Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars #BakingBloggers

When you are craving sugar cookies but can’t be bothered with rolling out dough and using cookie cutters, make frosted sugar cookie bars instead! They are super simple and are as pretty as they are tasty.

There’s a certain pace and skill to baking sugar cookies that can’t be rushed. Once you’ve mixed the dough, it needs to chill well before rolling. And you can’t roll it all out at once or it softens and won’t peel off the work surface. And you can’t roll it too thin or it breaks when you try to peel it off. It’s a practice makes perfect operation.

That’s where frosted sugar cookie bars pull out ahead in the tasty but easy race. One bowl dough, no chilling, no rolling, no cutting until after they are baked! Are they pretty shapes? Well, they aren’t Christmas trees, but they are neat squares. Who doesn’t love a good square?

Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars

This recipe was adapted from A Little Bit Crunchy A Little Bit Rock and Roll, which makes a huge 13x18 in or 33x46cm pan. If you are feeding a crowd, you will want to head over to the original recipe and maybe just add in some lemon.

Ingredients
For the cookie dough:
Zest 1/2 lemon
2/3 cup or 132g sugar
1/3 cup or 75g unsalted butter, room temperature
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 2/3 cups or 208g flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

For the frosting:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
3 tablespoons shortening
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups or 187g powdered sugar
3-4 teaspoons milk

To decorate: sprinkles

Method
Prepare your 8x8 in or 20x20cm pan (You can use a 9x9 in or 23x23cm pan for slightly thinner bars.) by greasing it or lining it with baking parchment. Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°F.

Beat the sugar and lemon zest together. Add in the butter and cream until fluffy.

Add the egg and egg yolk and beat until well combined.

Add the vanilla and lemon juice to the creamed mixture.

In another bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together. Then with the beaters on slow, add the dry ingredients into the batter bowl.

Tip the dough into your prepared pan and spread it out evenly, all the way into the corners.

Bake in the preheated oven for 14-16 minutes, or until it is just starting to brown.

Cool the cookie bars on a wire rack until completely cool before frosting.

While the cookie bars are baking, you can make the frosting.

In a mixing bowl, beat the shortening and butter together. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and beat well until the shortening and butter are fully incorporated into the sugar.

Gradually add the milk, one teaspoon at a time, beating well with each addition until you get a spreadable frosting. You may not need all of the milk.

Once the sugar cookie bars are completely cooled, get your sprinkles ready. Pile the frosting on the cookie and smooth it out. I like to leave some dips and ridges to catch the sprinkles.

Immediately shake on your sprinkles so they’ll stick. I used two different sizes of sprinkles because I have a huge collection and it seemed like the right thing to do.

Chill for about 10-15 minutes, uncovered, then use a sharp knife to cut them into squares.

The frosting will firm up as it dries out. Once this happens, cover with cling film or store in an airtight container.

Enjoy!

Do you love the ease of baking brownies or cookie bars too? You are going to love this month's list of recipes from my fellow Baking Bloggers. Many thanks to our host Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm for her behind the scenes work. 

• Chocolate Brownie Cake by Sneha's Recipe
• Chocolate Butterscotch Caramel Pecan Bars by Kelli’s Kitchen
• Cream Cheese Brownies starting with a Box Mix by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Dark Magic Brownies by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Easy Salted Caramel Brownies by Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Egg-Less, Butter-Less, Chocolate Ragi Brownie by Cook with Renu
• Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars by Food Lust People Love
• Milk Chocolate Sour Cream Cake Brownies by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• No Bake Reese’s Bars by Jonesin’ For Taste
• Nutella S'Mores Bars by Palatable Pastime
• Oreo Cheesecake Brownie Bars by Cookaholic Wife
• Peppermint Patty Brownie Bites by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Pineapple Bars by Simply Inspired Meals
• Triangle Delight Bars by Sid's Sea Palm Cooking

Baking Bloggers is a friendly group of food bloggers who vote on a shared theme and then post recipes to fit that theme one the second Monday of each month. If you are a food blogger interesting in joining in, inquire at our Baking Bloggers Facebook group. We'd be honored if you would join us in our baking adventures.

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