You have GOT to make these.
I know, I know – I always tell you that you ought to try my recipes, but this time, I really-really-REALLY mean that this is one recipe you have got to try!
They are totally groan-worthy. In fact, if you live in an apartment, or have close neighbors, you should turn up some music or something before you start eating them, because otherwise people are going to think you are engaging in some kind of illicit activity, due to the uncontrollable sounds of pleasure that will issue forth from everyone who has one.
One of the hazards of being a food blogger, is that once I get a recipe where I want it, I sometimes never make that particular dish again. I am too busy working on the next thing I am going to blog about. There are always exceptions, of course. We have Spicy Peanut Noodles quite often, and I don’t think it’s humanly possible to tire of Lemon Spice Brownies, and Anadama Bread is always going to be my favorite bread to bake.
Now, you can add these Molasses Spice Bars to our list of must-haves.
Here is how they go:
- ½ cup butter
- ⅓ cup molasses
- ⅓ cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1¼ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ¾ cup bittersweet chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup toasted, chopped pecans
- Scant 1 teaspoon white sanding sugar [or other coarse sugar]
- Preheat the oven to 350º. Generously butter a 7 x 10inch, or 8 x 8inch pan, and set aside.
- Melt the butter, and cool for about 5 minutes.
- Add the molasses, sugar, egg, vanilla 1 ingredient at a time, mixing well after each.
- Measure the flour, baking powder, salt and spices into a medium bowl, and whisk together to blend completely.
- Add flour mixture and the chocolate chips to the butter mixture and fold together until combined smoothly.
- Spread batter evenly in the prepared pan. Sprinkle the pecans over the batter and the sugar over the pecans.
- Bake for about 25-30 minutes – a toothpick inserted near the center should have only a few moist crumbs sticking to it.
Cool in the pan on a wire rack and then cut into squares. Store in a sealed container – will keep at room temperature for 3 to 4 days, and actually taste the best after a day or two.
It may be a little difficult to see them in this photo, but tiny angels continually fly around each and every one of these little wonders.
They are hoping for crumbs, I think.
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