Perfect Sugar Cookie Bars
Author: 
Recipe type: Bars & Squares
Prep: 
Cook: 
Total time: 
Serves: 35
 
A soft, chewy sugar cookie bar with a fluffy vanilla buttercream frosting.
Ingredients
  • COOKIE BASE:
  • ¾ cup butter, softened to room temperature
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • ⅓ cup powdered sugar/icing sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ¼ tsp almond extract
  • 2¼ cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • FROSTING:
  • 5 Tbsp butter, softened (1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp)
  • 2½ cups powdered sugar/icing sugar
  • ¼ tsp vanilla extract
  • 3-3½ Tbsp milk or cream
  • Sprinkles
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. With electric mixer, cream together butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, vanilla and almond and beat for 2 minutes.
  3. Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt until combined.
  4. Spray a 9x13" baking dish lightly with cooking spray. With slightly damp hands, press dough evenly into pan (if it starts sticking, run your hands under water for another half a second and keep going...the dough won't look completely smooth, some fingerprints are fine since the icing will cover it all!)
  5. Bake for 11-13 minutes - don't overbake! The bars will not brown, they should look just barely set in the middle. Put pan on wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
  6. For frosting, cream the butter for a few seconds, then add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and 3 Tbsp of milk and blend until smooth and fluffy. Add another half tablespoon of milk if necessary to achieve desired smoothness. Spread frosting evenly on cooled bars and immediately top with sprinkles, if using.
  7. Let icing set before slicing into squares. Store bars in the fridge.
Recipe by Hidden Ponies at https://hiddenponies.com/2014/01/saturday-sweets-sugar-cookie-bars/