frosted sugar cookie bars

These cookies are so much easier to than traditional sugar cookies, but are just as delicious. They also make enough to feed a crowd! We made these for FHE last week to take to our new neighbors and we had so many cookies that we took cookies to two other family's on our street, froze a bunch for another time, and still had plenty for ourselves.

 I let one of the kids choose the color for the frosting, so it's kind of a wild sea green:-) These are great for any occasion, though. You could do pink frosting/valentine's sprinkles for Valentine's day, yellow/orange for summer, orange/black halloween....

Recipe from ourbestbites.com

Cookies:

1. 2 cups real butter (no substitutions!), softened to room temperature
2. 2 cups sugar
3. 2 large eggs
4. 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5. 1 tablespoon almond extract
6. 6 cups flour, spooned lightly into the measuring cup and leveled with a knife.
7. 1 tablespoon baking powder
8. 1 teaspoon table salt

Frosting:

1. 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened to room temperature
2. 3 cups powdered sugar
3. 1 teaspoon almond extract
4. 2-3 tablespoons milk (or more, if needed milk; whole or evaporated if you have it handy)
5. 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a half sheet-sized baking sheet (13x18x1") with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a bowl of a heavy-duty mixer or in a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and extracts and beat until combined.
3. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the creamed butter mixture and mix to combine.
4. Press the dough evenly into the prepared baking sheet. If desired, you can smooth it out with a rolling pin or a smooth drinking glass. Bake for 20-30 minutes (mine was done right at 25 minutes, but every oven is different) or until the top is lightly golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
5. While the cookie bars are cooling, prepare the frosting. In a large mixing bowl, whip together the powdered sugar and softened butter until combined. Very slowly, add a little bit of milk at a time until desired consistency is reached. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring.
6. When the pan of cookies is cool, spread with frosting and sprinkle with colored sprinkles. Cut into squares. The number of bars this makes will depend on how big you cut the squares, but these are VERY rich and you could probably get away with cutting these into 40+ squares.

*NOTE

While I LOVE this recipe, it uses a ton of butter and the cookies are very thick. I am linking to a recipe from the sixsistersstuff blog that I want to try next time and I will do a comparison!

Six Sister's Stuff Sugar Cookie Bars

chocolate frosted peanut butter cookies

Sometimes a plain peanut butter cookie just doesn't do it for me. It lacks...a little something. That's why I love these chocolate frosted peanut butter cookies. You get that peanut butter flavor, plus the added richness of chocolate frosting. A match made in heaven! And--even better--the frosting is made in the microwave and still turns out nice and fluffy and smooth.

Servings: About 22 medium cookies

Cookies:

1 large egg

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup peanut butter (don't use 'natural' pb that separates)

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

Frosting:

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/4 cup milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

pinch salt, optional, to taste

chocolate sprinkles (optional)

*Mix together egg, butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Add peanut butter and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Mix in the dry ingredients: flour and baking soda. 

**The recipe says to use a cookie scoop, scoop out dough, and refrigerate for 3 hours (as pictured below). When we baked our cookies they never flattened out so we had to use the bottom of a cup to flatten them after we took them out of the oven. I think next time I will omit the step to refrigerate and see if that makes a difference.

*Bake at 350 degrees for 8-11 minutes

For Frosting:

*Melt butter in microwave safe bowl. Add remaining ingredients (except sprinkles) and whisk together until smooth and combined. Frost cookies and add sprinkles.

*Enjoy!

Original recipe found HERE.

peppermint bark cookies

These cookies were chewy and oh-so-chocolatey. (auto correct is trying to tell me the chocolatey is not a word...I beg to differ!). I have had problems in the past with chocolate cookies being too dry but these were just right; perhaps because they call for melted chocolate chips and not just cocoa powder.

I want to try adding a small amount of peppermint extract to the white chocolate before dipping the cookies next time. Another variation I want to try is decorating the white chocolate with sprinkles instead of crushed candy canes.

• 1/2 cup salted butter 
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 cups light brown sugar 
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs + 1 yolk 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup mini chocolate chips 
• 1/2 cup crushed candy canes 
• 2 cups premium white chocolate chips
• 2 tsp shortening

*Yield: 3 Dozen

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F 
2. In large, micro-wave safe bowl, combine butter and chocolate chips. Microwave for 30 seconds and stir, repeating at 15 second increments until chocolate and butter are completely melted.
3. Remove from microwave and allow to cool 10 minutes before proceeding.
4. Once butter/chocolate mixture has cooled, stir in sugars, eggs and vanilla.
5. In separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
6. Gradually stir flour mixture into butter mixture until completely combined.
7. Drop cookie dough by rounded 1½" scoop onto parchment paper, pressing down to flatten slightly.
8. Bake 8-10 minutes, allow to cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer to cookie rack to cool completely before dipping in chocolate.
9. Have your crushed candy canes ready before preparing your chocolate.
10. Prepare white chocolate by placing in medium-sized microwave-safe bowl with 2 tsp shortening. Microwave for 30 seconds and stir, then continue to microwave at 15-second increments (stirring between well after each 15-second increment) until chocolate is completely melted (do NOT microwave too long).
11. Dip cookies 1/3-1/2 of the way in white chocolate and place on wax paper-lined cookie sheet to harden.
12. Immediately after dipping each cookie, sprinkle with crushed candy canes (do not wait too long or the chocolate will harden and the crushed candy cane will not stick).
13. Allow chocolate to harden before serving.

Original recipe found HERE