Kinda Sorta Brownies

You may be aware that if I’m not at the sewing machine, I’m in the kitchen. I love love love to bake, and I see no need to wait for a special occasion to do so. I often plan meals around what I feel like baking that particular day. I made these chewy, deep, dark, molasses and chocolate bars this morning. They’re excellent for lunchboxes, and my Shipping Department calls them his favorite breakfast bars. These are not your typical cookie—the molasses and chocolate make them rich and satisfying, and they’re not sugary-sweet. Don’t get me wrong, they have a lot of sugar in them, but that’s what creates the stay-soft texture. They look like chewy, cakey brownies, but their flavor is much more complex. Next time I make them, I’m going to try adding 1/4 cup of black cocoa into the flour for a whopping chocolate punch. I hope you like these kinda-sorta brownies as much as we do.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 1”x 10” x 15” pan by spraying with cooking spray, lining with parchment, and spraying the parchment.

Make a big cup of strong coffee. Set aside 6 ounces to cool. Drink the rest.

Cream together 3/4 cup of shortening and 2 cups (I know, I know) of sugar.

Stir in 2 eggs, one at a time, until completely incorporated.

Stir in a cup of molasses. The darker the molasses, the deeper the flavor—up to you.

Sift together 4 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of ginger, and 1 teaspoon of salt.

Stir 1/3 of the flour mixture into the creamed mixture, stir in half the coffee, stir in 1/3 of the flour mixture, stir in the remaining coffee, then stir in the end of the flour. Make sure each addition is incorporated well before adding the next.

Stir in a cup to a cup and a half of chocolate chips. Not too many. Just enough so that you get that little chocolate blast now and again.

Remove the batter to your prepared pan, and spread it out evenly. Bake 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees, until you can feel structure when you gently tap the center. It will feel soft, but not mushy. These will overbake very quickly, so keep a close eye on them after the 30 minute mark. You don’t want very dark edges; they’ll be unpleasant and bitter.

Allow to cool for 30 minutes or so on a rack; use the parchment to remove the whole slab onto a cutting board. Cut into 48 bars. These freeze well if wrapped tightly; thaw wrapped in the refrigerator.