Day 4 - Spicy Hermit Bars

This recipe was added to my cookie tray last year.  The recipe comes from Ina Garten's Cooking with Jeffrey cookbook.  I love Ina and all of her recipes and she and her husband Jeffrey are so cute (relationship goals)!  This bar is perfect for the holidays with all the spices.  It is similar to gingerbread which is a flavor that is a must at Christmas.  The recipe is easy to put together which is important when you are trying to bake a cookie after you get home from work.  Hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Ingredients:

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup light or dark brown sugar, lightly packed (I used dark)
1 extra-large egg, at room temperature (I use large)
1/4 cup unsulphured molasses
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/3 cup minced crystallized ginger (not in syrup)
1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
Dark rum, such as Mount Gay ( I used a splash of vanilla instead)
Grated lemon zest (I omitted)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Cream butter and brown sugar in 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.  I sift onto a piece of wax paper as it makes it easy to put into the mixer after sifting. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing just until combined.  Stir in the raisins and crystallized ginger.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes.

Turn dough out on lightly floured board, form into a disk with lightly floured hands and cut in half (I cut in thirds since I wanted smaller cookie bars.  Roll each half (or third) into a log 12 inches long.  Place on prepared sheet pan 3 inches apart.  If doing in thirds, use another pan for the 3rd log.  Bake for 20 minutes (1 minute less if doing 3 smaller logs).  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.  I omitted the rum and used a splash of vanilla and a couple of teaspoons of water to make the glaze.  While the logs are still warm, drizzle the glaze back and forth across the logs with a teaspoon and sprinkle with lemon zest (I omitted).  You can add sprinkles if you want to give it an extra Christmas flare!  Allow to cool and then cut each log crosswise into 1 and 1/2 inch wide bars.