Chocolate Almond Bars

Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 2 hrs Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup whole almond, toasted and coarsely chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder or 1 1/2 teaspoons instant coffee
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (4 1/2 oz)

Recipe

• 1 make crust and topping: preheat oven to 350°f.
• 2 beat together butter and brown sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes with a standing mixer or 3 minutes with a handheld.
• 3 reduce speed to low and mix in flour and salt just until a dough forms.
• 4 pat two thirds of dough evenly over bottom of a buttered 8- by 2-inch square metal baking pan.
• 5 bake crust in middle of oven until edge is golden, about 12 minutes.
• 6 while crust is baking, work almonds into remaining dough with your hands until crumbs form, then reserve for topping.
• 7 cool crust in pan on a rack.
• 8 make filling while crust cools: dissolve espresso powder in vanilla in a small cup.
• 9 beat together cream cheese and sugar with cleaned beaters at medium-high speed until creamy, about 2 minutes, then add egg and espresso mixture and beat well.
• 10 stir in chocolate chips.
• 11 pour filling onto cooled crust and crumble topping evenly over filling.
• 12 bake in middle of oven until edges are golden, about 30 to 35 minutes.
• 13 cool completely in pan on rack.
• 14 cut into 16 bars.
• 15 makes 16 bars.