This week’s Tuesdays with Dorie recipe from Dorie’s Cookies is one I had no idea what to expect on reading the recipe (the name doesn’t give much away) and even looking at the photo led me to believe they would be something they weren’t (I totally through they would be chocolatey, even though there is no chocolate involved)!
Of this recipe, Dorie says:
When Mary Dodd, my wonderful recipe tester, returned from a family trip to Maine, she cooked everything Maine, from lobsters to chowders to blueberry muffins, for weeks afterward, if not earning herself honorary citizenship in the Pine Tree State, then at least making the rest of us believe she was a Down-Easter. Of the things she cooked and baked, this recipe turned up most often, bringing happiness with it. Mary’s first taste of the bars was in Portland, where they were called Little Cranberry Island Gingerbread. It must be some kind of Maine magic, but the combination of molasses, and a hefty dose of cinnamon and cloves but no ginger, tricks you into believing you’re eating old-fashioned gingerbread.
Ok, so… a gingerbread-y type slice? Sounds good!
But I didn’t need a full recipe’s worth so I thought I was being clever and made this in a loaf tin. The batter probably needed a tin slightly larger as it filled the tin more than I think it should have (looking at the photo in the book, these are a flat “slice”) and when it was baking puffed up quite a bit (then sank when it cooled).
Also, I forgot to sprinkle raw/ sanding sugar on top and realised this about 10 minutes into baking – tried to sprinkle at that point but ended up dumping it and, of course, the pan being hot and in the oven, I couldn’t do much about it. Interestingly, the sugar didn’t sink into the batter (though it definitely wasn’t “set” or baked at that point). In the loaf tin, this took nearly 45 minutes to bake completely so that a skewer inserted in the centre only yielded a few crumbs and was mostly clean. At the 26 minute mark (the amount of time listed in the recipe for the full amount in a larger tin), this was still completely uncooked in the centre – hence the need for a larger tin, even with half the batter.
So this was more like a cake/loaf than a slice (and definitely NOT a cookie!), but it was wonderful! It really does taste like real gingerbread (not the cookies), though there is no ginger involved. Wonderful with an espresso for a mid-morning or afternoon snack. Keeps pretty well for a few days too. Nice zapped for a few seconds in a microwave.
Would I make these again? I think so – and I think I’d even make a loaf-style again too, just making sure that I adjusted the baking time. I like the chunkier pieces as opposed to the slices, I think!
Get the recipe for Mary’s Maine Bars from Dorie’s Cookies on p 50 of Dorie’s Cookies!
Want more cookie recipes? Buy Dorie’s Cookies on Amazon (this link should bring you to the Amazon store geographically closest to you) or for free worldwide shipping, buy from The Book Depository. Then join us over on Tuesdays with Dorie and bake your way through the book!
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Disclosure: I was provided with a copy of “Dorie’s Cookies” for review purposes. I was not asked to write about the book, nor am I being compensated for doing so. All opinions 100% my own.
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I still can’t figure out why the Maine part or how blueberries would fit into the gingerbread taste either haha. In a 9×13 these come out as a chewy gingerbread brownie. Super unique and delicious!
Your loaf version looks good, and so festive with all those sugary bits on top…sometimes things are happy accidents. I thought from the photo in the book that they were chocolate as well, so imagine my delight when I started pulling ingredients this morning to make them for next time, there is NO CHOCOLATE!!!! This, of course, is a happy occurrence for some of us. Thanks for all the tips and insights…I am going to make them this afternoon.
I really liked this one – I had no expectations but was pleasantly surprised. I’d make this again.
I think an 8-inch square pan would work quite nicely. The chewy brownie texture is quite surprising. These were good and good with a cup of Joe.
Yes I agree re the 8-inch pan but I actually liked this as a loaf-ish thing too!
I did 1/3 recipe in my loaf tin, but I can see chunkier pieces being really nice. I also was like, “wait- where’s the chocolate?” haha. some chopped bits stirred in probably wouldn’t be bad at all.
A 13”x9” pan holds 15 cup, an 8” square pan holds 8, so that works well for a 1/2 batch. Love the flavor. Mine aren’t chewy, more cakey.
Yes it does!