buttercream frosting Archives - Family Cookie Recipes

SUGAR COOKIE BARS

Nellie — Thu, 30 Jan 2020 17:47:01 +0000

Sugar Cookie Bars are thick, soft, and topped with a fluffy vanilla buttercream frosting, giving you everything you love about classic sugar cookies without the extra work. This easy sugar cookie bar recipe is baked in a pan, sliced into squares, and is perfect for serving a crowd or customizing for any holiday.

Recipe Highlights

Beginner-friendly: Simple ingredients and straightforward steps make this a reliable go-to recipe.
So much easier than cut-out cookies: No rolling, cutting, or baking multiple batches — everything goes straight into one pan.
Soft and thick texture: These bars bake up tender and stay soft, even after frosting.
Perfect for any occasion: Change the frosting color and sprinkles to match birthdays, holidays, or celebrations.
Great for feeding a crowd: A 9×13 pan makes plenty to share with minimal effort.

Sugar Cookie Bars

Butter: Softened butter creates a rich, tender cookie base; avoid melting it.
Granulated sugar: Sweetens the bars and helps create a soft texture.
Eggs: Bind the dough together and give it structure.
Vanilla extract: Adds a classic sugar-cookie flavor.
Almond extract: Optional but highly recommended for that bakery-style taste.
All-purpose flour: Provides structure while keeping the bars soft.
Salt: Balances sweetness and enhances flavor.
Baking powder: Adds a touch of lift so the bars don’t bake up too dense.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Butter: Forms the base of the frosting and adds richness.
Sour cream or plain yogurt: Adds creaminess and keeps the frosting soft and spreadable.
Powdered sugar: Sweetens and thickens the frosting.
Vanilla extract: Adds flavor and warmth.
Milk: Adjusts frosting consistency as needed.
Food coloring: Optional, for festive bars.

Tips for Perfect Sugar Cookie Bars

Full instructions for making the recipe can be found on the recipe card below, but here are a few helpful tips.

Use softened butter, not melted: Melted butter will change the texture and make the bars greasy.
Cream well: Taking a few extra minutes to cream the butter and sugar improves softness.
Don’t overbake: Pull the bars as soon as the edges barely turn golden — soft centers are the goal.
Line the pan: Parchment paper makes removal and slicing much easier.

How to Cut Perfect Cookie Bars

Parchment paper is the secret to clean, even slices. Lift the entire slab out of the pan once cooled, then slice on a cutting board. If you skip parchment, the bars will still taste great — the first row just may not look quite as pretty.

Storage Instructions

Store frosted sugar cookie bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving for the best texture.

Sugar Cookie Bars Recipe

Sugar Cookie Bars are thick, soft and frosted with a delicious vanilla buttercream frosting. Simple sugar cookie recipe that is made in a pan and can be easily sliced and served.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword sugar cookie bars

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Servings servings

Calories 251kcal

Author Jessica & Nellie

Ingredients

¾ cup butter softened to room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp almond extract
2 ½ cups flour
¾ tsp salt
¼ tsp baking powder

Frosting

½ cup butter softened
2 Tbsp sour cream/plain yogurt
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla
food coloring if desired
1-2 Tbsp of milk to consistency

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 9X13 pan with parchment paper and lightly spray the parchment paper with nonstick spray.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar for about 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs, vanilla extract and almond extract and beat together for another 2-3 minutes.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder.
Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix just until combined. Press the cookie dough evenly into the prepared pan.
Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the edges barely start to turn a light golden brown. Cool completely before frosting.
To make the frosting, just mix the butter, sour cream (or yogurt), powdered sugar and vanilla together with an electric mixer until well combined. Add food coloring if desired and then add the milk, just a little bit at a time to get the consistency that you want.

Video

Nutrition

FAQs

Can I make these ahead of time?
Yes! You can bake the bars a day ahead and frost them before serving.

Can I skip the almond extract?
Absolutely. The bars will still be delicious with just vanilla.

Can I freeze sugar cookie bars?
Yes. Freeze unfrosted bars tightly wrapped for up to 2 months. Thaw, then frost before serving.

Like cookie bars? Here are some of our favorite cookie bar recipes!

