don’t kick your habit: cappuccino bars

cappuccino bars

I drink 2 cups of coffee a day. Sometimes, if I’m feeling rough or I’m out meeting a client, there might be a third cup. I’ve never tried to quit because I know the kind of pain I’d be under. Plus, I really, really love coffee. My husband once quit drinking coffee for a month just to see if he could do it. He drank green tea instead which is caffeinated. He had bad headaches for a week or so until they faded, but they did fade. Yet when the month was up, he was back on the mud. You can’t quit a good thing.

cappuccino bars

So I’m surprised it has taken me this long to make these cappuccino bars which are packed full ofย good ol’ java flavour. You see, Dana posted this recipe way back in 2009 and I wanted them immediately. But like all things online, I then found something else to crave. And then something else came along. I forgot what happened next. That happens to everyone else, right? But I think the real issue I had with this recipe was that it called for a jelly roll pan. What the heck is that? Thankfully, the internet is also good for answering stupid questions. It turns out that my walled cookie sheet is also known as a jelly roll pan. The pan that I’ve been using for years for cookies and roasting vegetables and pretty much everything else is one and the same. Doh!

cappuccino bars

I got to work making these squares right away. Not that there is much work involved, mind you. These bars are unbelievably easy to make. And if you want to cut the time down a bit, just use chocolate chips instead of chopping chocolate down from a block. However, I should note that I used some mighty fine bittersweet chocolate and I think chopping it down was a very good thing to do.

cappuccino bars

But the thing I liked best was the cinnamon glaze. I think I’ll use this glaze for other recipes. Making doughnuts or muffins, use this glaze. Please don’t skip the glaze!! It really elevates these bars into something really special. Think about it. Chocolate. Coffee. Cinnamon. It’s a perfect match! Bake up a batch and share them with a bunch of friends. You’ll need to share because these bars are pretty intense and rich.The only real cautionary tale I can provide is to square off the ends and sides. My dough didn’t fill out the pan and the edges looked all ragged and ugly. And they got brown pretty quickly.

cappuccino bars

Some bars are for keeping. Above, the ugly ones. Eat those and share the nice looking ones. Now.

29 comments to “don’t kick your habit: cappuccino bars”

  1. 1
    Joanne   June 29, 2012 at 3:27 am

    My boyfriend is always trying to convince me to give up coffee…for no good reason in my opinion! But I love it too much. No can do. I might even love it MORE in cappuccino bar form! And if both you AND Dana love these…they’re a need to make.

  2. 2
    Teresa   June 29, 2012 at 5:28 am

    Every time someone tells me I need to decrease my coffee intake I just point out that while I might brew the strongest espresso I can-I used to drink the whole coffeepot (6 shots) in a single morning so really, consuming 3 shots over the day is nothing! definitely going to try this (maybe on days I want to sneak in some extra caffeine?) and since you said it needs the glaze (I don’t like cinnamon) I’ll try vanilla bean glaze.

  3. 3
    Brittany   June 29, 2012 at 7:08 am

    Have to try these!!!!

  4. 4
    Anne Rodrigues   June 29, 2012 at 8:27 am

    I refuse to give up my coffee as well. You have to have some pleasures in life and these bars look so good. I think I’ll be trying this recipe. Thanks.

  5. 5
    Amanda @ Once Upon a Recipe   June 29, 2012 at 9:33 am

    Must must MUST make these. I am a coffee addict too, not to mention a chocolate fiend. Thanks for sharing!

  6. 6
    Christina @ Oven Adventures   June 29, 2012 at 10:04 am

    mmm. i gave up coffee once, while I was pregnant with my first child. Never again, I love it WAY too much. I’m going to make myself a cup right now.

    I love the pic of the ugly bars. ๐Ÿ˜‰

  7. 7
    The Food Hunter   June 29, 2012 at 12:09 pm

    will never give up coffee…love the idea of these bars.

  8. 8
    Eileen   June 29, 2012 at 2:06 pm

    I had no coffee today for the first weekday in a long time…but I may have to make some of these and get my full caffeine allowance that way. ๐Ÿ™‚ That glaze does look perfect–crispy & crackly and cinnamony!

  9. 9
    Peggy   June 30, 2012 at 11:21 am

    OH these would definitely go over well in our family! Even our 13 year likes coffee… in fact he has been drinking it since he was really little (think cafe au laute, heavy on the sugar!) I know my mom would be over the moon about these gems also but we would have to make her’s decaf as she has problems with caffeine in coffee… (heart palpitations for as long as I can remember)

    Thanks for sharing!!

  10. 10
    Kem   June 30, 2012 at 2:31 pm

    By “finely ground espresso powder” you mean ground coffee beans, right?

