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Irish Coffee Bars Recipe

Years ago, my BFF from High School sent me a recipe for Blonde Brownies. They are delicious and we make those brownies often, naming them Blonde Ambitions.  Now, Martha Stewart kicks it all up a couple of notches with Irish Coffee Bars. We’re talking about a few of my favorite things: butter, coffee, and Irish Whiskey.

Ingredients

  • For The Blondies
    • 2 sticks unsalted butter, plus more for pan
    • 2 cups all-purpose flour
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
    • 2 cups packed light-brown sugar
    • 3 tablespoons freshly ground coffee
    • Salt
    • 2 large eggs
    • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    • 1/2 cup sliced almonds, skin on
  • For The Glaze
    • 1 tablespoon melted butter, warm
    • 2 tablespoons Irish whiskey
    • 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

Directions

  1. Make the blondies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking pan, and line it with parchment so that it overhangs on all sides. Butter parchment. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and baking soda.
  2. Melt butter, and pour into a mixing bowl with brown sugar, ground coffee, and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir to combine. Stir in eggs and vanilla extract. Stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Pour batter into the pan, and sprinkle with almonds. Bake 27 to 30 minutes, depending on how chewy you like your blondies (a shorter baking time results in a chewier blondie). Let cool completely.
  3. Make the glaze: Whisk together butter and whiskey. Gradually whisk in confectioners’ sugar until the glaze is thick but pourable (you may not need all the sugar). Using a spoon or a pastry bag fitted with a plain round tip, drizzle glaze over blondies in a rough crosshatch pattern. Let glaze dry for 1 hour. Cut blondies into 2-inch squares.

     

pg. 56 of Martha Stewart Living, Number 220, March 2012

About Julee Morrison

Julee Morrison is an author and writer with over 35 years of experience in parenting and family recipes. She’s the author of four cookbooks: The Instant Pot College Cookbook, The How-To Cookbook for Teens, The Complete Cookbook for Teens, and The Complete College Cookbook.Available on Amazon,

Her work has appeared in The LA Times, Disney’s Family Fun Magazine, Bon Appétit, Weight Watchers Magazine, All You, Scholastic Parent & Child, and more.

Her article "My Toddler Stood on Elvis' Grave and Scaled Over Boulders to Get to a Dinosaur" appeared on AP News, and her parenting piece “The Sly Way I Cured My Child's Lying Habit” was featured on PopSugar.

Outside of writing, Julee enjoys baking, reading, collecting crystals, and spending time with her family. You can find more of her work at Mommy’s Memorandum.