If the displays at my local grocery stores are any indicator - I am not the only one who is tempted to buy those giant pink sugar cookies.
I say tempted, because I bought them - lots of times... and mostly they are not good. But I love what they are trying to be. I love soft sugar cookies that are frosted with frosting as thick as the cookie itself. But those chemical filled cookies - they just don't taste like what I imagine they'll taste like, they are a poor substitute for what I really want.
Sugar cookie makers are the tri-athletes of the baking world. No sane person could actually love something that is that much work. Once upon a time, it was a secret dream in my heart to be a sugar cookie maker - I bought all the giant cookie cutters that I could get my hands on, and somewhere in the back of the cabinet that is above my fridge, I have about 40 colors of wilton's gel food coloring. I even traded some knitted hats for a woman's secret family sugar cookie recipe. (REALLY!)
But do you know what, it turns out that I am just too lazy to make cut out sugar cookies with beautiful frosting.
Thank Goodness!! I am absolutely the PERFECT person to make sugar cookie bars - because they have ALL the flavor and texture and award winning personality of the famous sugar cookie with almost none of the work.
INGREDIENTS:
Cookies:
1 cup butter softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract
5 cups flour
1 tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
Frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese
½ cup softened butter
4-5 cups powdered sugar
½ tsp almond extract
½ tsp vanilla extract
2 drops red food coloring (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
Cookies:
Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing often each egg. Add vanilla and almond extract and mix.
In a separate bowl combine the flour, salt, baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix just until combined.
Spread on a greased baking sheet. (rimmed cookie sheet) and bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes. (You don't want to over bake, just barley starting to brown.)
Frosting:
Combine all ingredients and mix until smooth!
