Description
These S’mores Gingerbread Cookie Bars combine the warm spices of gingerbread with melty semisweet chocolate chips and fluffy toasted meringue swirls. Baked in a loaf pan for a chewy texture, these bars offer a perfect holiday treat reminiscent of cozy campfires, with a delicious sweetness from molasses and a hint of cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Base
- 115 g unsalted butter, browned
- 107 g packed brown sugar
- 25 g granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 15 ml molasses
- 2.5 ml vanilla extract
- 170 g all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 2.5 ml baking soda
- 5 ml ground cinnamon
- 2.5 ml ground ginger
- 1.25 ml ground allspice
- 0.6 ml ground nutmeg
- 1.25 ml salt
- 135 g semisweet chocolate chips, plus extra for topping
Meringue Topping
- 90 ml liquid egg whites
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 5 ml cream of tartar
- 2.5 ml vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare the pan: Line a 9×23 cm loaf pan with parchment paper, making sure the paper overhangs the sides for easy removal. Lightly coat the pan with non-stick spray.
- Bread the butter: Cube the unsalted butter and melt it in a heavy saucepan over medium heat while stirring continuously. Cook until the butter foams and turns a golden brown color. Immediately transfer it to a heatproof bowl to cool completely.
- Mix wet ingredients: Once the browned butter is cooled, preheat your oven to 175°C (347°F). In a large bowl, whisk together the browned butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until well combined. Add the egg, molasses, and vanilla extract, whisking until the mixture is smooth.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, sift the all-purpose flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground allspice, ground nutmeg, and salt. Fold the dry ingredients gently into the wet mixture until just combined to avoid overmixing.
- Add chocolate chips: Stir the semisweet chocolate chips into the dough evenly.
- Bake the cookie base: Spread the dough evenly into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle extra chocolate chips on top if desired. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown and the top is mostly set.
- Cool base: Remove the pan from the oven and allow the cookie slab to cool completely in the pan before moving on to the meringue topping.
- Prepare water bath: Fill a saucepan one-third full with water and bring it to a gentle simmer.
- Dissolve sugar in egg whites: In a heatproof bowl, combine the liquid egg whites and granulated sugar. Place this bowl over the simmering water and whisk constantly until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture feels warm to the touch.
- Whip meringue: Transfer the warm egg white mixture to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk on high speed until the meringue thickens and becomes opaque. Add cream of tartar and vanilla extract, then continue whisking until stiff peaks form.
- Cut bars: Remove the cooled cookie slab from the pan and cut it evenly into 6 bars.
- Pipe meringue: Fit a piping bag with a 1M tip and fill it with the prepared meringue. Pipe decorative swirls on top of each bar.
- Toast meringue: Using a kitchen torch, carefully toast the meringue swirls until they are lightly golden and have a toasted flavor. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Ensure the browned butter is fully cooled before mixing with other ingredients to prevent cooking the egg prematurely.
- Do not overmix the dough once dry ingredients are added to avoid tough bars.
- The water bath for dissolving sugar is essential for smooth, stable meringue.
- Use fresh egg whites for best meringue results; avoid using watery or leftover egg whites.
- Be cautious while toasting the meringue with a torch to avoid burning.
- Bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
