Double Chocolate Ginger Cookie Bars

Chocolate cookies are crowd pleasers any way you serve them. I bake up a variety of chocolate cookies all year round, and these Double Chocolate Ginger Cookie Bars are a hit in any season. The brownie-like bar cookies are studded with chunks of candied ginger and are packed with both dark and white chocolates, for a treat that is spicy, sweet and offers just the right amount of decadence.

Candied ginger is a great ingredient to pair with chocolate of any kind because it is so versatile. It’s warm spice is a lovely contrast for creamy white chocolate, while its sweetness adds a nice counter to the bittersweet flavors in dark chocolate. While chocolate is the star of these cookie bars, the candied ginger is what makes them both addictive and unique.

These bar cookies are brownie-like and have a deep chocolate flavor, but they have a lighter texture than a regular brownie and are a bit crispier on top. The chocolate cookie dough is similar to brownie batter. It has a relatively small amount of flour and a very generous amount of cocoa powder, and it needs to be spread into a pan to bake evenly. Be sure to use high quality dark and white chocolate in the dough for the best chocolate flavor!

Let the bars cool completely before slicing them. I like to line my pan with aluminum foil so that I can lift the whole batch out before slicing it. I made narrow bars and cut 30 (10 by 3) bars out of the batch. You can cut them down into slightly smaller squares or larger, more decadent, pieces, if you prefer. The bars keep well in an airtight container for at least 2 or 3 days after baking.

Double Chocolate Ginger Cookie Bars
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 butter, room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup candied ginger chips

Preheat oven to 375F. Line a 9×13-inch pan with aluminum foil and lightly grease.
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla extract, then stir in the flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and candied ginger. Batter will be very thick.
Drop dollops of batter into pan, trying to spread it out as much as possible. Use a spatula to push the batter into an even layer (it will spread more as it bakes, so don’t worry if you can’t get it quite into the corners).
Bake for 20 minutes, or until the bars are set on the edges and they begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Allow bars to cool completely in the pan – they will sink as they cool – then use the foil to lift them out before slicing them into bars.

Makes 30 bars.