Sunday, December 6, 2015

Gingerbread Bars with Eggnog Frosting



I always have to make at least one or two new recipes every holiday season. A lot of the “new” recipes I have made over the years have become yearly favorites.


I wanted to make something gingerbready so I decided on these amazing bars. The bars are soft and chewy and so full of gingerbread flavor. The cream cheese icing has a hint of eggnog and it is creamy and tangy and it pairs so well with the spicy gingerbread bars.


What you need,

½ cup butter, at room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 tbsp. good molasses
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
¼ tsp. ground all spice
½ tsp. salt

For the frosting,
4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tbsp. butter, at room temperature
1¼ cups icing sugar
1 tbsp. full fat Egg Nog

Christmas sprinkles for topping

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x9 pan with parchment paper and spray it liberally with non-stick spray.

With an electric hand mixer in a large bowl cream butter and both sugars together.  Add in the egg and beat until fully incorporated. Next add the vanilla and molasses, mix to combine.
In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, all spice and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until just combined.
Spread the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake the bars for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and a tooth pick comes out clean.

Let the bars cool completely on a wire rack.

Meanwhile mix up the icing. In a bowl beat together the cream cheese, butter and icing sugar and egg nog until smooth.

When the bars are cooled completely spread the icing over the top of the bars and sprinkle on the decorations of your choice.

I put my bars into the fridge for about an hour to let the icing set up before I cut the bars.

Slice the bars into whatever sized pieces you like. I cut mine pretty little, just a little tasty treat.

Freeze on a sheet pan in a single layer before placing the frozen bars into an airtight container. You can store them in the freezer for up to a month.

Take the bars out of the freezer for a few minutes before serving.


I love these pretty little bars. They are so easy and so tasty.
They are the perfect little bite of gingerbread you crave over the holidays.

Make them, you will love them too!

Enjoy!

Jen

Recipe from A Kitchen Addiction


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