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Sugar Cookie Bars
This recipe has been making the rounds on the internet for quite some time. I finally got around to making them… so simple and delicious. Be sure to throw some festive sprinkles on top! This recipe has been featured in a post on The Recipe Girl blog: Sugar Cookie Bars Make People Happy.
SUGAR COOKIE BARS
www.RecipeGirl.com
COOKIES:
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
FROSTING:
1/2 cup butter; at room temperature
1/2 cup shortening
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
4 cups powdered sugar (sift after measuring)
5 Tbsp. milk
food coloring, if desired
1. Prepare bars: In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each egg. Mix in vanilla.
2. In a separate bowl whisk together flour, salt & baking soda. Add to wet mixture and mix just until combined. Spread on a greased, rimmed baking sheet (use a 13 x 18 pan). The dough will be just like cookie dough- heavy & sticky- so it’s best to spray your hands with a little nonstick spray and use them to help mold the dough into the pan.
3. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 min, until light golden brown or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
4. Prepare frosting: In a large bowl, beat butter and shortening together until smooth and creamy. Mix in vanilla and salt. Add powdered sugar (1 cup at a time) until combined, then add milk & mix until smooth and spreading consistency. Add a few drops of color, if desired. Spread over cooled cookie, then cut into bars.
Yield: 32 bars
Tips:
*Refrigerate the bars until firm… it will be easier to get nice, clean cuts.
Source: Adapted slightly from The Repressed Pastry Chef
I'm Lori Lange, recipe developer, food writer and Mom. I'm sharing over 2,600 of my favorite recipes with you.
snooky doodle — April 8, 2010 @ 11:23 AM
these look so nice
i want some too
Marjorie Hansen — April 17, 2010 @ 1:43 PM
Has anyone else had issues with spreading the dough? For me it was a very wet, sticky, heavy dough. There was not “spread it into the pan” I had to eventually do the wet hands tamping the dough all around the pan trick.
Lori Lange replied: — April 18th, 2010 @ 6:27 AM
@Marjorie Hansen, You are exactly right… the dough is just like cookie dough, so it’s not easy to “spread.” I sprayed my hands with nonstick spray and used them to help pat the dough into place. I added that into the instructions above. Thanks so much for pointing this out.
Mellie — April 21, 2010 @ 7:09 PM
I had to stop and say thank you. My honey-do and I stumbled these and decided to bake a batch for his office, and a smaller batch for ourselves. They turned out amazing!!! I’d love to share some pics with you if you have the time
Let me know, and tanks again. With love from Denver.
Lori Lange replied: — April 22nd, 2010 @ 5:22 AM
@Mellie, So glad to hear that these turned out so well for you! I have a Facebook Fan Page if you’d like to share photos there- http://www.facebook.com/pages/RecipeGirl/107332655959579
Joan — May 10, 2010 @ 5:22 PM
My sugar cookie bars are baking right now. What I did, was floured my small rolling pin and it rolled the dough out nicely!
Joan — May 11, 2010 @ 3:22 AM
OMG, these bars ROCK! This recipe is a keeper for sure!!!!!
Megan — February 13, 2011 @ 6:39 PM
I just made these for Valentines Day tomorrow and I am excited to see how they taste. I am just waiting for the bars to cool before I frost them. My only complaint is that the frosting is too buttery. It tastes like pure butter, I would probably find a better frosting recipe for my next batch.
pat — October 25, 2012 @ 2:54 PM
I don’t see where it is slightly different, from the orininal recipe, other than chilling it slightly.—.
Lori Lange replied: — October 25th, 2012 @ 3:18 PM
Well, it’s stated as “adapted slightly,” which it is… if you want to compare descriptions side by side then you can see the slight changes. It certainly isn’t cut/pasted. Credit is given with a link to where I found it, and that person got the recipe from someone else too. It’s certainly made the rounds- was probably originally a Betty Crocker recipe or something like that.