Spice Bars

You may have heard me prattle on about Ginger Chews, which are like gingerbread-flavored brownies. I try to make them only at Christmastime so they stay special, but the other day I visited a local bakery and picked up a package of "spice bars" that looked interesting. I could taste molasses, cloves, and raisins and it was all I could do not to go back and get more the next day. The bakery happens to be on the way to the allergist, so last Monday the kids and I stopped on the way to my daughter's allergy shots. Except the bakery is closed on Mondays. There were tears, y'all. So I consulted the internet and it did not fail me.

The first batch I made basically tasted like Ginger Chews and weren't as dark as the spice bars. So I cut the honey and upped the molasses in the second batch. I've also had to up my time at the gym the last couple of weeks.

The following week the kids and I made a bakery run on a different day, and did a side-by-side taste test with the last of my second batch.

My little guy is pointing to mine

Analysis revealed that mine were about twice as thick, so roughly the same mass per piece. I do like the generous surface area (read: frosting) on their bars. They seem to be a smoother, more spreadable (pourable?) dough that had been formed into big, long cookies and then cut apart. Also their glaze stays white and seems thicker. Upon taste comparison, the spices in mine were much stronger but I liked the molasses flavor of theirs.  I'll back off on the spice to differentiate between spice bars and ginger chews. I also tried this Lebkuchen recipe and adopted its cooked glaze, which gives a nice crunch and doesn't dissolve before we eat the batch.

Here is my latest version, lest I forget the changes I made from this recipe or where I left off.

Spice Bars

Ingredients

1/2 cup shortening

1/4 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar 
½ cup molasses 
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
1 teaspoon ground ginger (or none)
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup raisins

Glaze ingredients

1 cup white sugar 

½ cup water

¼ cup confectioners' sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, cream the white sugar and shortening together. Stir in the molasses. 
3. In a small bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Add to the creamed mixture and mix until well blended. Finally, stir in the raisins.
4. Divide the dough in half and roll out on the parchment into two big pieces, ½" thick with even edges. I use a bench scraper to tidy the edges so they don't overbake. Bake for 10-12 minutes in the preheated oven. Edges will be a bit darker and center will puff and then settle down as it cools. Top will appear smooth and dry to the touch.
5. Meanwhile, make the glaze. Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Heat to between 234 and 240 degrees F (112 to 116 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a soft ball that flattens when removed from the water and placed on a flat surface. Remove from heat and stir in the confectioners' sugar, then pour half over one big cookie and spread with the back of your spoon, then repeat for the other half. It cools quickly, so work fast once you start pouring. If glaze becomes sugary while brushing cookies, re-heat slightly- adding a little water until crystals dissolve. Slice into bars once glaze has cooled.

So if you're ever in Mechanicsville, Virginia you should check out Williams bakery and get yourself a package of spice bars. You can also get two donuts, a slice of Savannah cake, and a slice of fresh strawberry cake and it totals $10.21. I know, right?!