It seems pastels are popping up everywhere and Pinterest is leading the march for this one. I am seeing beautiful Easter egg designs,
image from Rit dye
cute outfits,
image from Shabby Apple
and as always, damn good looking food.
image from Cupcake Project.com
And since I am always late to the party, I figured it was my turn to bust out the food coloring and get down to business.
Sugar Cookie Bars
from Annie’s Eats adapted from The Repressed Pastry Chef
Ingredients:
For the cookie bars:
- 5 cups flour
- 1 teas salt
- 1/2 teas baking soda
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teas vanilla extract
- Zest from 1 lemon
For the frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teas vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 5 tbs milk
- Food coloring
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a large baking sheet (13″x18″) with parchment paper and grease.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time until incorporated, scraping down the sides as needed. Mix in the vanilla and lemon zest. Add the flour mixture a little at a time until just combined.
Using your hands or a flat bottomed glass, press the cookie mixture into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack before adding the frosting.
Make the frosting: In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the vanilla and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the confectioners’ sugar. Add the milk, if needed to create a smooth texture. If using food coloring, mix it in now.
Spread the frosting evenly over bars, cut evenly, and serve.
*I have made these twice now and both times the center of the bars were a little underdone. I’m ok with this because I like my cookies a little underdone, however, keep that in mind when checking for doneness.
That’s a high I love (need).
Want.
It’s too early in the morning… I sat here for a minute wondering how they shaped that cupcake and stuffed it inside the eggshell.
Cookie bars…..The nephews are coming for a sleep-over next week. I’ve threatened for months to crank them up on sugar and send them back home…. just the ticket 🙂
Sugar cookie bars are dreamy.
Love this! I mean who doesn’t love a sugar cookie? But with it being a bar it’s like a double thick sugar cookie COATED in heavenly frosting!
What a great way to satisfy a sweettooth. What you’ve done with the eggshells is absolutely stunning and intriguing!
Ah yes, the pastels that mean spring is here! Yay!
I still completely want to make these! They look so fun and tasty.
Oh boy! These sound delightful! Love these pretty bars 🙂
I LOVE those cakes in eggs! So freakin cute! And these sugar cookie bars sound amazing! Seriously love all the crazy cookies out there now but really a good old sugar cookie is the best! These look delicious!
those bars look delish! I can never get very good photos of pastel coloured things, they get all washed out on me.
Ohhh dang, these look soft, sweet and addicting. Clever thinking!
These sugar cookie bars look so tasty! Love! 🙂
When I make sugar cookie bars, I freeze half of them….mostly so I won’t eat them all. They freeze pretty well!
Omg, these bars look awesome! I love thick and chewy sugar cookies! Love the frosting too!
These bars look so so good and easy to bake. Love your frosting recipe too. Thanks for sharing Kita! 🙂
these look so good Kita! Love the Spring look with the colorful and cheerful sprinkles 🙂
Mmm, looks delicious!
And I am so intrigued by those brownies/muffins/cakes inside egg shells!
mmm. I would go right for these on any easter buffet. These look awesome!
Food coloring aside, these look really delicious!
These have been on my list to try for awhile. So you beat me to the party:) They look yummy!
These are going to be gone in a heartbeat. Thanks Kita!
When I was younger, I always thought cookie bars were so much better than actual cookies. Actually, I still think that.
These look awesome.
I know what you mean about the pastels… I feel like I am not keeping up with the times 🙂 These look yum! I’ve been seeing quite a few of these soft cookie bars too.. They look delicious and I love the color! Thanks for sharing…
Found this on pint &just got around to making it for our Good Friday meal. Woweee….
Still waiting for cookie to cool & said “oh. my.” out loud to myself when I licked the frosting.
Um. Yea. Talking to myself about a simple frosting….
Thanks for posting 🙂
Awesome! There is nothing wrong about talking to yourself in the kitchen – I do it constantly.
I am making these for a treat day at school. I have made them before and they are delicious!! Wondering if I can make ahead and freeze before frosting?