I usually don’t share recipes on this blog, but since some of you have asked for the Mocha Bar recipe…One of the ways I show love to family and friends is by cooking. I don’t think that book on “love languages” included cooking, but that is definitely one of mine.

I used to overdo the baking around the holiday time. It’s fairly normal for me to make several kinds of quick breads (pumpkin bread, banana bread, etc.) and a bunch of different cookies. It was a tad obsessive, truth be told. And my husband would munch the cookies, but then complain that I had made him gain weight over the holidays. :) So I’ve cut back on my baking, and I try to give away the baked goods. I’ve already got a lot of loaves of bread in the freezer, ready to send to people on my list who seriously do not need another sweater! I mean, what do you get your 92 year old grandmother? Cookies and pumpkin bread.

One cookie that I have to bake enough of to both give away and keep are Mocha Cinnamon Bars. They are a tradition, with lots of memories, at our house. They’re very easy to make. I mentioned them on Facebook the other day and someone asked for the recipe. They freeze well, so you can make them now and freeze until Christmas.

Mocha Cinnamon Bars

Stir together 2 t. instant coffee crystals, 1/2 t. each of water, vanilla extract in small bowl. Set aside.

Stir together 2 c. flour and 1 t. cinnamon in another bowl. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat together 1 cup butter or margarine (I use one stick of each), 1/2 c. each of brown sugar and granulated sugar on high until fluffy. Add one egg yolk, beat well. Then beat in coffee mixture, then flour mixture. Beat until combined.

Press the dough into a 9 by 13 pan. Bake at 350 for 15 to 18 minutes. When it’s brown and not gooey in the middle, take it out, and sprinkle with 1 cup chocolate chips. I use dark chocolate but you can use whichever kind you like. Optional: sprinkle with chopped walnuts or pecans. I skip those and sprinkle it with Christmas sprinkles. Cut while warm. They are very rich so I cut them in small squares.