Coffee and caramel bars

Votes: 1

Time: 2 hours 55 minutes
Complexity: easily
Servings: 6 - 8

This three-layer dessert captivates with its combination of cinnamon, espresso, and caramel flavors. It's made in one large piece and then cut into small, candy-like bars once it's set. The bottom layer is a crumbly crust made from crushed graham crackers with cinnamon. It's topped with a dense, creamy caramel, and finished off with a chocolate-coffee layer. Only the crust is baked in the oven, while the remaining layers are left to set in the refrigerator. For the ultimate flavor explosion, Giada De Laurentiis recommends sprinkling it with smoked sea salt.

The recipes use measuring containers with the following volumes:
1 glass (st.) - 250 ml.
3/4 cup (st.) - 180 ml.
2/3 cup (st.) - 160 ml.
1/2 cup (st.) - 125 ml.
1/3 cup (st.) - 80 ml.
1/4 cup (st.) - 60 ml.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) - 15 ml.
1 teaspoon (tsp) - 5 ml.
1/5 teaspoon (tsp) - 1 ml.

Ingredients for the recipe:

Cake

12 whole cinnamon graham crackers (170 g), crumbled, or 2 cups cinnamon graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
170 g unsalted butter, melted
Cooking spray

Caramel

0.5 cups heavy cream
110 g unsalted butter, room temperature
1.5 cups light brown sugar
1 tbsp. water
Special equipment: caramel thermometer

Chocolate layer

2 tbsp. (340 g.) semi-sweet chocolate granules
0.5 cups heavy cream
1 and 3/4 teaspoons dry instant espresso
1 tsp smoked sea salt (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Suggestions

We recommend

Recipes with similar ingredients: shortbread cookies, semi-sweet chocolate, chocolate chips (granules), coffee, brown sugar, caramel, cream

Cooking the dish according to the recipe:

Position a rack on the middle shelf of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment or waxed paper. Spray the parchment and the sides of the pan with cooking spray.
Make a graham cracker crust:

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the graham crackers and sugar. Process until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse until the mixture begins to form lumps. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan, pressing gently to form an even crust. Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown. Cool for 15 minutes.

Prepare the caramel while the cake is cooling.:

In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine 1/2 cup heavy cream, butter, sugar, and water. Stir over medium heat until smooth. Bring to a boil and cook, without stirring, until the temperature reaches 235°F (115°C), about 5-7 minutes. Carefully pour the caramel over the warm cake. Cool for 20 minutes. Place in the freezer to set, about 10 minutes.
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler and pour it over the caramel.:

Combine the chocolate and cream in a small bowl and place over a pan of simmering water. Stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth, about 3 minutes. Stir in the espresso powder. Remove the pan from the freezer. Pour the chocolate mixture over the caramel layer and smooth it out with a spatula. Sprinkle with smoked sea salt, if using. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to set.
Bring the dessert to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Using a warm, slightly damp knife, carefully run a circle around the perimeter of the chocolate layer. Remove the ring from the pan and peel off the parchment paper. Cut the dessert into 4x1 cm bars and store in a tightly sealed plastic container.