Quintuple-Chocolate Therapy Bars
Cocoa powder and semisweet chocolate chips enrich these Quintuple-Chocolate Therapy Bars, which are crowned with white chocolate, cacao nibs, and a drizzle of bittersweet chocolate.
Quintuple-Chocolate Therapy Bars
Photo Credit : Mark FlemingA holiday cookie swap recipe from Liz Harris (@floatingkitchen). “No party is complete without chocolate,” Liz says, “so I made sure to fit as much as possible into this recipe.” She’s not kidding. Cocoa powder and semisweet chocolate chips enrich the bars, which are crowned with white chocolate, cacao nibs, and a drizzle of bittersweet chocolate. (For the topping, be sure to use white melting chocolate and not white chocolate chips.)
Yield:
16 barsIngredients
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon table salt
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cups semisweet chocolate chips
12 ounces white melting chocolate or chopped white chocolate
½ cup cacao nibs
½ cup bittersweet chocolate chips, for drizzling
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325° and set a rack to the middle position. Lightly spray a 9-by-9-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and then line it with parchment paper, leaving about an inch of paper hanging over the sides of the pan. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt until combined. Set aside.
Using an electric or standing mixer, beat together the butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed for one minute, scraping the sides halfway through. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Add the espresso powder and vanilla extract, and beat until combined, scraping the sides halfway through.
Gradually add the dry ingredients, about ½ cup at a time, beating on low speed until fully incorporated. Scrape down the mixing bowl as needed. Stir in the semisweet chocolate chips.
Scrape the batter (it will be very thick) into the baking pan and spread it out using an offset spatula lightly coated with nonstick cooking spray. Bake until set in the center, about 25 minutes (a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean). Set the pan on a wire rack to cool completely.
When the pan is cool, melt the white chocolate in a double boiler (or in a small bowl at 30-second intervals in a microwave set at 50% power).
Use the overhanging parchment paper to lift the whole block out of the pan and place on a cutting board. Spread with the melted white chocolate in an even layer, then sprinkle with the cacao nibs.
When the white chocolate has set, melt the bittersweet chocolate and drizzle it over the top. Let the topping harden completely before cutting the block into squares. The bars can wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature for up to 10 days.