With a few simple tweaks to the classic yellow bag recipe, Nestle Toll House Cookie Bars deliver buttery chocolate chip flavor with perfect texture.
Cheesecake Sugar Cookie Bars come together easily with sugar cookie dough, cream cheese, and pantry staples to create a soft crust, creamy filling, and festive sprinkles.
Loaded with crushed cookies, Oreo Cookie Bars (also known as Cookies & Cream Bars) bake up soft, chewy, gooey, and absolutely irresistible.
Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars are thick, soft, and full of warm cinnamon flavor, all baked in a sheet pan for easy slicing and serving.
Made with a buttery shortbread base, Twix Cookie Bars are layered with homemade caramel and chocolate for an easy dessert that feeds a crowd.

Sugar Cookie Bars are a soft, thick, and easy dessert that delivers classic sugar cookie flavor in a simple, slice-and-serve format perfect for any occasion.

The post SUGAR COOKIE BARS appeared first on Family Cookie Recipes.

STRAWBERRY COOKIE CUPS

Jessica — Mon, 01 Jul 2019 18:02:40 +0000

Strawberry Cookie Cups are soft, buttery cookie cups filled with a dreamy strawberry buttercream made from real, fresh strawberry purée! Every bite is bursting with fresh strawberry flavor.

These Strawberry Cookie Cups are one of my absolute favorite desserts—especially in the summer… though honestly, I make them year-round. Are they cookies, or are they just the perfect little vessels for a generous swirl of fresh strawberry buttercream? Either way, they’re irresistibly delicious, incredibly easy to make, and guaranteed to disappear fast.

Highlights of this recipe

Real Strawberry Flavor: Fresh strawberries are puréed and reduced, giving the buttercream a bold, natural strawberry taste you just can’t get from extracts or mixes
Perfect Cookie-to-Frosting Ratio: The soft, buttery cookie cups are baked with a built-in center, making them the ideal base for holding a generous swirl of strawberry buttercream in every bite.
Easy but Impressive: Simple ingredients and straightforward steps create a dessert that looks bakery-worthy without requiring advanced skills or special equipment

Cookie Cups Ingredients

Butter: Adding 1 cup butter creates rich flavor and a soft, tender cookie texture. I prefer salted butter, but you’re welcome to use what you like.

Sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens the dough and helps create lightly crisp edges.

Egg: 1 egg binds the ingredients together and adds moisture for a chewy bite.

Extract: Enhance the sweetness and round out the overall flavor by adding 2 tsp vanilla extract.

Flour: Provides structure so the cookie cups hold their shape while baking.

Baking powder: Help the cookie cups rise slightly by using baking powder.

Salt: Add salt to enhance all the other flavors.

Strawberry Buttercream Frosting

Butter: ½ cup softened butter forms the creamy, rich base of the frosting and allows it to be whipped smooth.

Extract: Vanilla extract adds depth and complements the fresh strawberry flavor.

Sugar: Adding 4 cups powdered sugar sweetens the frosting and thickens it to a pipeable consistency.

Strawberry puree: Make a fresh strawberry puree to provide natural strawberry flavor and color while keeping the frosting fresh and vibrant.

How to make the Pureed Strawberry Reduction

The secret to the bright, fresh strawberry flavor in these cookie cups is starting with real strawberries and reducing them into a concentrated purée. This process gently cooks out excess water, leaving behind an intensely flavored strawberry base that’s perfect for buttercream frosting. The reduction takes about 30 minutes to cook and must be fully chilled, so it’s a great step to make ahead of time.

Prep the strawberries: Wash, core, and slice 30–35 fresh strawberries.

Purée the strawberries: Blend the sliced strawberries using an immersion blender or food processor until completely smooth with no chunks remaining.

Reduce the purée: Pour the strawberry purée into a small saucepan and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has reduced by about half. (For reference, just over 2 cups of purée will reduce down to about 1 cup.)

Cool completely: Transfer the reduced purée to the refrigerator or freezer and chill completely before using it in the strawberry buttercream frosting.

How long are these Cookie Cups good for?

