Lazy Day Sugar Cookie Bars

You know that craving for something sweet you get, but there are never the right ingredients around? 

These sugar cookie bars are so super easy – just mix and pour into a pan! You could even add your own extra ingredients before or after baking (sprinkles, M&M's, nuts, or sprinkle some cinnamon-sugar over the top before baking, etc.). 

I made a cake for my mom's library book club… 

they were reading the Cherry Cola Book Club.

See? So cute, right? I love cherries. ;)

But I had all this leftover frosting and no more cake to use it on (such a tragedy). Jessica and I had this brilliant idea to bake up some sugar cookie bars and have some fun frosting them. SO tasty, and fun to create your own little designs (great for practice of your cake decorating techniques, too). :D

Sugar Cookie Bars

adapted fromMy Baking Addiction

• ½ cup butter or margarine, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla (you could use almond extract here, or half almond/half vanilla if desired)
• 2-1/2 cups all purpose flour
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp baking soda

Cream together the butter and sugar; add eggs and mix till combined. Add vanilla extract, mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, salt, baking soda. Add to butter mixture and stir just until combined. Spread cookie dough into a lightly greased 7-1/2 x 11-inch baking pan. Bake at 375 degrees F. for 14-16 minutes, or until light golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

Almond Buttercream

• 1 pound (2 cups unsifted) powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/8 tsp pure almond extract (or vanilla, if desired)
• food coloring (I use wilton's)

Sift powdered sugar into a large mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix together with the paddle attachment {pulse a few times first, so as not to get too much powdered sugar on yourself!}. Mix for a few minutes until the shortening and all ingredients are well incorporated together and frosting is fluffy. Divide frosting into bowls and add food coloring; frost or fill icing bags and begin decorating!

Since we were using leftover frosting, we cut the bars and frosted individual bars when ready to eat.

These would be great for the holiday's, school lunch boxes, next-door neighbor gifts, any time really! ;D I hope you'll make some of these soon. You really should!