going christmas

December 11 2009 by Kristin at The Kitchen Sink in Uncategorized » 28 comments

Imagine, if you will, a brownie gone Christmas. Surely it’s not such a difficult task—the whole world, it seems, has gone Christmas. The television commericals, the lobby of my building (which features, sporadically, a real live harpist strumming carols; I kid you not), my morning coffee cup, shrubbery everywhere. So why wouldn’t the brownie, standby treat that is, want to join in by going Christmas too?

And this recipe allows the brownie to do just that. And not by way of a dash of peppermint extract or a crushed candy cane topping—flavors, if I’m honest, that I find a bit cloying and, well, toothpastey.

Instead, this recipe takes the brownie into Christmas territory in a much more subtle way. It cloaks the brownie in a cozy Christmas jacket made of gingerbread and dusts it with a snowy sprinkle of powdered sugar. Throw in a pinch each of ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves and its goodbye everyday brownie, hello Christmas.

I wish it were so easy for a human (let’s say, oh I don’t know, me) to go Christmas. I’m having a hard time getting into the holiday spirit, something that usually happens naturally for me, impercetibly even, typically in that brief interlude (or, um, snooze) between slices of Thanksgiving turkey and pumpkin pie. Perhaps it was the mild November or this year’s non-traditional Thanksgiving venue. I can’t say for sure. In any event, our tree (even though it’s been summoned out of storage) hasn’t yet been set up, these brownies are the first of my holiday baking, and I have procured not even one holiday party dress this December.

So this weekend, I plan to get serious about going Christmas. There are parties to attend, baking to accomplish, a tree to string with twinkly lights, doors to adorn with wreaths, banisters to wind with garland, and items on Christmas lists to check off. And there are these chocolate-gingerbread bars to snack on all the while. By next week, I think, I’ll be fully on board.

What about you all? Any fun holiday plans this weekend?

Chocolate Gingerbread Bars
Martha Stewart’s Everday Food

Yield: 16 bars

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for pan
3/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
1 large egg
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
confectioners’ sugar, for dusting (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan. Line bottom with a strip of parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides; butter paper. Dust paper and sides of pan with cocoa; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together cocoa, flour, ginger, pumpkin-pie spice, and baking soda; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together butter, brown sugar, molasses, egg, and sour cream until smooth. Add flour mixture; stir just until moistened (do not overmix). Stir in chocolate chips. Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely. Using paper overhang, lift gingerbread from pan. Transfer to a cutting board, and cut into 16 squares. Before serving, dust bars with confectioners sugar, if desired. (To store, keep in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 3 days.)

28 comments so far. »
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Whitney says on December 11 2009 at 9:35 am:

I love the writing for this post. Chocolate/gingerbread is so perfect. I made some chewy cookies from martha last weekend that were perfectly festive without being saccharine.

Get your tree up! That will immediately get you in the holiday spirit.

I have TX friends coming in this weekend, just in time for the frigid weather but I’m excited to show off Chicago all decorated for the holidays.
Julia (Color Me Green) says on December 11 2009 at 9:35 am:

so funny, i was just thinking the other day whether i could combine brownies and gingerbread in one! you did it for me. thanks!
VeggieGirl says on December 11 2009 at 9:58 am:

A brownie-gingerbread hybrid?? Perfection!
Dolce says on December 11 2009 at 10:06 am:

They look moist, rich and oh so perfect… Now I want a brownie and it’s lunchtime. Bad, bad Dolce…
Courtney says on December 11 2009 at 10:28 am:

I love your post, these look amazing! Also, I believe that we may work in the same building? Did you happen to catch the lunchtime entertainment earlier (and get a candycane!?) earlier this week? Too fun – a bit cheesy, but I love it!
Elaine says on December 11 2009 at 11:00 am:

I’m going to a turkey fry this weekend. Very excited!
Devon says on December 11 2009 at 11:08 am:

This is an awesome combo. I have been thinking about gingerbread for the last few days. Maybe I’ll go choco
maggie says on December 11 2009 at 11:23 am:

These are so appealing to me—I often throw fresh ginger into my brownies, but these look even better.
Caitlin says on December 11 2009 at 11:47 am:

Given my hatred of all things mint or mint + chocolate, I am so behind these as the banner dessert for Christmas. Or for this weekend. Y’know, whenever
Judy says on December 11 2009 at 2:37 pm:

my christmas (weight) came early this year! Lovely spin on a chocolate brownie recipe.

