Sugar Cookie Bars

My friend, Denise shared this recipe with me.  She got it from her amazing chef sister. If you love sugar cookies but hate the rolling and cutting out part, this recipe is for you. These cookies just melt in your mouth and only take about 20 minutes to make.  They are similar in texture to a Loft House cookie but taste so much better.  Let's call them "My" House Cookies.

SUGAR COOKIE BARS

1-1/2 cups granulated sugar

2/3 cup butter, softened

2 eggs

2 tbs milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

3-1/4 cups flour

2-1/2 tsp baking powder (not baking soda)

1-1/2 tsp salt

Beat together sugar and butter until creamy. Mix in eggs, milk, and vanilla. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to sugar mixture and mix until flour is just barely incorporated. Do not over mix! Press into a jelly-roll pan (dough is too soft to cut out with cookie cutters.) Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Do not over bake. Cool completely before frosting. (I cheat by putting mine into the freezer for a quick cook down.) Cut into 2" bars.

Frosting:

1/2 C butter
1 lb powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1/4 tsp almond extract (optional)
milk

Beat butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and almond extract together in a large bowl. While beating add milk until mixture becomes smooth and a frosting-like consistency.

STEP-BY-STEP

Add 2/3 cup sugar

 and 1-1/2 cups of granulated sugar to a bowl.

 Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

 To the creamed mixture, mix in 2 eggs

 2 tablespoons of milk

and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

 In a separate bowl, sift together 3-1/4 cups flour

 2-1/2 teaspoons of baking powder

 and 1 teaspoon of salt.

Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture.  Be careful not to over-mix . . . .Mix until the flour is just  barely combined.

 Your dough will look like this.

 Press dough evenly into a greased jelly-roll pan.  Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.

You do not want to over-bake or your cookies will be crispy not soft.

Allow the bars to cool completely and then frost.

 To make the frosting:

Into a large bowl, add 1/2 cup softened butter (or 1 stick)

 1 lb. of powdered sugar.  That equals about 3-3/4 cups.

 a pinch of salt

 1 teaspoon of vanilla

 and 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract.  If you don't like the taste of almond, don't add this!

Your frosting will still turn out perfectly.

 and 1-2 tablespoons of milk

 Cream everything together.  Add more milk or powdered sugar as needed to reach a consistency that's thick and spreadable.

 Now you're ready to frost the cooled down bars.

 You can add sprinkles too if you're feeling it.

Cut and enjoy.

I should probably warn you that these cookies are highly addictive.  Once you start, you can't stop!