Gingerbread Cookie Bars
Ingredients
Cookie Bars
- 1 cup butter 2 sticks, browned, unsalted
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 + 1/3 cup sugar separated
- 1 egg + 1 egg yolk
- 3 tbsp molasses
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 1/2 tsp ginger
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tbsp + 1 tbsp cinnamon separated
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 1/2 cups flour all purpose
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese 1 block
- 1/4 cup butter 1 stick
- 5-6 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup Befonte Heavy Whipping cream
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
Instructions
Cookie Bars
- Pre-heat your oven to 350℉ and line a 9 by 13 inch pan with parchment paper allowing the sides to go over.
- In a sauce pan over medium high heat, add your butter and let melt. Once it’s melted, keep it on the heat and let it cook for 5-10 minutes until it foams up and then turns a amber brown color. Transfer into a glass measuring cup and let cool.
- In a large bowl add your cooled browned butter, brown sugar, and 1/3 cup of your sugar and stir until well combined.
- Add your egg, egg yolk, vanilla bean paste and molasses and whisk until well combined and mixture is light and fluffy.
- Next, add all your spices and dry ingredients including your ginger, nutmeg, half your cinnamon (1 tbsp) baking soda, cornstarch, salt, cream of tartar and flour. Fold until just combined.
- Transfer your cookie dough (reserving a small ball, about 1/2 cup) into your 9 by 13 inch baking pan and flatten out until smooth.
- Stir your remaining sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle over the top of the cookie bars. Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes until it starts to set and turn golden.
- Remove from oven and let cool.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Whip together your butter and cream cheese until well combined and fluffy.
- Add your Belfonte Heavy Whipping cream, vanilla bean paste, cinnamon, and powdered sugar and whip until it comes together.
Assembling the Cookie Bars
- With remaining ball of dough, chill for 10 minutes, roll out and cutout baby gingerbread men shapes. Bake for 8-10 minutes and let cool. Decorate if desired. These will go on top of the cookie bars.
- Once your cookie bars have cooled, use a butter knife or offset spatula to go around the edge of the pan to release corners. Remove the cookie from pan using the parchment paper.
- Using an offset spatula, add your cinnamon cream cheese frosting to your cookie and spread out to edges using a circular motion. Sprinkle with cinnamon if desired and top with mini gingerbread cookies.
- Cut into 12-16 cookie bars, share and enjoy!!
Yield: 12-16 cookie bars
Time: 1 hour 30 minutes