Iced Gingerbread Bars

ICED GINGERBREAD BARS

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup molasses
1 egg, room temp
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4  teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease a 9×13″ baking pan and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, and molasses.
4. Add egg and stir until completely incorporated.
5. Add baking soda, flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and salt and mix until well combined. 
6. Press dough evenly into the bottom of greased pan.
7. Bake at 350 degrees F for 18-20 minutes and let cool. Do not over cook.
8. The bars will puff up almost like a cake, but when you take them out, they will collapse into a bar cookie. That's what's supposed to happen! Let them cool completely before frosting. 

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

1. Cream butter and cream cheese together in a large mixing bowl. 
2. Add vanilla and salt and blend. 
3. Add powdered sugar a cup at a time and beat until smooth and creamy.
4. Frost the tops of cooled Gingerbread Cookie Bars.
5. Cut into squares and serve.

TOPPING/FROSTING: 

• I love ginger, so I top mine with chunks of crystallized ginger. 
• If you like orange, add 1 tsp orange zest to the cream cheese frosting.
• The gingerbread is really flavorful, the vanilla frosting is fine on its own.