Espresso Shortbread Brownie Bars Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, and line with parchment paper so that there is a 2-inch overhang on the two long sides.
• Prepare the shortbread: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or beaters, mix together flour, sugar and salt. Beat in butter on low speed until dough just comes together but is still a little crumbly. (Or pulse together ingredients in a food processor.)
• Press dough into prepared pan. Prick dough all over with a fork. Bake until golden, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven. Raise oven temperature to 375 degrees.
• As shortbread bakes, prepare the brownie: Place butter and chocolate in a large bowl. Melt in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring after each burst, until smooth. (Alternatively, place bowl over a pot of simmering water, and heat chocolate and butter, stirring until smooth and melted.) Whisk in sugars and cocoa powder until smooth, then whisk in eggs and vanilla.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and sea salt. Whisk into chocolate mixture until no streaks of flour remain. Fold in nuts, if using. Spread mixture onto the warm shortbread base. Sprinkle lightly but evenly with flaky sea salt.
• Bake until the top is set, the center is soft, and the edges start pulling away from the pan, 23 to 28 minutes. (A toothpick inserted into the center will come out gooey.) Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Cut into bars before serving.

Steps:

• For the crust:
• Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch round springform pan with parchment or waxed paper. Spray the paper and the sides of the pan with cooking spray. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the graham crackers and sugar. Process until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. Add the melted butter and blend until the mixture forms into clumps. Spread the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan, pressing gently to form an even layer. Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the crust is golden. Cool for 15 minutes.
• For the caramel:
• While the crust is cooling, in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine 1/2 cup of cream, butter, sugar, and water. Stir over medium heat until the mixture is smooth. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer registers 240 degrees F, about 5 to 7 minutes. Carefully pour the caramel over the warm crust. Cool for 20 minutes. Freeze until firm, about 10 minutes.
• For the chocolate layer: Combine the chocolate chips and cream in a small bowl and place over a pan of simmering water. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the espresso powder. Remove the springform pan from the freezer. Pour the chocolate mixture over the caramel layer and smooth with a spatula. Sprinkle the top with smoked sea salt, if using. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour until firm.
• Allow the layers to come to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Using a warm, slightly wet knife, carefully cut around the edges of the chocolate layer. Release the side of the pan and remove the paper from the bottom. Cut into 1 1/2-by-1/2-inch bars and store airtight in a covered plastic container.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and mix for 30 seconds. Next add the flour and espresso powder and mix until the dough is smooth, about 1 minute.
• Spray the shortbread pan with cooking spray and scatter the ground espresso across the bottom of the pan. Gently press the dough evenly into the espresso covered pan. Place the pan into the top half of the oven and bake until the shortbread is set, about 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool 15 minutes.
• Using a sharp paring knife score the top of the still warm but cooling short bread. Cut in any size you prefer, we like 2 inch squares. Run a butter knife around the edge of the pan and invert onto a cutting board. Give 1 sharp rap and the shortbread will release from the pan. Let cool an additional 10 minutes and slice along the scored lines.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Coarsely chop chocolate and in a small saucepan melt with butter over moderately low heat, stirring until smooth. Remove pan from heat and stir in sugar. Add eggs, beating with a fork until incorporated, and stir in flour and salt. Pour chocolate mixture over hot shortbread and spread evenly. Bake in middle of oven until a tester comes out with crumbs adhering, about 35 minutes. Cool completely in pan and cut into 24 bars. Bar cookies keep, covered, 5 days at room temperature.

Steps:

• Butter an 8 1/2-inch cake or springform pan; set aside. Sift together flour and salt into a small bowl; set aside. Place butter in bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Cream until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add sugar, and continue to beat until very light in color and fluffy, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, about 2 minutes more. Add vanilla, if using. Dissolve 2 tablespoons espresso powder in 1 teaspoon hot water. Add mixture to creamed butter-and-sugar mixture with vanilla, before adding flour. Add flour mixture, and combine on low speed, scraping with spatula if necessary, until flour is just incorporated and dough sticks together when squeezed with fingers.
• Pat dough into prepared pan. If rolling out dough to cut into shapes, form into a flat disk; wrap in plastic. Chill until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Roll dough out 1/4 inch thick. Cut into ovals with 2-inch cutter. Score a line down the middle with the back of a knife; chill.
• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Bake until firm, about 20 minutes.

Steps:

• PAN PREP:.
• Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Press a.
• sheet of aluminum foil to cover the outside bottom and sides of a 9 by 9 by 2-inch square pan.
• Lift off the foil, invert the pan, and gently press the foil into the pan to fit the contours.
• SHORTBREAD:.
• In a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, and salt and.
• process briefly to blend.
• Scatter the butter pieces over the top and process with 1-second.
• bursts.
• Add the vanilla and continue with 1-second bursts until the ingredients form.
• small clumps.
• Stop before the mixture forms a ball.
• Scatter the clumps over the bottom of the prepared pan, and press with fingertips to line the bottom evenly.
• Bake the shortbread until it is pale gold and firm to the touch, 27 to 32 minutes.
• Let cool in the pan, about 20 minutes.
• HEAVENLY BROWNIE:.
• Briefly whisk together the flour and salt in a medium bowl to blend; set aside.
• In a small, heavy saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate over very low heat, stirring with a silicone spatula until smooth.
• Remove from the heat and stir the sugar into the chocolate mixture, combining thoroughly.
• Set aside for 5 to 7 minutes.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs until lightly beaten.
• Add the slightly cooled chocolate mixture to the eggs, stirring to blend. Stir in the vanilla, then the flour mixture.
• Pour the batter over the shortbread, and spread evenly with a rubber spatula.
• Sprinkle the nuts evenly over the batter.
• Gently pat them in place.
• Bake the brownie until the top looks slightly cracked about 1 inch from the edge around the pan and feels soft to the touch, 27 - 30 minutes (Don't overbake; the brownie will firm as it cools).
• Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely in the pan, at least 3.
• hours or up to overnight.
• TO SERVE:.
• Using the edges of the foil as handles, lift the brownie slab onto a cutting board.
• Using a sharp knife, cut the brownies straight down through the shortbread into 1-1/2-inch squares.
• STORAGE:.
• Return the bars to the pan, cover with aluminum foil, sealing the.
• foil around the edges of the pan, and keep at room temperature for up to 3 days.