Spiked Gingerbread Cream Bars (for SERIOUS Gingerbread Lovers)
 
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These gingerbread bars are absolutely DELICIOUS: a spicy and intense recipe for SERIOUS gingerbread lovers doused in buttered rum and topped with spiked whipped cream. You'll love them!
Author:
Serves: 16
Ingredients
Gingerbread Ingredients:
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 3 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • pinch salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup unsulfured blackstrap molasses (or use light if you prefer less intensity)
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
Butter Rum Glaze Ingredients:
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/8 cup water
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup spiced rum
Spiked Cream Ingredients:
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup spiced rum (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper (leave overhang to pull the bars out later) sprayed with a little extra cooking spray.
  2. Melt the butter in a large bowl in the microwave for a minute. Let it cool a bit so it doesn’t cook the egg. Whisk in the ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, salt, egg, brown sugar, molasses, and vanilla extract. Stir in the flour until just combined. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 28-32 minutes, rotating the pan once halfway through, until a toothpick inserted into the middle cookie cup comes out with moist crumbs but no liquid batter. Be careful not to overbake. Set out on a cooling rack while you prepare the butter rum glaze.
  3. Make the glaze: In a saucepan, bring butter, water, and sugar to a boil over medium heat and boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in rum carefully (mixture will bubble up). Pour over the top of the warm gingerbread and allow to soak in as it cools. Let the gingerbread cool completely (I even stick it in the fridge to help it along.)
  4. Make the whipped cream: Beat the whipping cream, powdered sugar, and rum together to stiff peaks.
Recipe by Willow Bird Baking at http://willowbirdbaking.com/2016/12/11/spiked-gingerbread-cream-bars-for-serious-gingerbread-lovers/