Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars
Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars are a tasty alternative to traditional sugar cookies and be customized to go with any theme.
Equipment
- 9x13-inch pan
Ingredients
For the bars:
- 1 cup softened butter (2 sticks)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the frosting:
- 1/2 cup softened butter (1 stick)
- dash of salt
- 1 pound powdered sugar (16 ounces)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3-4 tablespoons milk
For decoration:
- food coloring liquid or gel (if desired)
- edible shimmer dust or sprinkles of choice
Instructions
Prepare the bars:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Line a 9x13-inch cake pan or baking dish with parchment paper and spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray, then set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. It is important to fluff the flour before measuring to avoid packing it densely in the measuring cup. Set the dry ingredient bowl aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl if mixing by hand), place butter and sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add egg, vanilla and almond extracts, and mix on medium speed to incorporate, scraping down sides one more time.
- With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients to large mixing bowl slowly. Mix until the dough comes together. Do not overmix. Dough will hold shape when pressed together.
- Put the dough into the prepared pan, pressing down to distribute the dough evenly.
- Bake bars for 20-25 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
Prepare the frosting:
- Stir butter, salt, powdered sugar, vanilla, and 3 tablespoons of milk together until smooth. You may do this in stand mixer if you prefer. Add more milk if needed to achieve a spreadable consistency. Tint with food coloring/gel as desired.
- Spread frosting over cooled bars. Decorate as desired, and cut into bars.
