Those who have gone on hiking or birding day-trips with me are familiar with these cookies... they are soft and chewy bars with a bit of a spicy kick from all the ginger. And because of the honey, they retain their moist deliciousness for a good week while being sturdy enough to be tossed into a pack.
Honey Ginger Bars
1 cup oil
1 cup honey
1 cup white sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour (measured by scoop & level method)
1 cup chopped crystallized ginger
1 cup chopped blanched almonds (optional)
1 half-sheet pan, 12x16-inches inner dimensions (you could also halve the recipe and use a 9x13-inch pan)
parchment paper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and cut a piece of paper to fit in the bottom of the half-sheet pan.
In the microwave or in a saucepan over low heat, heat together the oil and honey until the honey just starts to boil. Pour into a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer and add the one cup of sugar. Mix together (it will still remain somewhat separated in appearance). Add the eggs and mix well. Then mix in the vanilla extract, baking soda, salt, cardamom and ground ginger.
Add the 4 cups of flour to mixture. Stir until just blended, then add the crystallized ginger and the almonds and mix well. Spread the batter in the parchment-lined sheet pan as evenly as possible (you can wet your fingers and use them to spread it, if that is easier).
Bake for 15-25 minutes (rotating the cooking sheet 180 degrees at around 12 minutes) until medium brown and the top springs back when gently touched. Let cool completely in pan, then cut around the edge with a knife to loosen it. Flip upside down onto a cutting board, peel off the parchment paper and cut into bars.
Makes ~4 dozen 1x2-inch bars
1 cup honey
1 cup white sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour (measured by scoop & level method)
1 cup chopped crystallized ginger
1 cup chopped blanched almonds (optional)
1 half-sheet pan, 12x16-inches inner dimensions (you could also halve the recipe and use a 9x13-inch pan)
parchment paper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and cut a piece of paper to fit in the bottom of the half-sheet pan.
In the microwave or in a saucepan over low heat, heat together the oil and honey until the honey just starts to boil. Pour into a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer and add the one cup of sugar. Mix together (it will still remain somewhat separated in appearance). Add the eggs and mix well. Then mix in the vanilla extract, baking soda, salt, cardamom and ground ginger.
Add the 4 cups of flour to mixture. Stir until just blended, then add the crystallized ginger and the almonds and mix well. Spread the batter in the parchment-lined sheet pan as evenly as possible (you can wet your fingers and use them to spread it, if that is easier).
Bake for 15-25 minutes (rotating the cooking sheet 180 degrees at around 12 minutes) until medium brown and the top springs back when gently touched. Let cool completely in pan, then cut around the edge with a knife to loosen it. Flip upside down onto a cutting board, peel off the parchment paper and cut into bars.
Makes ~4 dozen 1x2-inch bars
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And for DS who loves these so much he's going to try making them himself, here are the illustrated instructions:
I get the crystallized ginger from MOM's and the blanched almonds at Trader Joe's, but both carry both. Also, you don't have to use King Arthur Flour (which you can also buy at MOM's), but do make sure it is unbleached, all-purpose flour.
I use my mixer when making these, but there is no reason why you can't use a large bowl, mixing spoon and some elbow grease.
Here is the half-sheet pan that has been lined with parchment paper. You can also use two 9x13-inch pans, or just one 9x13-inch pan and halve the ingredients. Whatever you use, it must have at least 1-inch high sides.
Not to state the obvious, but it is important to use a liquid measuring cup to measure the liquids. And I just heat them in the microwave in the same measuring cup since, as you can read on it, it is pyrex.
I buy the "regular" crystallized ginger at MOM's since the organic version is so expensive and it always seems to have a bit of a funny flavor.
It just takes a minute to chop up the ginger and the pieces do not have to be totally uniform in size, but there is no reason not to buy smaller pieces if you can find them.
I like to use blanched (without the skins) almonds because I think the skins add too much of a bitter taste. And the ones from Trader Joe's come already chopped into a perfect size.
When you add the hot honey/oil mixture to the sugar, it will not really mix together until you add the eggs, then it will homogenize.
All of my recipes use the scoop-and-level method of measuring dry ingredients. If you pour or spoon the flour into your measuring cup, you'll end up with a significantly different volume.
Scooped.
Leveling the top with the back of a butter knife.
Leveled.
Into the mixer...
and mixed until it just starts to come together. It is okay if there are still some spots of flour or liquid.
Add the crystallized ginger and nuts...
And mix until everything is incorporated.
It makes a pretty thick and sticky batter.
Pour and scrape the batter onto the parchment-lined pan.
And spread to the edges. Note that I'm holding the parchment in place with my thumb while I spread the batter to the opposite edge of the pan. Once the batter is touching that edge, it will hold everything in place while it's spread to the other edge.
All spread out.
Then I wet my hands and use my finger tips to even everything out as well as possible.
Not quite done.
Done!
It will be somewhat puffed up when you take it from the oven.
And will fall a bit as it cools.
Cut around the edges with a knife and then invert onto a cutting board.
Remove the pan.
Peel off the parchment paper.
And if you are feeling brave, flip it over (it also does not hurt anything to just cut it upside down).
I like to trim off the crispy edges first.
And give them to RWT to snack on.
Cut into bars.
Keep covered for up to a week or so, or freeze for longer storage.
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