INGREDIENTS:
- Bars
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1 egg
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- Frosting
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 Tbsp butter, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 Tbsp milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- Pinch of salt
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9″x9″ baking dish.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, add melted butter, granulated sugar, and molasses and mix on medium-low to combine. Add egg and mix until smooth.
In a bowl, add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and cloves and stir to combine. Add to butter-sugar mixture and mix on low just until combined.
Press dough into prepared pan. Bake until a knife in the center of bars comes out clean, 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.
Meanwhile, make frosting. In the clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, add cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt and beat on medium to combine.
Evenly spread frosting over bars. Refrigerate for 1 hour prior to serving.