Christmas Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars

To Make The Sugar Cookie Bars

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 inch by 13 inch glass baking dish with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar with an electric mixer or hand mixer until the mixture is fluffy in a large bowl, about two to three minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
3. Crack the eggs into a small bowl. Beat the eggs lightly with a fork, then add to the butter and sugar mixture. Add vanilla extract to the butter mixture, then mix all wet ingredients with an electric mixer or hand mixer.
4. In a medium size bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir well until all the dry ingredients are fully mixed.
5. Add flour mixture to the wet ingredients half at a time. Mix on low then medium until a dough forms after.
6. Add ¼ of red and green mixed sprinkles to the dough. Mix sprinkles into the dough on medium about one minute until mixed.
7. Place the cookie dough into the prepared pan. The dough will be a little sticky but still spreads easily.. Use a rubber spatula or clean hands to spread the dough evenly in the pan, taking extra care with the edges and corners.
8. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 25-27 minutes or until the edges just start to turn a golden brown. Be careful not to overbake. The center of the dough will not move when you tilt the pan and will still be light in color. Let the bars cool for at least 20-30 minutes before lifting the bars carefully out of the pan to cool completely.

To Make The Buttercream Frosting

1. Beat the softened butter with a whisk attachment or beaters for three to four minutes, scrapping the sides of the bowl as needed.
2. Add vanilla and salt, then again beat until well mixed
3. Add powdered sugar a little at a time, then mix the frosting first on low then on medium to whip the frosting. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula between cups of powdered sugar so the sugar is fully mixed in.

To Frost The Cookie Bars

1. Once the cookies have cooled completely to the touch, frost the cookies with an even layer of buttercream. Add additional sprinkles as desired to decorate.
2. Use a sharp knife to trim the very edge of the cookie bars around the entire rectangle. This will make your cookie bars even without raggedy edges. Slice into even pieces and enjoy!