Ginger Bar Cookies

Photo: flickr user mmechtley

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups Unbleached flour

1/2 cup Light brown sugar - (packed)

1 tablespoon Ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon Baking powder

1 pch Salt

1 cup Unsalted butter - (2 sticks) cut ½" pieces,

and slightly softened

1/2 cup Finely chopped crystallized ginger

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour, brown sugar, ground ginger, baking powder and salt in mixing bowl. Add butter; cut in with pastry blender until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add crystallized ginger; stir with fork until blended.

With lightly floured fingertips, press dough in even layer into lightly buttered 13- by 9-inch baking pan. Bake on center rack until edges are lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Let cool in pan on wire rack before cutting into bars.

Wrap leftovers in foil and freeze or store at room temperature up to 1 week.

Yields 24 bars.