I’ve made this recipe on my blog before, but that was when only four people read my blog and they were all closely related to me by blood. I also took pictures with a point and shoot that were so close up it’s almost difficult to say what is what. So, clearly, I thought it was about time for a repeat.
This is a recipe that doesn’t sound that amazing, but I can promise you that it really is.
It’s a bar that has the exact texture of a fudgy brownie with a slightly crispy crust, that’s dense, buttery, sweet, and most importantly, gingery. There’s the perfect amount of salt that you could almost call this a salted ginger bar (in fact, sprinkle some sea salt on top before baking and you will become a baking goddess). The ginger sounds like it will be overwhelming, but it’s not. Mostly because it’s baked into a buttery brownie bar.
Hallelujah.
Healthy Ginger Bars (adapted from Woman’s Day magazine)
- 1/2 stick (1/4 C) butter
- 3/4 C brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 t vanilla extract
- 3/4 C whole-wheat flour
- 1/4 C wheat germ
- 2 t ground ginger
- 1 t baking powder
- 1/4 t salt
- 1/2 C crystallized ginger, finely chopped
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees, and line a 9′ x 9′ pan with foil (you can leave it ungreased!). Cream the butter and sugar together and add the wet ingredients (vanilla and the egg), then mix in the dry ingredients until combined, finished with the crystallized ginger.
My absolute favorite part about having a KitchenAid is that I never need to plan ahead and bring the butter to room temperature before creaming–the mixer can still fluff it up with a little extra time.
Press into the foil in as even of a layer as possible (the dough will be thick and sticky), then bake on the middle rack for about 20 minutes, until the top is a nice light golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan before removing from the pan (just lift the foil!) and slicing into squares.
Dagnabbit these are good. Fritz and I have already done some serious work on these.
I also found one on the floor, with a delicately removed corner a few inches away. These bars are not, I repeat, not cat approved. Henry likes his stolen treats either savory or heavily dairy-based. Either way, if you have a cat (burglar) at home, make sure to keep these off the counter.
I found Henry recovering in his happy place–inside the ottoman next to our couch. And yes, he pushes the lid just far over enough so he can get inside without knocking it off completely.
And in case I haven’t emphasized this enough, these bars are delicious. If you’ve ever trusted my baking instinct before, I implore you to trust it again.
Best texture, best taste, best “dessert that contains enough healthy ingredients that it’s okay to have one two three in one sitting”.
You can thank me later.
20 comments
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meki
October 21, 2011 at 12:08 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
so it’s ok if i bake my brownies with the aluminum foil too?
Lauren Zietsman
October 23, 2011 at 9:51 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I think so?! I’ve never tried it but the recipes must be pretty similar–I’d only do it if you have some form of oil or butter in your brownies (none of those all-applesauce recipes)
Rande McDaniel
October 21, 2011 at 1:23 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Awww that kitty picture is precious
and these sound delish. Anything with ginger sounds pretty wonderful to me though!
Lauren Zietsman
October 23, 2011 at 9:51 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
henry is the real star of this blog…i learned that the hard way
Caitlin
October 22, 2011 at 7:53 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Can you use something other than wheat flour and wheat germ?
Lauren Zietsman
October 23, 2011 at 9:50 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
sure–white flour would be fine, you can add a little extra if you skip the wheat germ, or add ground flax seed instead of wheat flour. I think that this recipe is pretty adaptable!
Caitlin
October 25, 2011 at 8:56 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Oh that’s wonderful! It means I don’t have to go out and buy anything lol I’ll be making these this weekend. I’ll let you know how they turn out without the wheat flour. I have ground flaxseed
Caitlin
October 29, 2011 at 2:43 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
So I was rummaging through the baking shelf and managed to find Whole Wheat Flour! I didn’t have Wheat Germ but I liked your idea of adding Flax to it so here’s what I did-
I added a little more than 3/4cups of WW Flour and added about 1 TBS 1/2 of Flax. I was also generous with my 1/2 Cup of Candied Ginger as I LOVE ginger and so does everyone else in my family. They turned out really great but next time I think I might try adding a little bit of Cinnamon and Nutmeg too.
Here’s a link to a photo: http://tiny.cc/4vohr
Jesica @ Pencil Kitchen
October 24, 2011 at 1:56 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I must say, I’m not a ginger lover… but this texture looks great!
Nuts about food
October 25, 2011 at 7:05 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I am not a huge gingerbread fan but you totally convinced me on this one. The texture of these bars sounds amazing. And since I just recenlty got a kitchen aid, any excuse is good to try it.
natalie (the sweets life)
October 25, 2011 at 11:33 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I absolutely love ginger–especially candied ginger! I can’t wait to try these–soon!
Lauren Zietsman
October 25, 2011 at 7:58 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
you’ll definitely love these, then!
Carol H. Rives
October 26, 2011 at 8:07 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Ok Lauren, I made these today and they were delish!!! I substituted 1C of all-purpose flour for the whole wheat flour and wheat germ, and the texture was perfect.
Since I have always wanted to be a “baking goddess”, I made sure that I sprinkled some sea salt on top of the batter about 5 minutes into the baking processs….. great idea!
The next time that I make these, and it will be soon, I will double the recipe so that I can share more generously, and I’m going to make a batch of lemon curd to drizzle over each individual serving. These are awesome! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Kristen
October 28, 2011 at 9:45 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I love your blog! I recently found it via Women’s Health’s link to your pumpkin pie green monster. I have since made most of the varieties you’ve posted, but the PPGM is my favorite. My boyfriend and I made these bars last night and they came out soo good. Please keep posting–I’m a little obsessed with checking for new recipes
Lauren Zietsman
October 28, 2011 at 10:58 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Thanks! I usually post every day but the combination of getting a Mac and a new photo editing program plus midterms has slowed me down a bit but we should be back on track as of today
Nuts about food
November 29, 2011 at 2:56 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
More than a month ago I wrote you tha toyu had convinced me to make these. I did and I posted about them. I linked back to you. They were a huge success.
Lauren Zietsman
November 30, 2011 at 1:37 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
love your blog post and the letter to Santa…so creative and sweet! secondly, i LOVE these bars with the cookie cutter shapes! I may have to do your version
Nuts about food
December 1, 2011 at 3:59 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Thanks! Mine turned out flatter than yours. I think the baking powder may have been old. That is why I thought of the cookie cutters, which are perfect for the season. But the chewy, gooey bars you made are wonderful for the rest of the year. Just so you know, we are on Tastespotting!
Jamie
March 7, 2012 at 7:18 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Hi! Going to make these tomorrow for a dinner party on Fri. Would you suggest storing in the fridge or just airtight on the counter? Thanks!
rayjay
November 28, 2012 at 2:35 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
I am wondering about using oat bran or even oats instead of wheat germ. Also, I am going to triple the ginger by adding ground ginger and some fresh minced. lemon curd on top sounds yummy. trader joes has a good one….
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March 11, 2012 at 10:02 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
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