This recipe for Sugar Cookie Bars couldn't be an easier treat for the holiday weekend - or any other weekend, for that matter! I love a good mash-up, and this recipe is another great one using two past recipes I've made here on Plenty Sweet Life. The cookie part is the recipe for Moravian White Christmas Cookies and the frosting is a basic Buttercream Frosting recipe used on several other recipes. This was a fun one to make, and I loved making it festive. You all know how I feel about making things festive. Haha! The Fourth of July was always a big day for our family when I was growing up. We would either go to Grandma and Grandpa's church for their big picnic in the park, or we'd have friends and family at our house at the lake to enjoy the day with swimming, food, and fireworks. Have I mentioned that I love the lake? Have I mentioned that I love to swim? Have I mentioned that I love the 4th of July? I think I have. Maybe about a million times! 
I loved the lake and I miss it sooooo much. I miss the lake and I miss those 4th of Julys back when me and my sister were growing up. It's hard for me to not have any of those loved ones here any more - Grandma, Grandpa, Mom, and Dad are all gone now. The holiday is different now, but my family has learned to find our own way to enjoy the day, as we all do. Life is all about change, and nothing stays the same. Time to make even more memories with the next generation.
Here is the recipe as I made it:
Sugar Cookie Bars
Cream thoroughly:
1 cup butter or margarine (I used butter)
2 cups sugar
Add, one at a time:
4 eggs
Beat well after each addition.
Gradually add, blending well after each addition:
4 cups flour
Press dough out onto lightly greased sheet pan.
Bake at 375 degrees for 12-17 minutes, or until the middle is set and baked through.
Cool.
Frost with Buttercream Frosting.
Buttercream Frosting
Cream until fluffy:
1/2 cup butter at room temperature
Mix in:
2 cups powdered sugar
Add:
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla (I used a clear vanilla)
Beat in:
2-3 Tablespoons milk, depending on consistency you want
Beat until smooth.
Top with sprinkles, candies, chopped candy bars, chopped cookies, or chopped fruit.
I've never tried this before, but I know that this recipe makes a darn good cookie, so I was pretty sure they would turn out all right.
The dough is a bit sticky, and getting it spread out evenly was a bit tricky.
I put a little flour on my hands and just patted it into the pan. Palms seemed to work better than fingers for this. Make it as even as you can so it will bake evenly.
Into the oven to bake until it's set in the middle. I let it go until it was set but not too firm. In fact, I thought it might not actually be done, but it was. You don't want the bars to be over baked - they'd be too hard, I think.
I made a batch of Buttercream Frosting and spread it over the top. My family was going to say I should double it next time - it wasn't very thick - but it was just fine.
Can you ever have enough festive toppings on something like this? I think not! I used colored sugars, sprinkles, and chocolate candies to make this one beautiful and festive as heck, but you could use chopped candy bars, chopped cookies, or even chopped fruit if you want to.
Hello, red, white, and blue!
These were so, so good, and I can't wait to make them again and try something different for the toppings!
I think you're going to like these bars. It makes a whole sheet pan of bars, so it's enough to feed a crowd (depending on how large or small you cut them). These were stashed in our extra downstairs frig where no one could find them ahead of the holiday weekend. I did save a few out for me and the hubs to enjoy before the weekend - cook's treat! Make a batch of these very festive Sugar Cookie Bars for the weekend - you still have time!
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