Sticky Ginger Squares

My domestic skills were severely tested the weekend before Thanksgiving.

My bread maker put out this poor excuse for a loaf of bread.

The Honeycrisp apples that I thought I had bought for Randy turned out to be something called Ambrosia apples.

A batch of cornbread that I baked mutated into something really nasty.  I found out later that I had used four tablespoons of baking powder.  The recipe calls for four teaspoons.  

That is why I am now committed to wearing my glasses whenever I read recipes.  Or read anything.  Or drive.

Never being one to give up (Hah!  Since when?), I decided to bake some Sticky Ginger Squares.  I figured this would give me something to do while I waited for an acceptable time to start drinking.  Since ginger goes well with White Zinfandel, it was a win-win for me.

Sticky Ginger Squares are a two-step process.  By that I mean they have a filling layer and a streusel layer.  I managed to make quite a mess in the kitchen and use every measuring cup and spoon that I owned.  Eggs broke on the counter, flour ended up all over the floor.  I did manage to avoid cutting myself, although I somehow did get burned.

That's a good day in the kitchen for me, when I suffer only one injury.

Anyway ~

The very first thing I did was to chop up the crystalized ginger that I happened to have in the pantry.  Crystalized ginger isn't really a pantry staple, at least at my house.  I have no I idea why I bought it in the first place.

In a mixing bowl, mix up the flour, the spices, the crystalized ginger, the salt and baking soda  ...

... add the eggs, molasses, melted butter and mix it until it is smooth.

Spread the batter in a greased 9"x13" baking pan.  Bake at 350° for 15 minutes.

To make the streusel layer, mix more flour, more brown sugar, butter, and salt until it is crumbly.  I ended up smooshing it with my hands as the mixer wasn't doing a very good job.  I could have used a pastry blender, but that would have been just another thing to wash.

 Mix in more crystalized ginger.

Sprinkle the streusel over the partially baked filling layer.  Bake for 30 minutes until the streusel is golden brown.  Allow to cool and then cut into 2-1/4" squares.

I should have listened to my intuition when I made them.  First, I should have cut the recipe in half.  With all the other Thanksgiving goodies we had, most of the Ginger Squares went to waste, even after pawning some off on my friend, Tammy.  Second, having the ginger in the streusel layer was a bit too much.  I would recommend omitting the ginger from the streusel if you aren't that much of a ginger person.

If you are more of a Mary Ann person, next week I am making Irish Cream Bars.

The Sticky Ginger Square recipe is courtesy of King Arthur Flour.  Here is the link to the recipe on their site:

Sticky Ginger Squares