Gingerbread Cookie Bars with Lemon White Chocolate Ganache
These gingerbread cookie bars take everything you love about classic gingerbread: molasses, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, and bake it into soft, chewy squares. The lemon white chocolate ganache adds a pop of brightness that cuts through the richness.
Ingredients
- 140 g unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup soft brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 60 g unsulfured molasses
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla paste or extract
- 220 g all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Ganache
- 200 g white chocolate chopped
- 2 tsp lemon zest finely grated
- 15 g fresh lemon juice
- 60 g heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line an 8x8 inch pan with parchment paper. leave an overhang so you can easily lift the baked cookies out.
- Cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the molasses, eggs, and vanilla until well combined.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients and add to the wet mixture and combine it into a thick dough.
- Spread the dough evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for around 25 minutes, until the edges are set. Let cool completely.
Ganache
- Add chopped white chocolate to a heatproof bowl.
- Heat heavy cream, lemon zest and lemon juice in a small saucepan until it just begins to simmer. The lemon juice will thicken the cream a bit, that's normal.
- Pour this over chopped white chocolate and let sit for 2–3 minutes, then stir until smooth.
- If the white chocolate doesn’t fully melt, place the bowl over a pot of simmering water (double boiler) and gently stir until smooth. Alternatively, microwave the mixture in 5-10 second intervals on low power, stirring in between, until fully melted.
- Once the ganache is made, let it cool and thicken a bit before using.
Assembling
- Spread the ganache evenly over the cooled gingerbread bars.
- Allow it to set at room temperature or chill in the fridge to cool it faster.
- Slice into squares or rectangles and enjoy!
Notes
Serving and Storing
- Serving: These bars are best served at room temperature, though they’re yummy cold from the fridge as well,
- Storing: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to a week. For longer storage, freeze the bars for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1sliceCalories: 249kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 3gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 37mgSodium: 126mgPotassium: 129mgFiber: 1gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 295IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 49mgIron: 1mg
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