Love your pictures! love your blog. So happy I stumbled upon it; I’ll be reading it all the way to the first post =)
Megan Gordon says on December 11 2009 at 7:03 pm:

Looks awesome! Love the unique combination…gotta love that Martha. I’m trying to get “serious” about Christmas myself this weekend…although apartment hunting will take precedence tomorrow.

Thanks for the recipe and lovely photos!
kate says on December 12 2009 at 8:12 am:

Even with my annual cookie exchange, and receiving 7 dozen cookies, I still want to bake more. I think it’s because I’m struggling to embrace Christmas myself, and think that with a few well times pushes, I might get the spirit going. Maybe. I think a pan of these would definitely help.
kickpleat says on December 12 2009 at 8:30 pm:

Your photos are beautifully stunning. I love the idea of a spicy brownie gingerbread. This will go on my to-do bake list. Thanks!
hungry dog says on December 13 2009 at 4:29 pm:

I love chocolate and ginger together, these brownies look fantastic.Beautiful photos!
joanser says on December 14 2009 at 4:44 am:

Compelling narrative. Seductive photos of fabulous food. What’s not to love about your blog? I read it daily. Thanks for taking the time to do this so well.
tracieMoo says on December 14 2009 at 8:01 am:

They look fantastic. The sour cream must have made the bars taste even better. I would definitely try this for xmas
Caroline says on December 14 2009 at 9:11 am:

The brownies look gorgeous! You are inspiring me to try more step by step photos. I hear readers really like them
Barbara says on December 14 2009 at 2:04 pm:

Super combination in that brownie! A little spice and molasses would taste divine. Dark and delicous. Yum.
I am definitely in the spirit this year. Love looking at the tree at night!
Jen @ My Kitchen Addiction says on December 14 2009 at 9:48 pm:

I am ashamed to admit that I have never tried gingerbread and chocolate… but it sounds like a marvelous combination. I will definitely be giving these a try. I adore molasses!
that sparkle « Whitney in Chicago says on December 15 2009 at 7:41 pm:

[...] cookies but chocolate and ginger is an entirely different proposition. I’ve seen these flavors in bar form, but I knew that I would enjoy the chewiness of the cookies. The best part about them is rolling [...]
Lee Ann says on December 16 2009 at 10:09 am:

Sounds perfect for a dessert I need to bring on Sunday for a casual holiday get-together. And it sounds even more perfect if I pair it with a little scoop of Dreyer’s Slow-Churned eggnog ice cream!
Hannah says on December 16 2009 at 6:06 pm:

These sound lovely!
Midwesterner says on December 18 2009 at 7:40 am:

These taste great, but mine turned out dry. I think our over runs a little hot.
Katherine @ NightOwlChef says on December 20 2009 at 10:39 am:

These look perfect for Christmas! If these don’t get someone into the holiday spirit (paired with a mug of mulled wine …. or sipper of egg nog … or spiced hot cocoa …), then I don’t know know what will!

Do you think plain yogurt would be an okay substitute for the sour cream? If so, these are getting made today without me hitting up the grocery store!
Kristin at The Kitchen Sink says on December 20 2009 at 12:45 pm:

Katherine: I think that should work. Full-fat yogurt would probably be best. Let us know how they turn out!
Malin says on December 21 2009 at 1:14 pm:

My friend was wondering why they don’t sell chocolate covered gingerbread, and I told her that it wouldn’t be a nice combination. Maybe I was wrong…? These brownies look delicious!
Full Moon Brownies with Wattleseed Ice Cream says on December 25 2009 at 2:53 pm:

[...] I am lucky enough to cross paths with Katrina on a personal and a professional level and I have learned many valuable lessons from this unique woman. She is a dreamer who shoots for the stars. She listens to the beat of her own drummer with confidence. And, she knows how to cook, pair flavors, invent and bake like no other I know. On a practical note, she taught me how to criss-cross foil or parchment in my brownie baking pan for easy lift out and slicing. If you don’t know what I am talking about, Kristin uses this technique with her brownies and does a beautiful job of showing her step-by-step here. [...]
ingrid says on January 02 2010 at 7:52 pm:

I’ve yet to try chocolate and gingerbread. I always think pumpkin and gingerbread truth be told.
~ingrid