This Christmas Sugar Cookie Bars recipe is even better than traditional cookies, and it can be made in about 30 minutes! They're thick, soft, chewy, and pretty without having to roll out, cut out, or decorate sugar cookies!
Preheat oven to 350°. Line a half sheet baking sheet with parchment paper, or spray with nonstick baking spray. Set aside.
Add flour, kosher salt, and baking powder to a bowl. Whisk. Set aside.
Cream butter and granulated sugar on medium spped for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
Add eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Cream again for 1-2 minutes.
Add flour, salt, and baking powder to the creamed ingredients. Gently mix only until combined. The dough will be soft.
Add the cookie dough to the prepared baking sheet. Lightly flour a rolling pin and use it to roll the cookie dough into the baking pan until it's smooth.
Bake for 15-20 minutes. You don't want to overbake these cookies. I baked mine for 18 minutes and it was perfect. Cool cookies completely before frosting.
Instructions for Making the Frosting:
While the cookies are baking or cooling make the frosting.
Using an electric mixer with a whip attachment, or a beater, cream butter for 2-3 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add powdered sugar, a dash of kosher salt (start with a small amount, it's easy to add more later), almond extract, vanilla extract, and about 2 tablespoons of heavy cream. Mix slowly until the powdered sugar is incorporated. Gradually add more cream as necessary until you reach the desired consistency. Taste test and add more salt if needed.
Notes
Salt: I love the burst of flavor kosher salt adds to cookies and frosting, although You can use table salt instead if that's what you have on hand. Reduce the amount of salt used in the cookies to 1 1/2 teaspoons.Butter: Room temperature butter shouldn't be too hard or soft. When you press it with your finger it should barely indent.Sprinkles and Food Coloring: Try adding a couple of drops of food coloring to the frosting to change it up for different holidays or birthdays! You can also use different holiday-themed sprinkles. Cutting Cookies: Using parchment paper makes it easy to cut the cookies into squares. Allow parchment paper to overhang the baking sheet. Use the overhang to lift out of the baking pan and set it on a cutting board. Use a long knife to cut into bars.