  11. 11
    Hindy   July 2, 2012 at 9:27 am

    I could never give up my coffee! These bars look to be right up my alley! Will have to give it a try soon!

  12. 12
    kickpleat   July 3, 2012 at 10:37 am

    Joanne, there is never a good reason to give up coffee. Stand your ground ๐Ÿ™‚

    Teresa, let me know how the vanilla glaze works, I’m sure it will be delicious.

    Thanks Brittany!

    Totally agree, Anne! Coffee 4 eva!

    Amanda, then these sound totally perfect for all your addictions.

    Aw, thanks Christina, even ugly bars need love.

    Thanks Food Hunter!

    Eileen, yes, feed your caffeine allowance with these bars. They’re so good.

    Peggy, thanks! I loved drinking milky cafe au lait when I was little too ๐Ÿ™‚

    Kem, I used a very fine grind of espresso beans and a bit of the Italian instant stuff. Either works!

    Thanks Hindy, let me know if you do!

  13. 13
    tanja   July 5, 2012 at 6:44 am

    I an espresso freak! I drink at least 2 (+some decafs for obvious reasons). These must be heaven!!!

  14. 14
    Andrea Merrigan   July 6, 2012 at 4:45 pm

    These look so good! Found your blog through Shutterbean’s I love lists Friday. Very cute blog!

  15. 15
    kickpleat   July 6, 2012 at 7:53 pm

    Tanja, I’m the same too – but I never drink decaf, ever. I think I was ruined by my parent’s Sanka as a kid.

    Andrea, thanks so much for stopping by & saying hi!

  16. 16
    Emlue   July 7, 2012 at 8:19 pm

    Made these last night – delish! 1/2’d the recipe and it still worked great. Just made the glaze today with maple flavoring instead of cinnamon and while the glaze was amazing on its own I couldn’t taste it very well on the bars, probably because I amped up the coffee and chocolate in the bars a little. Oh well! Still a complete success!! ๐Ÿ™‚ Now I just have to watch that I don’t eat too many at night, for fear of staying up all hours. ๐Ÿ™‚ Thanks for the fab recipe!

  17. 17
    kickpleat   July 9, 2012 at 8:23 am

    Emlue, so glad that you liked the bars. maple is more subtle than the cinnamon so I’m sure that’s probably why you couldn’t taste the glaze. Enjoy!

  18. 18
    Katie K   July 9, 2012 at 8:26 am

    I would like to make these, but I have 2 questions. How much does 2 cups of chocolate weigh? Light or dark brown sugar?

  19. 19
    kickpleat   July 9, 2012 at 9:01 am

    Hi Katie, I just hopped onto google and 1 cup of chocolate chips weighs: 1 cup = 5.35 oz, so you can just double that. Hope it helps. I used light brown sugar.

  20. 20
    Ashley   July 9, 2012 at 3:58 pm

    i don’t drink coffee but love coffee flavoured things. thanks for reminding me about these!! i must try to remember to make them soon.

  21. 21
    Christie   July 10, 2012 at 7:10 am

    This is so awesome. I have been on a mission to quit coffee, and although I have limited it, I just don’t think I want to quit it. It is so lovely. More than that, I think I would like to lose myself in a pan of these yummy bars. Thank you for the recipe, and for the sweet and sour cukes that are great for the sudden heat in Vancouver.

  22. 22
    Joanne (Bijoux)   July 10, 2012 at 4:29 pm

    Yum!!! I really should make these squares for all the coffee lovers I know. That’s some serious chocolate chopping action shot, you have there lol!

  23. 23
    Michelle @ gloriouseats.com   July 11, 2012 at 8:04 am

    Wow.wow.wow. These look absolutely divine. I gave up coffee for about 3 months and got on the green tea, but it only took one slip and I was back on the java. What the heck – it’s a good thing ๐Ÿ˜›

  24. 24
    Nealey @ Dixie Caviar   July 11, 2012 at 4:38 pm

    Rarely does a recipe make me want to get off my couch and go directly to the kitchen. But here I am, closing my laptop and heading that way… Stay tuned!

  25. 25
    kickpleat   July 16, 2012 at 2:20 pm

    Thanks Ashley, these are good…even for those who don’t like drinking coffee!

    You’re welcome, Christie! Enjoy.

    Joanne, yes, there is some serious chocolate here ๐Ÿ™‚

    Agreed, Michelle, a very good thing indeed.

    Nealey, I hope you love these bars – they’re tasty!

  26. 26
    justcooknyc   July 19, 2012 at 5:53 am

    i don’t even drink coffee, but these look amazing to me

  27. 27
    kickpleat   July 19, 2012 at 5:09 pm

    Thanks Justin for stopping by! Maybe you could make these gluten free??

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