These mocha bars are based on a recipe from Debbi Fields’ Great American Desserts and they’re essentially a once-baked biscotti (I wonder if that makes them a cotti?).
The recipe makes four logs of dough – one to bake for immediate eating and the rest to stash in the freezer for an easy treat at a later date. The Dutch-processed cocoa powder imparts a dark chocolatey flavour that is particularly appealing…
- 125g (½ cup) unsalted butter
- 55g (½ cup) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 3 large (59g) free range eggs
- 150g (¾ cup) white sugar
- 100g (½ cup) brown sugar
- 20ml (4 teaspoons) vanilla extract (I use homemade)
- 40ml (8 teaspoons) Tia Maria
- 375g (2½ cups)plain (AP) flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder, sifted
- good pinch of fine sea salt
- 180g (6oz) white chocolate chips (I used Callebaut white callets)
- 180g (6oz) semisweet dark chocolate chips (I used Callebaut Fairtrade 811 54%)
- 100g (3½ oz) bittersweet dark chocolate chips (I used Callebaut 70%)
1. In a large glass or Pyrex bowl, melt the butter in the microwave. Add the cocoa powder and stir until smooth.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk or sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
3. In a large bowl and using an electric mixer, beat together the eggs and sugars for several minutes until well combined and light. Add the melted butter and cocoa mix and beat well until smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla and Tia Maria and beat in well.
4. Add the flour and mix gently until just combined, then add the chocolate chips and mix on the lowest speed until the chips are just mixed in. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight.
5. Preheat the oven to 160C with fan and line an oven tray with parchment paper. Divide the cold dough into four pieces and shape each into a 4cm thick (diameter) log. Wrap any logs that you don’t plan to bake straight away in parchment paper and then foil, and store in the freezer until needed.
6. Place the log(s) to be baked on the tray, leaving room for spreading. Bake for 25 minutes or until the tops have cracked and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out cleanly. Allow to rest for 10 minutes on the tray before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. With a sharp knife, cut the log into thick slices before serving.
It’s been a while since I last made these, and I’d forgotten how delicious they were – the first baked log was hoovered up within the hour, which meant I had to bake a second one the same day. Pete asked me to wait a week before baking anymore, as he’s finding them hard to resist!
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 