Okay…. I know we are all on sugar-overloads and thinking about our waistlines after all the Holiday feasting BUT I just can’t let these delightful little bars get passed by!

AND that frosting I made in my Baking and Pastry class and it’s been awhile since I’ve given y’all a Culinary School update too.

Italian Meringue Buttercream is a little bit of a trick to make- it actually took me three tries to get it right!  I know… ugh.

Here’s what the recipes looked like in my Baking and Pastry class:

Everything is measured by weight, so to change the amount a recipe produces you’d convert with percentages.  It’s a pretty nice system once you get it and it’s actually how most of the rest of the world cooks.

For simplicity these Gingerbread Bars can be topped with any homemade or store bought frosting 🙂

Yield: 12

Gingerbread Bars with Italian Buttercream Frosting

Print

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/4 C butter, melted
• 1/4 C lowfat sour cream
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray a 9x13" baking pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine butter, sour cream, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, and molasses and beat until creamy.
4. Add the egg and stir until completely incorporated.
5. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until well combined.
6. Press dough into pan, spray hand with cooking spray and use fingers to press dough to the edges of the pan
7. Bake for 15 minutes and let cool, don't over cook

* I adapted this recipe from Six Sisters Stuff 

 

 

Here some highlight photo’s from my Baking and Pastry Term…

We made all kinds of amazing breads– yah, I ate WAaaayyyy too much for my own good but, holy moly!  SO good.

 

We made pastries, pies, cookies, tarts, peppermint bark, and meringues too…

We also did some Holiday catering and those are long days AND lots of fun too…

Testing is done in two days…

The first day is a practical that is timed, you are closely watched by the chef and you bake without any help.  It was pretty stressful and I was sure I had bombed some stuff but I finally dared to take a look at my grades yesterday- it was all good and I was pleased 🙂

The second day is a written exam and that takes some studying but wasn’t as bad as the practical.

AND that wraps up my Baking and Pastry block!  I hope you enjoyed this little recap 🙂

I start back in a couple of days with Garde Manger which is everything cold; sushi, cheeses, cold cuts, salads, fruit sculptures, etc.

It’s not too late to give these Gingerbread Bars with Italian Buttercream Frosting, they’re seriously amazing.

Happy Friday!

xoxo~ Ruthie