I wasn’t sure what I was going to get with this recipe. But, chocolate and coffee - two of my favorite things - so I gave it a try.
The batter is super thick - I had to mix the chocolate chips in by hand. I think I would have broken my spoon if I had tried to use it!
The coffee gives the batter a lovely dark color. It almost looks like I had mixed in melted chocolate.
But alas the chocolate is just in pieces. Not that I am complaining - the little chunks of chocolate were quite enjoyable.
For the almonds, I used shaved almonds. I thought it would go nicely on top of the baked bar.
I was right too. The almonds attached themselves nicely to the batter. None of the nuts feel off while I was cutting the bars.
The end result was basically a brownie brittle or crunch. They were very crunchy!
I think they end result is a nice alternative to a cookie. It is sweet, with the hint of coffee, and the crunchiness of the nuts. Quite lovely!
ORIENTAL CRUNCH
1 Cup Butter
2 Tablespoons Instant Coffee
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Almond Extract
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
2 Cups Sifted Flour
6 Ounces Semisweet Chocolate Pieces
1/2 Cup Chopped Almonds
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Blend butter, coffee, salt and extracts together. Beat in sugar. Add flour. Stir in chocolate. Spread in a 15 x 10 inch pan. Sprinkle nuts over top. Press in lightly. Bake 20 minutes. Cool. Break into pieces.