Cappuccino Bars

This summer, I had to drive out to a remote animal facility to do a special set of mouse experiments. This was a difficult task for me for a couple of reasons. One, I had not driven the car in over a year, and even when I had, I'd never had to drive by myself nor for the distance I would have to commute to reach this remote facility (about 12 miles each way). Two, because I'd never worked out at that facility before, I had to pack up all my materials (chemicals, tubes, solutions, etc) and have it shipped out there and back, so I had to be really careful I had EVERYTHING I needed, or else I was pretty screwed. 

Luckily I survived on both accounts: the experiment went as planned, and I now have a new-found confidence in driving! Hooray!

At the end of the month, to thank the wonderful veterinary staff who helped me through the process and made sure I had everything I needed and checked up on my mice, I baked up a couple treats and left them there on my last day.

These cappuccino bars melt in your mouth, and they are chocolatey with a hit of fragrant coffee flavor that would be excellent with some coffee or even milk! Just be careful when eating them because they are very delicate and crumble easily in your hand!

Cappuccino Bars (adapted from Dana Treat)

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 tablespoon instant coffee or espresso powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 & 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips or chopped bittersweet chocolate

2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon butter
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions:
Arrange rack to middle of oven and preheat oven to 375 F. Line a 10x15 inch (jelly roll) pan with parchment or Silpat.

Cream together the butter, brown sugar, instant coffee, and vanilla. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add dry ingredients to creamed butter mixture and mix to combine. Last, add the chocolate chips and stir in (usually easier to do by hand). You will end up with a very crumbly mixture.

Dump all the dough out onto the prepared pan and use your hands to press the dough evenly in the pan, as close to the edges as possible. Square off the edges.

Bake 5 minutes at 375 degrees, then rotate the pan and bake for 5-10 minutes more. Bake until the edges are just starting to turn brown. Remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes before spreading on the glaze.

For the glaze: Combine the milk, butter, powdered sugar, and cinnamon in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk constantly until mixture is smooth and just beginning to bubble. Pour the glaze over the cookie slab and spread out to the edges with a spatula.

Cool the cookie until just warm to the touch, then cut into bars as large or small as you please with a sharp knife. Be careful, as the cookie is very delicate and will tend to tear along the chocolate bits.

Store in airtight container, layers separated with wax or parchment paper.