There is just something
about the smell of gingerbread at Christmastime. There is also something about
the taste of gingerbread at Christmastime. There are a billion different
recipes out there featuring combinations of ginger and molasses. Some are for
functional gingerbread, such as for building a house. Others are cookies,
either dropped or made into men or other shapes. Others make actual bread in
loaf form or as bars.
I've tried a number of
recipes over the years. When it comes down to TASTE, this is the best by far.
It also helps that they are super-easy to make and also travel well; when my
husband was in the Navy, I even mailed these to him during deployments! The
sealed-up bars remained soft and delicious, even after a week of abuse in
transit.
EASY GINGERBREAD BARS
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 egg
3 tablespoons molasses
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
For the top: 2 tablespoons sugar
1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Combine first four ingredients in a large bowl and combine until creamy. Then, add everything except the sugar.
2. For easy clean-up, I
recommend placing parchment paper in a jelly roll pan or bar pan. Press the
dough into the pan and even it out as much as possible. Sprinkle the sugar over
the top.
3. Bake for 16 to 20
minutes, or until very light brown at the edges. Cool completely. Try not to
drool on the pan as you stand over it to breathe in the wonderful smell. Cut
gingerbread into bars and enjoy!
Beth Cato is a
writer of fantasy, science fiction, poetry, and essays. She bakes evil, naughty
cookies that destroy diets and cause much weeping and gnashing of teeth when
it's time to step on the scale. You can read more of her writing (and find the
occasional recipe) at bethcato.com
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