Strawberry Cookie Cups with frosting will stay fresh for about 3–4 days when stored properly. Because the frosting is made with real strawberry purée and butter, the cookies should be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator; let them sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes before serving so the cookie softens and the frosting is creamy again.

Can you freeze frosted Strawberry Cookies?

These cookie cups can also be frozen, preferably unfrosted, for up to 2 months—store them in a freezer-safe container, then thaw at room temperature and frost before serving. If they’re already frosted, you can still freeze them, but the frosting texture may soften slightly once thawed.

Strawberry Cookie Cups

Strawberry Cookie Cups are soft, buttery cookie cups filled with a dreamy strawberry buttercream made from real, fresh strawberry purée! Every bite is bursting with fresh strawberry flavor.

Course Cookies, Dessert, fruit, Strawberries

Cuisine American

Keyword strawberry cookie cups

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 12

Total Time 22

Servings Cookies

Calories 212kcal

Author Jessica & Nellie

Ingredients

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 ½ cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt

Frosting Ingredients

½ cup butter softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar
½ cup strawberry puree chilled

Instructions

Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy (1-2 minute with an electric mixer.) Then mix in the egg and vanilla extract, set bowl aside.
In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix together on low until well combined.
Use a tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop out the dough into 36 balls. Place each ball into the a well-greased mini muffin pan.
Bake for about 12 minutes at 350 degrees or until the edges turn slightly golden brown. Immediately after removing from the oven, make an indention in the top of each cookie by pressing the back of a tablespoon into each cookie cup. (If a tablespoon seems too big, try a ½ or ¾ tablespoon size.)
After cooling for 3-5 minutes, use a knife to gently pop out each cookie cup and then place on a wire rack to cool.
Make strawberry reduction by washing, coring and slicing 1.5 lbs (about 30-35) of strawberries. Puree the strawberry pieces using an immersion blender or food processor. Pour strawberry puree in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and boil for 30 minutes, stirring often. Mixture will reduce by half. Chill puree in fridge or freezer until very cold.
Make buttercream frosting by whisking butter for 30 seconds with a mixer. Add in 1 cup strawberry reduction and 2 cups powdered sugar.
Add in vanilla and remaining powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until you’ve reached your desired consistency. Pipe frosting into the cookie cups and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Strawberry Cookie Cups stay fresh for 3–4 days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator—let them sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes before serving.

They can also be frozen (preferably unfrosted) for up to 2 months and thawed at room temperature before frosting, though already-frosted cookies may soften slightly.

Nutrition

Can I use frozen strawberries instead of fresh?

Yes! Frozen strawberries work well for the purée—just thaw them completely and drain off excess liquid before blending and reducing.

Why do I need to reduce the strawberry purée?

Reducing the purée removes excess water and concentrates the flavor, giving the frosting a bold strawberry taste without making it runny.

Do I have to use a mini muffin pan?

Yes, a mini muffin pan is key for creating the cookie cup shape; a regular muffin pan will make them too large and affect baking time.

My frosting is too soft—how can I fix it?

Add powdered sugar a little at a time until the frosting thickens, or chill it briefly in the fridge before piping.

Try some of these other amazing cookie cup recipes:

Cherry Pie Cookies are everything you love about cherry pie—wrapped up in a soft, buttery sugar cookie and finished with a sweet white chocolate drizzle. Easy to make and impossible to resist!
Banana cream pie—turned into soft, bite-sized cookies! These Banana Cream Pie Cookies are easy, family-favorite treats packed with banana flavor.
Fudge Peanut Butter Cookie Cups are soft, buttery peanut butter cookies baked in a mini muffin pan and filled with rich, chocolatey fudge!
These bite-sized delights have a gooey mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup hidden inside! Reese’s Chocolate Cookie Cups are impossible to resist.
Our Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups are festive Christmas cookies! Sugar cookie cups filled with fudge, mini marshmallows & sprinkles. Perfect for the holidays!

These Strawberry Cookie Cups are seriously irresistible! Soft strawberry cookie cups filled with fresh buttercream frosting—perfect for everything from Valentine’s Day treats to summer picnics.

The post STRAWBERRY COOKIE CUPS appeared first on Family Cookie Recipes.