Ginger Bars

This recipe is adapted from Fine Cooking. They can be dusted with pwd sugar, or frosted with a Royal Icing. The day I made these happened to be very humid, so the icing never did properly set up. Still, I'm not entirely sure that is the type of icing I was going after. What I was trying for, is the type of frosting that you find on ginger cookies sold at a bakery, but I'm not exactly sure what sort of icing that is. You know, something that hardens? What I'm thinking of is a little sweeter and doesn't taste so much of meringue. Anyways, next time, I will probably use this recipe for the glaze, unless someone can give me a recipe for what it is I'm looking for.

I added extra spices to the bars, and you could probably up the spices even a little more. I'm not a huge fan of honey and I wondered if it would overpower the bars, so I cut down in the amount called for and added an extra 1/2 of a tbsp of sugar. The honey didn't overpower the bars, but I could still taste it. Perhaps next time I might cut down in it even some more. Still though, they turned out very well and were nearly all eaten that night!

2 cups flour
2 3/4 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp plus 1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
13 tbsp butter, softened
1 1/3 cups plus 1/2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp plus 1 1/2 tsp molasses
4 tsp honey
2 extra-large eggs

pwd sugar for sprinkling

Combine the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, cloves, and salt in a bowl. Mix well and set aside. In another bowl, cream the butter, sugar, molasses and honey for 4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour and beat on low speed, until just blended. Spread into a greased 9 x 13" pan and bake, 350 degrees, for 23-25 minutes until the edges just begin to pull away from the sides of the pan and until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Cool completely in pan, on a wire rack. Dust with pwd sugar, or frost with icing of your choice.

As I said, I used a Royal Icing, made from Meringue Powder, following the directions on the side of can. Just be aware that if it is humid, it probably will not properly set up. It will still taste good, but it won't completely harden.