Hello! Be sure to introduce yourself to your new favorite Christmas treat! Usually, you have to choose between chocolate and spice… but not this time!
I made these Dark Chocolate Ginger Squares for December Secret Recipe Club, thanks to the lovely Mellissa of A Fit and Spicy Life. I was assigned her blog for the December reveal and I’m so happy about that! Mellissa lives in Minneapolis, so she’s a fellow Midwesterner… although I am now a Midwestern transplant living in the South, where they call rain storms things like ‘gully washers’ or ‘frog stranglers.’ Bizarre. But anyways, back to Mellissa. She loves trying new recipes, sharing her favorite wines, and traveling. In fact… she just got back from Greece!! How cool is that?!? Definitely head over to her blog to check out her pictures from that trip–it looks incredible! Speaking of incredible, take a look at these Dark Chocolate Ginger Squares.
Mellissa originally made these as cookies, dubbing them Chocolate Ginger Drops. They had cherry flavored dried cranberries and dark chocolate chips, and were cute little cookies. I was so excited to make them! But I was feeling a little bit lazy. So I mixed up the dough [using extra dark chocolate chips, some crystallized ginger, and no dried cranberries], pressed it in a pan, and hoped for the best!
And let me tell you… these Dark Chocolate Ginger Squares ARE the best. They have a chewy texture and spicy flavor from the typical ginger cookie ingredients like brown sugar, molasses, and spices. But these ginger squares are kicked up a notch because I added some minced crystallized ginger AND those dark chocolate chips! If you feel so inclined, check out Mellissa’s original recipe for instructions on making these as drop cookies, but I think the bars are equally chewy, spicy, chocolately, and delicious! Enjoy! 🙂
one year ago: Caramel Apple Dip
two years ago: Honey Yeast Dinner Rolls
three years ago: Sweet Potato Soup
Dark Chocolate Ginger Squares
[slightly adapted from A Fit and Spicy Life]
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon dried ginger
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1/2 tablespoon crystallized ginger, minced
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8×8 pan with cooking spray.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter for 30 seconds. Then add brown sugar, baking soda, ginger, and allspice. Mix to combine, then add egg and molasses and mix again.
Add flour by 1/4 cup increments, mixing in between additions. Finish by stirring in dark chocolate chips and crystallized ginger with a wooden spoon.
Press dough in prepared pan, then bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cover with aluminum foil after 15 minutes so the top doesn’t get too brown.
Cool for 30 minutes before cutting into squares. Store in an air-tight container.
Be sure to check out other recipes from this week’s Secret Recipe Club reveal here: 🙂
Also linked up with: Tuesday Talent Show.




Yum, I love the gingery flavors of the holiday season.
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thanks! me too 🙂
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These look amazing!!! I must try them soon!
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i hope you do, alicia! hope you guys are doing well 🙂
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Sarah: Please save one for me. Love, Dad
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haha, all gone dad! maybe next time.
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Anything with ginger spice is good for me, especially this time of year. Look so yummy.
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thanks!
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So glad you enjoyed! These are my husbands favorite cookies.
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they were awesome, mellissa! next time we’ll have to try them as actual cookies 🙂
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I have those same little dishes 🙂 Love the combination of dark chocolate and ginger. And the hubby and I LOVED the cinnamon bacon carbonara!
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aww fun! i’m a sucker for any christmas dishes. 🙂
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Ginger and chocolate in one place? These look awesome and adding crystallized ginger is such a good idea.
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thank you!
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Oh, my those look good! Thanks for sharing with the SRC. I love ginger. I’ll definitely have to give this a try soon.
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thank you, camilla! ginger is delicious.
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I like the idea of pairing ginger with chocolate; wonder why you don’t see it more often? I went the ginger route this month too. Tis the season!
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i have no idea why it isn’t more common, but since making these i’ve seen several ginger/chocolate recipes. 🙂
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WOW, these look amazing! I adore ginger and chocolate. 🙂
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thanks sara!
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What a perfect treat for Christmas! I love the flavor of ginger, and I bet they taste delicious with dark chocolate! What a fun club, can’t wait to check out Mellissa’s blog!
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thanks cate!
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Nice recipe. Thank you and have a wonderful week.
>________________________________ > From: The Pajama Chef >To: lizzm@att.net >Sent: Sunday, December 8, 2013 9:00 PM >Subject: [New post] SRC: Dark Chocolate Ginger Squares > > > > WordPress.com >Sarah posted: “Hello! Be sure to introduce yourself to your new favorite Christmas treat! Usually, you have to choose between chocolate and spice… but not this time! I made theseDark Chocolate Ginger Squares for December Secret Recipe Club, thanks to the lovel” >
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thanks liz!
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I love spicy chocolate treats and this sounds fabulous! Great choice for SRC!!
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thank you, jane!
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I know Mellissa! 🙂
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aww fun!
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These cookies sound great. I love the combination of ginger and chocolate so I think I would love these. Thanks for sharing, Sarah!
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thank you, ashley!
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Crystalized ginger is one of my favorite baking mix ins, espeically with chocolate. Looks sooo good!
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thank you, erin!
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These look absolutely delicious! I could go for one right now. =)
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thank you, amy!
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haha – sometimes it pays off being lazy. Good pick!
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thanks! 🙂
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Love these! I adore ginger things once the cool weather sets in and then you added chocolate so yep, these are pretty wonderful in my book. Yum!
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thanks 🙂 ginger is a wonderful cold-weather flavor!
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Love the ginger & chocolate combo in a bar! So delicious ❤
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