Holiday Baking – Lemon, Gingerbread Bar Cookies

Make Holiday Dessert Bars With the Best Lemon Icing

© Vicki F. Chavis

Nov 2, 2009

As soon as children are big enough to wield a wooden spoon, they're really ready to be a part of the holiday baking. These great homemade gifts from the kitchen allow them to join in the fun of creating and gift-giving.

These two bar cookie recipes are as delicious as they are fun to make. They also help teach children the importance of measuring, counting, tasting, and cleaning up once the baking is done.

Gingerbread Bars with Lemon Icing

Ingredients for bars:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 1 Tbsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp water

Ingredients for icing:

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp lemon extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking pan.
2. Cream butter in mixing bowl, add in 3/4 cup sugar, egg, ginger and cinnamon.
3. In separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Add dry mix to butter mixture and blend well. Stir in water and molasses and mix until blended. Pour into baking pan, using spoon to spread evenly.
4. Combine icing ingredients together into bowl, mixing till smooth. Using 1/2 of icing mixture, spoon out dollops of icing over top of batter. Using a knife, swirl through the batter with long strokes, spreading the lemon icing throughout the batter. Bake for 30 minutes or until the batter pulls away from the pan's edges a bit. Cool for half hour.
5. Spread the other half of icing over bars. Cut with a sharp knife and store in refrigerator. Makes two to three dozen bars.

Lemon Bar Recipe

Ingredients for crust:

• 1/2 cup raw sugar (or granulated)
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• grated peel of 1/2 lemon
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Ingredients for lemon filling:

• 1-2/3 cups raw sugar (or granulated)
• 4 eggs
• 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• grated peel of 1/2 lemon
• juice of two lemons (6 Tbsp)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• confectioner's sugar

Directions for crust:

1. Cream together butter, sugar and lemon peel. Add in flour gradually to form a crumbling dough.
2. Press evenly into the bottom of a greased 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes.

Directions for lemon filling:

1. While the crust is baking, in another bowl, whisk eggs together. Stir together sugar, flour and baking powder, then add gradually into eggs. Stir in lemon peel, lemon juice and vanilla. Blend together well.
2. Pour over hot crust and return to oven for 25 minutes (or till top is just lightly browned). Let cool.
3. Cut bars into squares (with wet knife) and sprinkle with confectioner's sugar if desired. Makes 2-3 dozen bars.

Dessert Bars

These dessert bars make lovely Christmas gifts in tins, decorated with ribbons and a homemade card with the name of the cookie handwritten on it. Any instructions such as, "store in refrigerator" should be written on the card as well.

If the children are able to print clearly, allow them to write a small scripture from the Bible on the back of the card that relates to Love, Giving or Caring for Others. A simple holiday sentiment offering good wishes is also a tasteful and decorative touch.

For more holiday recipes you may also enjoy:

Cookies for Santa

Cheese Fondue Recipes

Festive Holiday Cookie Recipes

HOL101

Lemons in Holiday Baking

Holiday Gifts From the Kitchen

Gingerbread Bars

Holiday Baking with Gingerbread

Print Article

View All Articles

How to subscribe to feeds