Gumdrop Squares

Name: Gumdrop Squares
Yield: 12 bars
Ingredients: BARS; Vegetable shortening, for greasing; ¾ cup salted butter, softened; 1 ½ cups packed brown sugar; 1 ½ tsp baking powder; ¼ tsp baking soda; 2 large eggs; 2 tbsp molasses; 2 tsp ground cinnamon; 2 tsp ground ginger; 2 tsp ground nutmeg; 1 ½ tsp ground allspice; 1 tsp pure vanilla extract; 2 cups all-purpose flour; ½ cup sweetened flaked coconut; ¾ cup halved small gumdrops; ICING; ½ cup salted butter, softened; 2 cups powdered sugar; 3 tbsp heavy whipping cream; 1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract

Delight young and old alike with colorful candy-filled bars.

Old-fashioned gumdrop cookies, or stained-glass cookies, inspired this delightful bar. Inside the cookielike base, colorful candies in spicy flavors—allspice, anise, cinnamon, clove, licorice, peppermint and wintergreen—are glistening treasures, discovered when the bars are cut. Topped with a creamy vanilla frosting, the bars are perfect “have a happy day” treats for all ages.

Makes 12 bars

Ingredients

BARS
Vegetable shortening, for greasing
¾ cup salted butter, softened
1 ½ cups packed brown sugar
1 ½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
2 large eggs
2 tbsp molasses
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 ½ tsp ground allspice
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup sweetened flaked coconut
¾ cup halved small gumdrops
ICING
½ cup salted butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
3 tbsp heavy whipping cream
1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×9-inch baking pan with foil, extending the foil over edges of pan. Lightly grease foil with shortening; set pan aside.
For bars, in a medium bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs, molasses, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice and vanilla until combined. Beat in flour and coconut. Stir in gumdrops just until combined. Spread batter into prepared baking pan.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until top is light brown and sides begin to pull away from pan. Cool in pan on a wire rack.
For icing, in a large bowl, beat butter and powdered sugar with an electric mixer on low until smooth. Beat in cream and vanilla. Spread frosting over cooled bars. Use edges of foil to lift uncut bars out of pan. Place on cutting board; cut into squares.