Espresso Caramel Bars

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I just made these and they were delicious (however I omitted the espresso- I don't care for coffee. My husband ate the crust and caramel and left the chocolate behind, it was just too rich. Also I had a hard time cutting them without the caramel oozing out. Next time I think I am going to put them into mini muffin papers and drizzle chocolate over the top.

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I made this recipe last week for a family get together and everyone loved it! I had never made caramel and that part was very easy with the candy thermometer. You definitely should make sure the caramel is hardened in the freezer and don't take it out a minute too soon before you pour the chocolate layer on top or the chocolate melts the caramel quickly and you are left with an uneven layer of caramel. I made this mistake but it still tasted fabulous! I used the sea salt on top and I think it definitely added another dimension to the dessert. I have passed this recipe along to family members that fell in love with it as I did!

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I made this for the first time yesterday and was very pleased with the results. The caramel layer was so easy to make and came out nice and chewey - just the way caramel should be. I may try reducing the butter in the crust a bit but mine actually came out crumbly and not soupy. I was pleasantly surprised at how thick the chocolate layer was!! To me this is more like a candy rather than a cookie so I cut smaller pieces. Oh, I did omit the salt on top simply because I didn't have any - and I'm not a real fan of salty/sweet flavors together. I would definitely make this again.

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I made this for my family and they are already asking me to make it again. A definite winner. Very rich but still seemed to disappear quickly. It is very easy to make. A winner.

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This was VERY sweet and EXTREMELY rich and oh soooooo good. I didn't have any troubles with the recipe as it is written--maybe it was the brand of graham crackers I used? It was the "generic" store brand and it soaked up the butter just fine without being greasy. I think I did add a little less sugar to the crust since the grahams were coated in cinnamon sugar. oh and maybe I baked it a little longer than the recipe says--until the crust got a little crispy. This definitely makes a huge batch and even the biggest lovers of sweets in my family could only eat one or two pieces. But I'm sure I'll be able to finish off the leftovers in the next day or so. :-

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I made this recipe for a family party and it got mixed reviews. I followed the recipe well but I think the crust could have used more time in the oven or less butter. It was very gooey and buttery. Did anyone have this problem. I can also use some tips on how to transport these treats because they seem to melt very fast. The taste was very good, but not to have more than one small piece. Overall I really enjoy Giada's recipes, but I can use some tips on how to improve this one.

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I agree with some of the reviews: crust too buttery and overall too sweet for me. Here are my tweaks to make this perfect:

1. Use a scale to weigh the graham crackers - I used Honey Made and needed 13 to get to 6 ounces.

2. Add less sugar to the graham crackers. I don't know how much but next time, I'm not going to add the sugar at all. Graham crackers (especially cinnamon are already VERY sweet!.

3. Add the melted butter in stages until you get a moist, crumbly consistency. 1 1/2 sticks was WAY too much and my mixture was soupy (I followed Giada's directions exactly. My finished bars had white coagulated clumps of butter in the crust, it's just kind of greesy and unnecessary.

4. Consider blending some dark chocolate in with the semi-sweet. The caramel is delicious but very very sweet. Maybe dark chocolate (just a little would balance it out better.

5. Lastly, this may be my brand new thermeter (I got a thane but my caramel is more like toffee - not ooey gooey. Anyone else?

Despite these tweaks - it's so worth it. The sea salt is a great touch. Love the smokey addition.

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My family and I loved theese bars. I took the person who commented about doubling the caramel advice and it was too much. But the flavor combination is just amazing! I also chopped up some toasted, salted hazlenuts instead of smoked salt and they were so amazing! Giada thanks for another GREAT
recipe =

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I LOVED these bars and so did everyone else had tried them. "Heavenly" was the most used word used to describe these gems. The recipe is quite simple too. I found a small bottle of espresso powder at my local grocery store in the coffee aisle. I found the candy thermometer at Target for 9.99. I agree with a previous reviewer that the crust was on the oily side. There was a ring of buttery oil left on my counter after I removed the pan from the counter and into the freezer. I had to wipe down the bottom of the springform pan before putting into my freezer. It didn't turn out oily after the crust set, but I do think I'll reduce the butter next time (maybe by 1 tablespoon at least. These bars are very sinful so any reduction will help the waist line! You will NEED to share these unless you have extreme willpower. I had a hard time not eating the entire batch!

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These were absolutely sinful. I brought them to work and they were gone in seconds! I am making them again today and plan on making the carmel layer thicker by 1 & 1/2 times because the carmel was sooooo gooood. The chocolate layer was thicker than I thought it would be which was a pleasant surprise, and I wanted the carmel layer to be just a thick this time. Easy and worth every calorie!