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.
So I’m surprised it has taken me this long to make these cappuccino bars which are packed full of 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!
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.
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.
Some bars are for keeping. Above, the ugly ones. Eat those and share the nice looking ones. Now.
cappuccino bars
(adapted from Dana Treat)
1 c butter, at room temperature
1 c brown sugar, firmly packed
1 T instant espresso powder
1/4 t finely ground espresso powder
1 t vanilla extract
2 1/4 cu flour
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
2 c bittersweet dark chocolate, chopped finelyglaze:
2 T milk
1 T butter
3/4 c powdered sugar
1/4 t cinnamonPreheat oven to 375 F with the rack at the middle level. Line a 10×15 inch jelly roll pan (aka cookie sheet with 4 sides) with baking parchment or grease lightly.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, coffee, and vanilla. Add in the flour, baking powder and salt. The dough will be crumbly, this is good. Now, add in the chocolate and stir well.
Dump the dough evenly onto your baking tray and press the dough evenly into the pan using your hands. To flatten things out, use a rolling pin to get an even layer. Use a spreader or spatula to straighten up the sides. Bake for 5 minutes and rotate the pan. Bake 5 minutes more until the edges start turning brown – watch carefully! I left mine in for 8 minutes and they were a bit too dark, I think. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes before spreading with glaze.
To make the glaze, put all ingredients into a small pot and let melt over medium heat. Whisk briskly to remove any lumps and stir until barely bubbly. Drizzle glaze evenly over bars and smooth out to the edges and corners with a rubber spatula.
Cool until pan is just warm to the touch and cut into squares. These are rich so cut small squares. Also, these freeze well in sealed plastic containers.
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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.
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.
Have to try these!!!!
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.
Must must MUST make these. I am a coffee addict too, not to mention a chocolate fiend. Thanks for sharing!
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. 😉
will never give up coffee…love the idea of these bars.
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. 🙂 That glaze does look perfect–crispy & crackly and cinnamony!
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!!
By “finely ground espresso powder” you mean ground coffee beans, right?
I could never give up my coffee! These bars look to be right up my alley! Will have to give it a try soon!
Joanne, there is never a good reason to give up coffee. Stand your ground 🙂
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 🙂
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!
I an espresso freak! I drink at least 2 (+some decafs for obvious reasons). These must be heaven!!!
These look so good! Found your blog through Shutterbean’s I love lists Friday. Very cute blog!
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!
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!! 🙂 Now I just have to watch that I don’t eat too many at night, for fear of staying up all hours. 🙂 Thanks for the fab recipe!
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!
I would like to make these, but I have 2 questions. How much does 2 cups of chocolate weigh? Light or dark brown sugar?
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.
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.
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.
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!
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 😛
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!
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 🙂
Agreed, Michelle, a very good thing indeed.
Nealey, I hope you love these bars – they’re tasty!
i don’t even drink coffee, but these look amazing to me
Thanks Justin for stopping by! Maybe you could make these gluten free??