New Recipe: Sugar Cookie Bars

I needed a quick and easy recipe for a sweet coworker's birthday last Wednesday and guess where I turned?  That's right, my good friend, Pinterest!  It's pretty obvious that I like to cook (and eat) since nearly half of my total pins are food-related.

I decided to make these sugar cookie bars from High Heels and Grills.  I love how I keep finding new food blogs to follow from pins I like on Pinterest!  There are tons of interesting recipes on this blog and I can't wait to try something else soon!

Ingredients:


Cookies:

2-1/2 cups bread flour (or all-purpose flour is fine)
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 Tbsp. sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Frosting:

1/2 cup butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup half and half
1 tsp. vanilla
Pinch of salt
Several drops of food coloring (optional)

Directions:

COOKIES: Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. I sifted my dry ingredients.  Just something I always do when baking.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. (The longer you beat it, the fluffier your cookies will be.)  


Add egg and combine well.

Add sour cream and vanilla and mix until completely blended.

Slowly add the flour mixture and stir until well combined.

Gently press the batter into the greased baking dish and spread out with hands. (If you butter your hands, this will help with the stickiness.)

Bake 17-20 minutes, or until edges become lightly golden.

Set aside to cool completely.

FROSTING: In a medium bowl, cream together butter, powdered sugar, and half and half until light and fluffy.

Stir in vanilla and salt, combine well.

Add food coloring until desired color.

Frost your cooled cookie bars evenly.

Cut into squares and serve.


These cookies are VERY good!  The cookie turns out to be almost like a shortbread cookie.  Since shortbread is one of my favorites, this was a definite plus!

I made one recipe for work last Wednesday and there were none left at the end of the day.  I liked them so much (and I had sour cream and half and half left), so I made another recipe on Saturday for my family.  I think it would be fun to use different colors and maybe add sprinkles for different holidays or occasions!

I'll definitely make these cookies again!