Gingerbread Bars

I love gingerbread; my favorite is when it comes right out of the oven with a carmelized top, and just melts in your mouth.  The combination of all those fall spices – cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves is just beautiful.  I was going to make my usual standby gingerbread recipe, when I came accross this one printed in Bon Appetit.  It is a cross between a brownie and cake – but more on the brownie side.  I used a 13×9 pan because I didn’t have a 15×10, and they worked out just fine – just don’t sprinkle as much flour/sugar on top.  They stored very well in an airtight container in the pantry for a few days.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
• 7 1/2 tablespoons sugar, divided
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup light (unsulfured) molasses

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 15x10x1-inch baking sheet. Place 2 cups flour in medium bowl; transfer 2 tablespoons flour to small bowl and reserve. Add spices, baking soda, and salt to flour in medium bowl; whisk to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, and 6 tablespoons sugar in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, then molasses. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture and beat to blend. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Sift reserved 2 tablespoons flour evenly over batter, then sprinkle evenly with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar.

Bake gingerbread until golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 22 minutes; cool completely in pan on rack. Cut gingerbread crosswise into 4 strips, then cut each strip into 6 pieces, forming 24 bars, each about 31/2×13/4 inches. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead.Store airtight at room temperature.

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