hustle and bustle was over, Cornelius and I poured ourselves into flannel coziness and put on a tv-on-dvd guilty pleasure. We also put our new Bialetti stovetop espresso maker to work and made the simplest, most decadent dessert imaginable: espresso ice-cream cups. Believe me, there is no roadmap or recipe needed here.

A few years ago on a visit to my favorite city, Portland, OR, I stumbled into the Pied Cow Coffeehouse and had something called a "black velvet" or a "velvet glove". The name never stuck, but the memory of that dessert always did. When I'd tell my friends about how glorious it was, I had already re-named the dish into the title of my favorite Daniel Clowes graphic novel, "Like a Velvet Glove Cast in Iron". I would enjoy every spoonful and slurp and once the experience was over, I wanted to repeat it again and again. It was simplicity at it's best. A study in contrast. A scoop or two of vanilla ice-cream in your favorite pint glass or mug and a shot or two of hot espresso poured over top. That's it, there you have it. It's the perfect stress-free way to end a fancy dinner party with friends or the best way to unwind with your loved one afterwards.

foolproof

Sometimes you just have to have cake. Cornelius and I had returned from a very decadent lunch at Salad de Fruits where we dined on amazing moules et frites (at a very reasonable $10.99) on an outdoor patio. Afterwards, we went back home and got down to work...yet something was missing. My sweet tooth was on alert and I was soon diagnosed as needing some kind of sweet snack. I didn't want to fuss about with complex recipes or fancy ingredients. I just wanted something satisfying and simple...like my lunch. So I went to the freezer and took out one of my sacred containers of blackberries that I had picked only a few weeks before and made one of the easiest cakes I know. Really, this cake is foolproof. It was adapted so much from a recipe in the Gourmet Cookbook and has had so much mucking about that it just can't be ruined. Once I added too much sugar by accident, added the milk in one fell swoop at the end of the recipe instead of gradually, and used all ww flour instead of the original recipe's 100% all purpose flour. And all those "mistakes" happened all at the same time. It doesn't matter, this recipe is foolproof and it's so tasty that no one will complain.

blackberry coffee cake
1 c blackberries, fresh or frozen
1 1/4 c sugar
1/2 c all purpose flour
1 1/2 c whole wheat flour
2 t baking powder
3/4 t salt
1/2 c butter, softened
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
1 t cinnamon
1/2 c skim milk

1. Grease and flour a 9" round cake pan or bundt pan. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and cinnamon. In a seperate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add milk and flour mixture alternately in 3 batches, ending with the flour mixture until just incorporated.

2. Spread half of the batter into the cake pan. Add a the blackberries evenly over the batter and then cover with remaining batter.

3. Bake until golden brown, about 50 minutes or so. Cool cake in pan for 15 minutes and then invert onto rack. Serve warm or at room temperature and dust with icing sugar if you'd like to get extra fancy.

summer licks

First off, may I direct you to the mp3 blog, Shake Your Fist, where I was asked by the lovely Amy to write a guest post about music. I LOVE music but haven't written about it in ages, so it was a bit nerve-wracking and I was sure the moment that I finished the post I'd be hit with regret for not including this song or that song. But it was a fun post to write and thank you to Amy for asking!

iced coffee
It's summertime and the living is easy. I may drink my coffee hot in the morning, but by the afternoon, I take any leftover coffee out of the fridge and serve it up right. A little simple syrup (which is just equal parts water & sugar that have been boiled together), some milk and lots of ice and I've got a drink that Mr. Brown would be proud of.

strawberry-pineapple popsicles
Another thing I can't get enough of are popsicles. At all times, our fridge is stocked up with these homemade icy treats. I wrote about these last summer and I feel it's time again for a refresher, because they are beyond simple to make and so refreshing. Last time I added some vanilla yogurt for creaminess, this time I just blended up some frozen strawberries, pineapple juice and fresh lime juice, poured the mix into molds and into the freezer they went. Yum.