Toffee Crunch Bars

As Piper so eloquently put it, these cookies are a "taste adventure." Don't be fooled by their rather uninspiring looks. These pack a wallop of flavors--there's espresso, almond, chocolate and more than their fair share of delicious rich buttery goodness. There's no actual toffee in the cookie, but something about the interplay of the coffee and the almond...ahh. I had originally made these for dessert, and kept noticing the way my family members kept casually nipping through the kitchen to grab another cookie.

These cookies are pretty much perfect for any occasion, but I would highly recommend them as far as keeping your cookie jar stocked. There's enough going on in these that they make for a very satisfying sweet afternoon snack. I also served them for dessert--heated them up ever so  slightly and served the warm cookie alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Perfection.

Toffee Crunch Bars (adapted from Bon Appetit)

 2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder 

1/4 teaspoon salt  

1 cup (2 sticks) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature  

1 1/4 cups (firmly packed) dark brown sugar 

2 tablespoons instant espresso powder  

1/2 teaspoon almond extract  

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips 

1/2 cup sliced almonds

 

Preheat oven to 325°F. Whisk first 3 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. 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). 

 

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. 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). 

 

Enjoy!