~ A Recipe ~

Manly looked at me the other day with his big blue eyes and said "You know, you haven't made any munchies lately"
Well, my handsome Mark Wahlberg look-a-like husband was right.
I have not really baked a whole lot since before Christmas.
I guess, my knitting isn't the only thing that has been tossed by the wayside.
I feel like I finally got rid of those sugar-y treats from the holidays (well, not totally gotten rid of them....every time I turn around I find them...literally, they are residing on my caboose)
But, his statement made me realize that not only have I neglected my dear Mr. Manly, I have neglected you all dear readers...I have not posted a recipe in ages.
So, yesterday I made something simple but very tasty and are always a hit, Manly adores the frosting I make for these and why wouldn't he, it has both butter and cream cheese in them:

~ Sugar Cookie Bars ~


1 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
5 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda


Manly's Fav Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
5 cups powdered sugar
1 tbsp. milk (more or less)
food coloring
sprinkles



Cookie Bars:
Cream together butter and sugar till fluffy, about 5 minutes in a stand mixer.
Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each egg. Add vanilla extract and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda and stir with a wire whisk to mix well.
Add gradually to wet mixture and mix till just combined.
Spread on greased 13 x 18 jelly roll pan (or line pan with parchment paper for easy removal and cleanup)
Bake at 375 for 12-14 minutes

Frosting:
(wait till bars are fully cooled to room temp before icing)

Combine butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla extract and salt. Add powdered sugar in 1 cup increments until combined,add food coloring now, if you wish, i suggest 2-3 drops of red, which of course will make pink icing, which who can not smile with seeing a pretty pink bar with sprinkles(yes, sprinkles are a necessity with this recipe as well), then add milk and mix until smooth and spreading consistency. Spread over bars.

I suggest eating these bars with a nice cup of tea, maybe you would like to try my new favorite kind???


OR, I just set the table for tea would you care to join me?


Hope you all have a great weekend!

( there are no pictures of the bars while being made, and for this I am sorry...I realized after I made them and decided to share the recipe with you all, that I never include pictures of the baking process on my blog, mainly because the lighting stinks in my kitchen and because I am a messy cook and hate touching my camera with messy hands and mainly because I forget.
When I bake I am all "lalala oh, how funny, the cat has flour on her hahaha, oh, these bars are going to be so yummy...lalala, what should I make for dinner....lalala" and so on and so forth, so please forgive me dear ones)