Sweetheart Sugar Cookie Bars

I'm fully stocked with all sorts of delicious chocolate treats. Kisses, chips, m&m's, bars, chunks, filled and fruity, seasonal...you name it, I have it right now! So if you're looking for some good food options, chocolate is definitely the way to go!.

My favorite though... the bag of pink, white and red M&M's.  Simple yet so darn cute when used just right!

Today, there is 3 inches of new snow on the ground and it's a perfect day to stay inside and whip up something sweet with these Valentine themed M&M's for my daughter and her friends.  They're spending the afternoon sledding and playing in the snow... so they're definitely going to need a little energy from these cookie bars!

Normally, when I make sugar cookies, I use a dough that needs to be chilled and rolled... but I thought I'd try something a little different this time.  A sugar cookie that is cut, like a bar or with a cookie cutter, already frosted and decorated... and I use the Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Recipe.  This recipe is just as easy, if not simpler and it gets pressed into a jelly roll pan!

The frosting, it's my new favorite.  A bit of cream cheese and a lot of Madagascar vanilla!  YUM!

Sweetheart Sugar Cookie Bars
Makes 18+ bars

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract
the seeds of 1 Madagascar vanilla bean (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)

5 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda

1 drop of Americaolor "Red Red" food gel

1. Preheat oven to 375 F degrees.  Line 13x18x1 in jelly roll pan (really big, deep cookie sheet!) with parchment paper and spray paper and sides of pan with cooking spray.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer using a paddle attachment, cream together the butter, sugar, eggs, almond and vanilla.  You want to beat this mixture on high for 4-5 minutes to get it very light and fluffy!
3. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda.
4. With the mixer on low, add the flour in three parts.  Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix until incorporated thoroughly.
5. Press the dough into the pan.  NOTE: I used a piece of wax paper to help spread out the dough into the edges and corners.
6. Bake in the center of the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the edges begin to turn golden.
7. Cool completely on a wire rack, in the pan, before frosting.

Madagascar Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

2oz cream cheese, room temperature
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 lb powdered sugar
3-5 tablespoon Madagascar Vanilla Cream

1. Cream together the cream cheese and butter.
2. Slowly add the powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
3. Add the cream until you get your desired consistency.  I like a thinner, smoother frosting for cookies so I add more cream than less.
4. Beat on high for 5-6 minutes.

To Assemble Cookies: 

Cutting board
Offset spatula
Large knife
Cookie bar
Frosting
M&M candies
Heart shaped cookie cutter

1. Use a knife to loosen cookie from the pan.  Gently slide the cookie out of the pan and onto the counter or a large cutting board.
2. Using an offset spatula, spread a thin layer of frosting evenly over the cookie.
3. Sprinkle whole M&M's evenly over the cookie bar.  Chop more M&M's into small pieces, even crushed a bit, and sprinkle evenly over the cookie bar.
4. Cut into squares and serve with a big glass of milk!
5. You could also cut a few using a heart shaped cookie cutter too if you wanted to be really creative!