Gingerbread Bars

My new obsession!

Forget those gingerbread men, I am all about gingerbread bars!  They are moist, they full of flavor and they do NOT require rolling and cutting prior to baking - woo hoo.  Now I am a fan of molasses cookies (what some others might call ginger snap cookies - though I don't get why seeing there is more molasses than ginger but, I digress) and these bars have all the best parts of a molasses cookie!  They are super simple to make, the only draw back is they are just as simple to eat!  They aren't exactly the most calorie friendly food I have made - everything in moderation!  I prefer mine without frosting, but I am going to give you everything and let you decide!

Gingerbread Bars (or Molasses Bars as I am going to take to calling them)

• 1 c Sugar
• 3/4 c Butter or Margarine, melted
• 1/4 c Molasses
• 2 c Flour
• 1 Egg
• 2 t Baking Soda
• 1 t Cinnamon
• 1/2 t Ginger, ground
• 1/2 t Cloves, ground
• dash of Salt
• 4 oz Cream Cheese, softened
• 2 T Butter or Margarine, softened
• 2 c Confectioner's Sugar
• 1/2 t Vanilla
• 1-2 T Milk

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F.  Grease a 9x9, 11x7, or 9-inch pie plate and set aside.  You can also make these in a jelly roll pan, just be sure to grease whatever pan you choose.
2. Combine the melted butter, molasses, and sugar.  
3. Add in the egg and mix well.
4. Finally add in the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and dash of salt.  
5. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 20-30 minutes.  **It seems that every time I make these bars it takes a different amount of time to cook.  You want to cook the bars until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.  The bars climb the sides of your pan and the sides will be done before the middle.  Also do NOT be alarmed if they "sink" if you are not using a jelly roll pan.  They still taste wonderful!!
6. Set the bars aside to cool slightly.  Once cool to the touch place in the refrigerator.
7. To make the frosting combine the cream cheese, 2 T of butter, confectioner's sugar, vanilla and milk.  Mix well until fluffy.  Spread over the bars and return the bars to the fridge.  
8. Allow the bars to cool completely in the refrigerator before cutting.  They also need to be stored in the fridge due to the cream cheese frosting.
9. Enjoy!

I have to say that they so sink.  I bake them in my 10 inch stoneware pie dish.  The middle is never gooey and oozing, but they do sink down when you remove them from the fridge.  No worries, you can frost the middle and serve like a pie!

Like I said earlier I prefer mine without the cream cheese frosting, just a light sprinkle of confectioner's sugar and I am all set.  They are super addicting!!  When I cut them into bars I can get about 24 bars out one recipe.  With frosting that gives you a calorie count of 165 per bar.  I warned you they weren't the most calorie friendly things in the world!  If you omit the frosting you are looking at about 110 calories per bar.  Make them to share with some friends so you aren't stuck eating them all and you will be good!