June 20: Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookie Bars

Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookie Bars

Ingredients:
Base:
8 tablespoons (4 oz) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/2 cups (11.3 oz) all-purpose flour

Frosting:
8 tablespoons (4 oz) unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons milk

1. Preheat the oven to 350 and place a rack in the center. Rub a 9 by 13-inch metal pan with butter or line the inside with nonstick foil.
2. Make the base: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar gradually going from medium to high speed for about 3 minutes, or until light or creamy. Reduce the speed to medium-low and add the eggs, one at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl often. Continue beating on medium-low speed. Add the vanilla bean paste, salt, and baking soda. Reduce the mixer speed to low or, stirring by hand, gradually add the flour, stirring until incorporated.
3. Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake for 10-15 minutes, until light golden brown or a toothpick comes out clean. If you've lined the pan with foil, you may lift the baked base out of the pan and transfer it to a flat surface before frosting. Let cool completely before frosting.
4. Make the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter, vanilla bean paste, and salt together at low speed. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar and beat until combined. Add 1 tablespoon of the milk. Increase the mixer speed and continue adding the milk 1 tablespoon at a time, until the frosting is the consistency for spreading. Frost the cookie and cut into 32 bars.

Base ingredients

Addition of the egg(s)

Addition of the vanilla bean paste, salt and baking soda

Addition of the flour

Before the oven

And after

Frosting ingredients

Addition of the confectioners' sugar

Addition of the milk

Thoughts: The batter is very sticky and hard to spread in the pan. I would even consider using a 9 inch square pan instead. I ended up baking the bars for 17 minutes because after 12 minutes, they weren't a "light golden brown". The bar is kind of bland but the frosting came out very vanilla tasting and was very good!

This Week's Concoctions Ending 6/4

Here are some highlights of items that I made this week other than the "Weekly Cookie"

Frosting Cereal Bars

This is a chocoholic's dream...1 tub chocolate frosting, 1/2 stick butter, 11.5 oz bag of chocolate chips, 5 cups Cocoa Puffs with M&Ms sprinkled on top

Bacon Swiss "Cheesecake"

Chocolate Cupcakes

May 19: Devil's Food Chocolate Cake Cookies

Devil's Food Chocolate Cake Cookies

Ingredients:

Cookies
8 tablespoons (4 oz) unsalted butter or 1/2 cup (3.4 oz) shortening
2 squares unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup whole or 2% milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups (8 oz) all-purpose flour

Frosting
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
4 tablespoons (2 oz) butter, room temperature
1/3 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons whole milk
Sprinkles, for decorating

1. Preheat the oven to 350 and place a rack in the center. Have ready two ungreased baking sheets.
2. Make the cookies: Combine the butter and chocolate in a microwave-safe mixing bowl and microwave at 50% power for 1 minute. Stir well. Repeat until the chocolate is fully melted. Set aside and let cool completely.
3. When cool, whisk in the brown sugar, followed by the egg, milk, vanilla, baking soda, and salt. Add the flour gradually until you have a thick, sticky batter.
4. Drop well-rounded teaspoonfuls of batter about 2 1/2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake one sheet at a time for 10-12 minutes, or until the tops appear set. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
5. Make the frosting: In a mixing bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the confectioners' sugar and butter together at medium speed until creamy. Beat in the cocoa powder and vanilla. Add the milk 1 tablespoon at a time until you get a nice spreading consistency. Spread the frosting on the cookies and decorate with sprinkles.

 Cookies:

About 2 minutes stirring every 30 seconds

Addition of brown sugar

Addition of milk, egg, vanilla, baking soda and salt

Addition of flour

Rounded teaspoons

 Frosting:

Thoughts: I hate making frosting. It is something that I prefer buying because I usually hate the taste of my own. I didn't whisk it well enough because it was a little grainy and there were small specks of powdered sugar that didn't mix when I was frosting these. I cooked these for exactly 10 minutes. It made a lot!! Patrick liked the cookie and I thought it was a little bland. It would've been better if I had used Devil's Food cake mix and store bought frosting!