White Chocolate Chip Bar Recipe with Brown Butter & Espresso

As I was browning the butter and pulling out the sugar and white chocolate chips for this bar recipe, I realized that desserts have been in short supply here since I adopted a healthier eating lifestyle. Looking back, I see that there is only one dessert recipe posted here since the new year (Puff Pastry “Ravioli” with Gingersnap Mascarpone & Marionberry Sauce). Horrors! Truth be told, I have snacked on cookies here and there – after all, that’s what moderation is all about, right? – but usually I have quelled any sugar cravings with sweet herbal tea or fruit, such as this Pink Grapefruit & Orange Compote with Ginger Yogurt.

This bar recipe is based off of a cookie recipe that my dad makes…one of my all-time favorite cookies, to be sure. I couldn’t find the exact recipe, so I winged it a little and took some liberties, such as browning the butter. If you have never been treated to brown butter, rest assured that the few extra minutes required to turn the butter from a creamy yellow liquid to a nutty brown elixir of the gods is well worth it. It works beautifully as a simple sauce for gnocchi (particularly when combined with fresh sage) and takes your favorite baked goods from really good to divine.

When mixed with white chocolate chips, espresso powder and ground cinnamon, the brown butter and sugar mixture turns into a chewy bar studded with rich flavors. Remember that moderation thing I was talking about? Well, that becomes a tad bit challenging when these bars sing their siren’s song. I recommend giving some away to the neighbors and freezing the extras for future bouts of “moderate eating”.

(Reminder: Don’t forget to enter the OXO giveaway on this post. Entries close on Tuesday, March 13 at 5pm PST.)

The recipe:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13- by 9-inch metal baking pan with cooking spray, then line with parchment paper, with parchment paper edges hanging over the side.

Melt the butter in a large skillet set over medium heat. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the butter turns golden brown. Remove from heat. Cool to room temperature.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine eggs, espresso powder and vanilla extract. Whisk until espresso powder is dissolved. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl, using a hand mixer), combine brown sugar, granulated sugar and cooled brown butter. Beat on medium speed until well-combined, about 3 minutes.

Add the egg mixture and beat again, about 30 seconds.

With the mixer set to low speed, gradually add the flour mixture. Scrape down the sides as necessary and beat just until the flour is combined.

Remove the bowl from mixer and stir in the white chocolate chips. Gently press the mixture into the pan until even.

Bake until the top is medium golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes.

Holding the parchment paper flaps, lift the bars out of the pan and let cool completely. Cut into bars and serve.

Other desserts with brown butter:
Cookin’ Canuck’s Brown Butter & Chocolate Oatmeal Bars
Cookin’ Canuck’s Brown Butter, Pine Nut & Rosemary Cookies
Recipe Girl’s Strawberry & Brown Butter Shortcake
Barbara Bakes’ Apple Blueberry Brown Butter Bliss
101 Cookbooks’ Brown Butter Spice Cake

Tagged as: bar, brown butter, chocolate chip, cookie, Dessert, espresso, recipe, white