Gingerbread Cookie Bars

Today find a way to share something with someone who could use a little more.  

Gingerbread Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Cook's notes: It's a bar no WAIT! it's a cookie-hey it's both. I loved this recipe on so many levels. It's easy baking in a 13 x 9 pan, full of holiday flavors, and looks quite festive on the serving plate. The recipe has been adapted from
classycooking.com and makes about 20 bars.
In this photo, miniature gingerbread men were placed in the center of the bars.  This would be a fun family project with kids decorating the bars. Try Traders Joes or Target for these mini gingerbread men finds.
Bar Ingredients:

• 2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (scoop and level to measure)
• 2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon Saigon cinnamon or 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup butter, diced into 1 tablespoon pieces, melted and cooled slightly
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup unsulphured molasses not blackstrap
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Frosting Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 oz. cream cheese, nearly at room temperature
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon maple extract or 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
• Milk 

Bar Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13 by a 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray, set aside. In a medium mixing bowl whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, and salt for 20 seconds, set aside.
• Using a mixer blend together butter, brown sugar, and molasses until combined. Mix in egg, maple and vanilla extract. With mixer set on low speed slowly add in flour mixture and mix until combined. Fold the batter with a spatula as needed until the batter appears to be evenly incorporated. The batter is thick.
• Spread dough into prepared baking dish and press into an even layer using floured hands. Bake in preheated oven until bars have baked through, about 12-14 minutes (be careful not to over-bake). Transfer the baking dish to a wire rack and let the bars cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• Using a mixer cream together butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add in powdered sugar and vanilla and mix until light and fluffy, adding in as needed to achieve desired consistency. Spread frosting over cooled bars. Cut into squares. Cover with lid or plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.

All this talk about gingerbread men does require a poem refresher

Once there was a gingerbread man,
Baking in a gingerbread pan.
Raisin eyes and a cherry nose,
Trimmed right down to his fingers and toes.
A gingerbread man in a gingerbread pan!
Here's the old woman who made him so sweet,
A treat for her and her husband to eat,
She made him with flour and sugar and eggs,
She gave him a face and two arms and two legs.
A gingerbread man in a gingerbread pan!
Now open the oven to see if he's done,
This gingerbread man, he know how to run.
Out of the oven and onto the floor,
Now run away out the kitchen door.
The gingerbread man, he's out of the pan!

Now chase him old woman, now chase him old man
Chase him, yes chase him as fast as you can!
Through the garden and out the gate,
Catch him right now, before it's too late.
The gingerbread man, he's out of the pan!

Along came a cow who wanted a treat
And the gingerbread man, he looked good to eat
Run, run, as fast as you can
You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man
I'm the gingerbread man and I'm out of the pan!

Along came a horse who wanted a snack
But the gingerbread man, he never looked back
Run, run, as fast as you can
You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man
I'm the gingerbread man and I'm out of the pan!
Along came a farmer who wanted a treat
And the gingerbread man, he looked good to eat
Run, run, as fast as you can
You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man
I'm the gingerbread man and I'm out of the pan!
Along came a dog who wanted a snack
But the gingerbread man, he never looked back
Run, run, as fast as you can
You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man
I'm the gingerbread man and I'm out of the pan!
Along came a hog who wanted a treat
And the gingerbread man, he looked good to eat
Run, run, as fast as you can
You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man
I'm the gingerbread man and I'm out of the pan!
Along came a fox who wanted a treat,
And this gingerbread man, he looked good to eat.
Jump on my back, my gingerbread pet,
And we'll cross the river, so you won't get wet
Mr. Gingerbread man, who's out of the pan!

There was no place to go, there was no place to run
And a ride on the river could be lots of fun!
So off with the fox did Gingerbread go
And what happened next, you already know
To the gingerbread man, who's out of the pan

That sly old fox had a de-lic-ious treat
And the old man and woman had nothing to eat
Not a bite was left for the cow or the dog,
The horse or the farmer or hungry old hog
There's no gingerbread man in or out of the pan!

So let us go home and get out the pan
And we'll make ourselves a new gingerbread man!
And when he is eaten, we'll make us some more
But this time we'll be certain to lock the back door!
A new gingerbread man, in a gingerbread pan!