Stranger Foods

Frosted lemon-lime sugar cookie bars

Serves 16 | Prep 20 mins | Cook 26 mins

Chewy sugar cookie bars are a perfect canvas for bright citrusy flavors and would make an excellent cookie cake if that’s your thing.

Source: Snacking Cakes

Ingredients

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Imperial

x0.5

Lemon-Lime Sugar Cookie

1 lemon
1 lime
113 g unsalted butter, melted
57 g cream cheese, cut into 4 pieces
200 g granulated sugar
1 large egg, cold from the fridge
½ tsp fine sea salt
¼ tsp baking powder
190 g all-purpose flour

Lemon-Lime Frosting

56 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
150 g powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy
1-2 tsp lemon juice
1-2 tsp lime juice
1 pinch salt
Grated lemon or lime zest, optional
Sprinkles, optional, for garnish

Instructions

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Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 175°C. Coat an 8 × 8-inch baking pan with cooking spray or brush with butter. Line the pan with a strip of parchment paper that hangs over two of the sides.
Make the cookie: In a large bowl, zest the lemon and lime and add the melted butter, cream cheese, and sugar. Whisk until combined, thick, and glossy, about . A few small lumps of cream cheese are okay.
Add the egg and salt and whisk until smooth, about .
Whisk in the baking powder until smooth. Fold in the flour with a spatula until just combined. The dough will be sticky.
Transfer the dough to the prepared pan and use an offset spatula or your hands to spread and press the sticky dough evenly into the pan. Use a bit of oil or cooking spray on your spatula or hands if necessary to keep the dough from sticking.
Bake the cookie bars until set and light golden brown, . (Now is a great time to get the butter for the frosting out of the fridge if you haven’t already.)
Let the cookie bars cool in the pan set on a rack for about . Then use the parchment to lift them out and onto the rack to cool completely before frosting.
Make the frosting: In a large bowl, use a wooden spoon (or an electric mixer if you have one) to beat the softened butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of lime juice, and the salt and mix slowly until the sugar is incorporated. Once incorporated, mix a bit faster until smooth and fluffy. Add more lemon juice and lime juice if necessary to make a smooth and spreadable frosting. This will take a bit of muscle if you are mixing by hand, but it is doable.
Spread the frosting over the cooled bars. If desired, grate some lemon or lime zest on top. Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 4 days.

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