graham cracker gingerbread crumb bars
More crumby than 2020. Am I wrong? Yet a whole lot tastier and more likely to put a smile on your face rather than the opposite. Soft, chewy gingerbread cookie tucked under a blanket of graham cracker streusel and laced with a simple ginger glaze. I take a nibble of one after lunch pretty much every day so we have an awkward 1/3 of a bar sitting in the tupperware at all times. It’s all I can do to not snarf the whole batch.
I baked these bars on Facetime with my mom and sister, who had their own projects going simultaneously. It was glorious, and a bit sad at once. I see my mom occasionally now, but more sparingly since Covid, and haven’t my sister since last year when J and I visited her up north. Thankfully, she and her guy are driving down for Christmas so our traditional Christmas Eve soiree can take place – modified, outdoors, and largely masked – and I can get everyone heavy loaded with cookies and cheese and cake. Best part, really.
If nothing else this holiday, cookies still exist. And those closest to you also. Maybe extended family or loved ones further won’t make it and just a select few pass through your doors, but whoever is there will take joy in your presence and in the aromas of luscious holiday fare emitting from your oven. Sharing with a small number is just as wonderful as big happy crowds – sometimes better, even. Forges a deeper appreciation for quieter scenes, maybe. Whichever gathering you land in, even if its just a party of two, try to give just a bit more love to your company, a bit more attention. I promise this Christmas will be a bright one in the midst of all the mud. Who will you spend your holiday with?
Come say hi on Instagram! And be sure to leave a comment if you try this recipe with your experience and any questions.
12 Days of Christmas, Day One: Holiday Cookie Box 2020
12 Days of Christmas, Day Two: Butterscotch Snickerdoodles
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, soft
- 2 tbsp plain Greek yogurt
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1 egg
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1.5 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp ginger powder
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp clove
- 1 tsp orange zest
graham cracker streusel
- 3/4 cup finely crushed cinnamon or honey grahams
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, soft
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
ginger glaze
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp ginger
- 1-2 tbsp milk or water
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line an 8×8 or 9×9 inch baking dish with parchment. With a stand or hand mixer, cream coconut oil, yogurt, and brown sugar until soft and fluffy. Add molasses and whip until combined, then add egg and vanilla and beat to blend. In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and clove. Add to wet ingredients in two batches and beat until combined, though a few streaks of flour are okay. Fold in orange zest with a spatula.
- Make your streusel. Add graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and cinnamon to a bowl and mix with a fork or your hands. Cut coconut oil in with a fork or your fingers, folding into the graham cracker blend until large soft pieces form. You don't want it to be like a dough, but a fairly cohesive yet still crumbly combination.
- Press gingerbread dough into prepared baking dish, pressing against the edges and smoothing with a spatula until evenly distributed. Sprinkle graham cracker streusel evenly on the top. Bake 20-25 minutes or until dough begins to pull away slightly from the edges of the pan. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes in the pan. The bars will continue to cook in the pan during this time. Carefully grab both ends of overhanging parchment and remove from the pan to cool completely. Slice into 12 bars.
- Once the bars cool, make the ginger glaze. Whip powdered sugar, ginger, and 1 tbsp of milk to start until a glossy, slightly drippy glaze forms. If too liquidy, add more sugar; if too hard, add more milk, 1 tsp at a time. Drizzle over sliced bars. Enjoy right away or store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
