Gingerbread Bars
Sweet, luscious Cream Cheese Frosting meets Chewy, perfectly spiced Gingerbread Bars and it is a match meant to be! These are among the best bars for your holiday and you’ll want to make them every holiday when you try them.
Servings: 20
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients
2 cups + 2 Tbsp (300g) of all-purpose flour (scoop and level to measure)
1 1/2 tsp of ground ginger
1 tsp of ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp of ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp of ground cloves
1 tsp of baking soda
1/2 tsp of salt
3/4 cup (170g) of unsalted butter, diced into 1 Tbsp pieces, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup (220g) of packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup (60ml) of unsulphured molasses
1 large egg
2 tsp of vanilla extract
Frosting
1/2 cup of butter, nearly at room temperature (I like to use 1/4 c salted butter 1/4 c unsalted)
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, nearly at room temperature
2 1/2 cups (325g) of powdered sugar
1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°C. Spray 13 with cooking spray on a 9-inch baking dish and set aside.
2. Whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, and salt in a medium mixing bowl for around 20 seconds and set aside.
3. Blend the butter, brown sugar, and molasses together in the bowl of the electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until mixed.
4. Put the egg and vanilla extract together. Slowly add the flour mixture with the mixer set at low speed and then mix until mixed. If required, fold the batter with a spatula till the batter looks to be evenly incorporated.
5. Pour the dough into a prepared baking dish and use your hands to spread and press into an even layer.
6. Bake for around 15 min in the preheated oven until the bars have baked through (be careful not to over-bake).
7. Move the baking dish and let the bars cool entirely to a wire rack.
For the cream cheese frosting:
1. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, blend the butter and cream cheese together with the paddle attachment cream until smooth.
2. Add the sugar and vanilla powder and blend until light and fluffy*. Spread over cooled bars with frosting.
3. Sliced into squares. Cover and store in the refrigerator with a lid or plastic wrap.
Recipe Notes
*I like to freeze the frosting in 3-minute intervals from here, then using the stand mixer I mix between intervals until it is the consistency I loved (usually it takes approximately 9 minutes total.
Author: Cooking Classy