Best Crystallized Ginger Spice Bars Recipes

SPICY HERMIT BARS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
• Place the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, add the egg, scrape down the bowl, then mix in the molasses.
• Sift together the flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing just until combined. Mix in the raisins and crystallized ginger. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Turn the dough out onto a very lightly floured board, form it into a disk with lightly floured hands, and cut it in half. Roll each half into a log 12 inches long and place them 3 inches apart on the prepared sheet pan. Bake for 20 minutes; the logs will still be soft in the center.
• Meanwhile, whisk the confectioners' sugar with 5 to 6 teaspoons rum to make a pourable glaze. While the logs are still warm, drizzle the glaze back and forth across the logs with a teaspoon and sprinkle them with the lemon zest. Allow to cool. Cut each log crosswise into 1 1/2-inch-wide bars.

ULTIMATE GINGER COOKIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and salt and then combine the mixture with your hands. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the brown sugar, oil, and molasses on medium speed for 5 minutes. Turn the mixer to low speed, add the egg, and beat for 1 minute. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula and beat for 1 more minute. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the crystallized ginger and mix until combined.
• Scoop the dough with 2 spoons or a small ice cream scoop. With your hands, roll each cookie into a 1 3/4-inch ball and then flatten them lightly with your fingers. Press both sides of each cookie in granulated sugar and place them on the sheet pans. Bake for exactly 13 minutes. The cookies will be crackled on the top and soft inside. Let the cookies cool on the sheets for 1 to 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

HERMIT BARS WITH BROWN-SUGAR ICING AND CANDIED GINGER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-by-15-inch baking pan, and line the bottom with parchment paper. Butter the parchment, and set pan aside. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter on medium speed until smooth. Add sugar; beat until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, yolk, and molasses.
• Add flour mixture; beat on low speed until combined. Add 1/2 cup candied ginger and the raisins; beat until combined.
• Spread dough into the prepared pan in an even layer, and bake until firm to the touch, 18 to 22 minutes, rotating pan halfway through. Remove from oven; let cool completely in pan before icing.
• Drizzle with icing, and then sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup candied ginger. Let stand until icing has set, about 15 minutes. Serve cut into squares.

SPICE COOKIES WITH CRYSTALLIZED GINGER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 2 large cookie sheets.
• In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add egg white, and corn syrup; mix until fluffy. Stir in the crystallized ginger. Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, and cloves; stir into the egg mixture. When dough starts to come together, mix with your hands to form a smooth dough.
• Form dough into 1 inch balls and roll in white sugar. Place balls on a cookie sheet 2 inches apart, and press down with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar. Bake in the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, cookies should be golden brown. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before Moving to a rack to cool completely. Dip 1/2 of each cookie into confectioners' sugar for decoration.

CRYSTALLIZED-GINGER SPICE BARS

Steps:

• In a bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and ground spices. In another bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add molasses, egg, flour mixture, crystallized ginger, and zest and beat until a dough forms.
• On a sheet of wax paper pat dough into an 8-by-5 inch rectangle, about 1 inch thick. Chill dough, wrapped in wax paper, 4 hours, or until firm.
• (After the dough has been formed into a rectangle it can be kept in the refrigerator for one week or the freezer for one month. Thaw the frozen dough in the refrigerator until sliceable, about four hours. The baked cookies keep in airtight containers at room temperature for four days.)
• Preheat oven to 350° F. and lightly butter 2 baking sheets.
• Cut dough crosswise into slices about 1/6 inch thick and arrange about 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Bake bars in batches in middle of oven until deep golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes, and transfer to racks to cool. The baked cookies keep in airtight containers at room temperature for four days.