Cream Cheese Gingerbread Bars With Cream Cheese Icing

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup butter, softened (no substitutes)
• 1 1/4 cups sugar, divided
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350 degrees. line 13×9-inch baking pan with foil. spray foil with no stick cooking spray.
• 2 mix flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda and salt; set aside.
• 3 beat butter and 3/4 cup of the sugar in large bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy.
• 4 beat in egg until well blended.
• 5 gradually beat in flour mixture until well mixed.
• 6 stir in molasses and water just until blended. spread evenly in prepared pan.
• 7 beat cream cheese in large bowl with electric mixer until smooth.
• 8 beat in remaining 1/2 cup sugar and vanilla extract until smooth.
• 9 reserve 1/2 cup of the icing; refrigerate remaining icing.
• 10 spoon dollops (about 1 teaspoon each) of the reserved icing over batter in pan. with knife or spatula, swirl icing through batter to marble.
• 11 bake 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• 12 cool in pan 15 minutes. lift out of pan using foil.
• 13 cool completely on wire rack. invert and peel off foil.
• 14 spread refrigerated icing over bars. cut into bars. store in refrigerator.