Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease an 8 by 8 inch baking pan with butter or line it with parchment paper, leaving a slight overhang on the sides. This makes it much easier to lift the entire block of bars out for clean slicing later.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the all purpose flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, and salt. Use a whisk to stir everything together until the spices are evenly distributed throughout the flour. This ensures every bite of your bars has that perfect Christmas warmth.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter and packed brown sugar together. You can use a hand mixer or a stand mixer for this part. Beat for about two to three minutes until the mixture looks light, fluffy, and well combined.
Add the egg, molasses, and alcohol-free vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Continue beating on medium speed until the ingredients are fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to make sure no molasses is left sticking to the bottom.
Turn your mixer to low speed and gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix just until the flour disappears and a thick dough forms. Be careful not to overmix at this stage, as overworking the dough can lead to a tougher texture in the finished bars.
Transfer the dough into your prepared baking pan. Use a spatula or clean hands to press the dough into an even layer, reaching all the corners. Place the pan in the center of the oven and bake for 22 to 25 minutes. The edges should be slightly firm, but the center should still look soft.
Remove the pan from the oven and set it on a wire rack to cool completely. It is important to let the bars cool before cutting so they can set properly. Once cool, lift them out of the pan and slice them into 16 squares or rectangles.
