Thursday, April 21, 2016

Oh Yummy, Sugar Cookie Bars

I do love sugar cookies.  I especially love my Deluxe Sugar Cookie recipe that my kids and I make at Christmas.  But I don't have a large cutting board (it was part of my kitchen cabinets in the old house), and there really is not enough counter space to roll out cookie dough.  Enter the wonderful-ness that is the bar cookie!!!!!  No rolling, shaping, no switching pan after pan...ah love bar cookies! Sweet, neat and fast! 



While not quite the same as our favorite sugar cookie recipe, this is a yummy alternative.  I originally got the recipe from pinterest, but altered it slightly, by substituting powdered sugar for part of the sugar, decreasing the vanilla, increasing the almond and adding just a tablespoon of water to make a softer dough, a more melt in your mouth cookie. 


I absolutely hate rolling out sugar cookie dough and cutting, re-rolling, cutting, then finding room to cool all the cookies, then frosting and finding room for them to sit, while the frosting firms up.  But I do love eating them!  So this kind of sugar cookie bar cookie gives me a taste of that yummy sugary, frosted goodness without all the rolling, cooling, waiting. 

Here's my version of Simple Sugar Cookie Bars: 

1 C. softened butter
1/2 C. granulated sugar
3/4 C. powdered sugar
1 large egg
1- 1/2 tsp. almond extract
3 C. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tblsp. water

Frosting: 
3/4 C. softened butter
1 lb. powdered sugar (adjust to your liking)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3-4 tblsp. milk (adjust to your liking)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly spray a 9x12 baking pan with cooking spray and set aside. 

Mix butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.  Blend in egg and almond extract. Stir in remaining ingredients  and mix just till dough begins to come together.  It will be slightly crumbly, but hold together if you grab a handful.  Press dough into baking pan evenly and bake 20-25 minutes or just till the edges begin to turn golden brown.  Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting. 

To make the frosting, I always use my Cuisinart, it just makes the smoothest frosting.  Start by beating the butter and sugar together, then add the milk and vanilla extract.  You can adjust the thickness of the frosting by adding more powdered sugar or more milk, whatever your preference.  Just make any adjustments gradually and oh darn...you may have to stick your finger in and test it!  Isn't that a shame?! 

And here are the little darlings.  So cute. 



Yeah, yummy.   Time for some sug-ah! 




1 comment:

  1. Oh, yes please - pass them over here :) xxx

    ReplyDelete