Coffee, Coffee, and More Coffee

Yesterday was National Coffee Day.  I am not a huge coffee drinker.  If I do drink it, I get something like an iced latte.  Feels more like a milkshake rather than a coffee drink.  Kind of like a snack rather than a vice or a morning habit.

So, I decided to turn my coffee creation into a sweet.  No duh ( as Levi has been known to say).  These bars pack a huge jolt.  With that said, I decided to cut them into small portions.  Eat them sparingly!

Coffee Crunch Bars
adapted from here
yield: 48 pieces

ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup plus 2 Tbls. unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
2 Tbls. instant espresso powder
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup sliced almonds

instructions:
• preheat oven to 325*.  set aside a 9 x 13" baking pan
• whisk flour, baking powder, and salt.  set aside.
• in the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until blended.
• add espresso powder and vanilla.
• add flour, in 3 additions, mixing until well combined
• stir in chocolate and almonds
• turn dough into baking pan.  spread evenly with an off set spatula.  pierce with a fork
• bake until edges are lightly browned and beginning to crisp, 45-50.  cool on a rack and after one minute,
score.
• can store in an airtight container for 5 days.