Day Ten: Sugar Cookie Bars Recipe

Day 10 of the PammiCakes 12 Days of Christmas Indulgences brings you Sugar Cookie Bars.  These bars are sugary and delicious! 

Sugar cookies are the quintessential element to all Christmas dessert traditions.  I remember rolling out the sugar cookie dough with my mother and sister every December and cutting them into familiar Christmas shapes; trees, stars, ornaments, stockings, Santa hats, etc.  We had so much fun decorating them with colored frostings and sprinkles.  But over the days, they would seem to dry out and get too hard. 

Even as I grew older, I have still not been able to master the perfect sugar cookie keeping it soft and chewy.  These sugar cookie bars have saved all my failed attempts at sugar cookies.  Plus, the process for these bars is much quicker.  No rolling out the dough or individual cookie decorating necessary.  They don’t replace the fun shapes, but if you are in a pinch for time and are craving some sugar cookies, these will definitely fill the void.     

Sugar Cookie Bars Recipe

Recipe by Love & Olive Oil

Preheat Oven 375^o

Cookie Batter:

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Frosting:
1 cup butter; at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
5 tablespoons milk
food coloring, if desired

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in vanilla.

In a separate bowl sift together flour, salt, and baking soda. Slowly add to butter mixture and mix just until combined. Grease a large rimmed baking sheet (a 13x18 or 10x15 jelly roll pan) or line with parchment paper. Gently and evenly spread out batter onto sheet.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until light golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

To prepare frosting, in a large bowl, beat butter until fluffy. Mix in vanilla and salt. Add powdered sugar (1 cup at a time) until combined, then add milk & mix until smooth and spreadable. Add a few drops of color, if desired. Spread over cooled cookie, then cut into bars.