Chocolate Espresso Caramel Bars

As I briefly mentioned in my last post, I made a picnic for my mom and I in Central Park this past July. Along with the panzanella, I made these chocolate espresso caramel bars. (I also made a watermelon, feta, and arugula salad and spicy apricot glazed shrimp. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but this was not your ordinary, run of the mill picnic spread- it was pretty spectacular.)  Upon tasting the caramel bars for the first time, it was love at first bite. My mom and I polished off a whole batch within a matter of days. These things really are magical. For the past two months I have literally dreamed about them, almost nightly, waking in a cold sweat and salivating over the image of chocolate caramel gooey goodness.

Don't let the name of these heavenly treats throw you though. These in no way taste like coffee. Not that I have anything against coffee, I actually consider myself somewhat of an addict. My day does not begin until I have my first cup of joe. The espresso powder in this recipe is not intended to impart its flavor; its purpose is to intensify the flavor of the chocolate, adding depth. While watching the Barefoot Contessa last week, she reiterated this tasty little trick.  She added espresso powder to chocolate cupcakes, both to the cake batter and the frosting, with only the intentions of enriching the chocolate.  A nifty little trick to keep in mind, don't you think?

One of my favorite things about this particular dessert is its cross section.  The distinctive layers are so beautiful! A graham cracker crust and soft caramel center topped off with rich, intense chocolate.  Sort of like a Twix bar gone gourmet. This recipe is adapted from, once again, Giada. She suggests sprinkling the top with smoked sea salt, but at $17 a pop (!), I figured regular sea salt would do just fine. This is, of course, not necessary, but I really like the slightly salty finish.  It really leaves you wanting more, which, I guess, could be both a good thing or a bad thing.  Not such a great thing in my case, as I usually can't walk away from these things without eating at least 5.  I even tried freezing half the batch to save for a later date, (and to deter me from once again consuming the batch in its entirety) but unfortunately, they defrost way to easily.  Take one bar out of the freezer and it's soft enough to eat in 10 minutes.  But I guess that's comforting to know, should I start waking in the middle of the night again, dreaming about chocolate, I know it will only be 10 minutes before I can soundly fall back asleep.  

Chocolate Espresso Caramel Bars

Recipe adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients: 

Crust:
Vegetable cooking spray
12 whole graham crackers, crumbled
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 stick plus 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted 

pinch of salt

Caramel:
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar (packed)
1 tablespoon water

Chocolate Layer:
2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

1 teaspoon course sea salt, optional

Special equipment: a candy thermometer

Directions

For the crust:
Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of a 9x9-inch baking dish with parchment or waxed paper. Spray the paper and the sides of the pan with cooking spray. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the graham crackers, sugar, and salt. Process until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs. Add the melted butter and blend until the mixture forms into clumps. Spread the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan, pressing gently to form an even layer. Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes until the crust is golden. Cool for 15 minutes.

For the caramel:
While the crust is cooling, in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine 1/2 cup of cream, butter, sugar, and water. Stir over medium heat until the mixture is smooth. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer registers 240 degrees F, about 5 to 7 minutes. Carefully pour the caramel over the warm crust. Cool for 20 minutes. Freeze until firm, about 10 minutes.

For the chocolate layer: 

Combine the chocolate chips and cream in a small bowl and place over a pan of simmering water. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the espresso powder. Remove the pan from the freezer. Pour the chocolate mixture over the caramel layer and smooth with a spatula. Sprinkle the top with sea salt, if using. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour until firm.

Allow the layers to come to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Using a warm, slightly wet knife, carefully cut around the edges of the chocolate layer. Cut into 1 1/2 by 1/2-inch bars and store airtight in a covered plastic container in the fridge.

Chicken Milanese with Tomato-Fennel-Mascarpone Sauce

Anything that's lightly fried in oil has got to be good.  Something that's lightly fried in oil by Giada De Laurentiis, well, that's even better.  I have a confession to make.  I have a crush on this woman, a culinary crush that is.  Giada has the incredible ability to make my mouth water with almost any dish she makes. Perhaps it's because a good percentage of them contain mascarpone cheese... Though I usually try to abstain from fried foods (both for the calorie content and the inevitable stove-top splattered mess) the Chicken Milanese she made a couple weeks ago on her show, Giada at Home, seemed like a dish that was worth making a greasy mess over.  The chicken, which is breaded then pan fried in vegetable oil, is accompanied by a creamy sauce of cherry tomatoes, fennel, and- you guessed it- a generous serving of mascarpone.  

Not a huge fan of fennel, I had the notion to substitute it for caramelized onions. So glad I didn't!  Fennel, when raw, is extremely reminiscent of black licorice, something that I am also not a huge fan of.  But when sauteed and softened in olive oil, the flavor becomes much milder and subtly sweet.  I have been converted- I am now a believer in fennel! The only modification I might have made to this recipe, would be to add a hint of acidity.  I think a quick squeeze of fresh lemon juice on top of the chicken, just before serving, could have really heightened the flavors.  Something to keep in mind for next time, because I will definitely be making this again!

Chicken Milanese with Tomato and Fennel Sauce

Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

(My modifications are in green)

Ingredients:
Chicken:

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 cups plain bread crumbs
2/3 cup grated Parmesan
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
4 (6 to 8-ounce) boneless and skinless chicken breasts, tenderloins removed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup vegetable oil

** I used Italian style bread crumbs, skipped the dried basil, and added only 1/2 tsp dried thyme

Sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 fennel bulbs, trimmed and thinly sliced
2 1/2 cups (12 ounces) cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature

Directions:
For the chicken: Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a wire rack.

Using 3 wide shallow bowls, add the flour to 1, the eggs to another and to the third bowl combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, basil, and thyme.

On a work surface, put the chicken between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet, lightly pound the chicken until approximately 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour to coat lightly, then dip into the beaten eggs, allowing the excess egg to drip off. Coat the chicken with the bread crumb mixture, pressing gently to adhere.

In a large, nonstick saute pan, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add 2 pieces of the breaded chicken into the oil and cook until light golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Transfer the chicken to the prepared baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Reserve the cooking juices in the saute pan.

For the sauce: Using the same saute pan, add the olive oil to the reserved cooking juices and heat over medium heat. (I opted to poor out about half of the reserved juices. There was a lot of oil left in the pan, and I didn't think it seemed necessary for the sauce.) Add the fennel and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the cherry tomatoes, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, garlic and thyme. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes until the tomatoes are tender. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the mascarpone cheese and stir until the mixture is creamy. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and spoon the sauce over the top before serving.

**I garnished the chicken with chopped, fresh flat leaf parsley, which made for a pretty presentation. Also, I would suggest adding a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.