Candy Corn Sugar Cookie Bars

By srumbel

For this series, I thought it would be festive to share this recipe for Candy Corn Sugar Cookie Bars! How fun are these?! Sugar cookie dough, colored and layered in a dish, baked, then covered in my favorite Cream Cheese Frosting recipe! I had to share the picture above to show you how easy it is to cut them into triangles. If you use parchment paper in the pan and leave the ends hanging out, you can pull the whole slab of cookie out of the pan after it’s baked, frost it, cut it in half lengthwise, and then cut your triangles. Easy peasy!
from dessertnowdinnerlater.com

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 Tbsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• orange and yellow food coloring (I used Wilton's food coloring gels)
• 1 recipe The BEST Cream Cheese Frosting
• The BEST Cream Cheese Frosting
• 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature (I typically use Neufchatel cream cheese)
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Lay parchment inside a 9x13-inch baking dish with the ends hanging out the 13-inch sides (so you can lift out the cookie after it's baked) and spray the 9-inch edges with pan spray since they aren't covered with parchment.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add egg, milk and vanilla. Mix well.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients until combined.
Split dough in half and color one half orange and one half yellow.
Press the yellow cookie dough onto the bottom of the baking dish; I used a mini rolling pin to roll mine evenly across the bottom of the pan.
Press orange cookie dough onto the yellow cookie dough layer. I found it easiest to roll the orange cookie dough onto a lightly floured counter about the size of the dish, cut the orange dough into large squares and then assemble the squares on top of the yellow layer, smoothing over the cracks.
Bake for 17 to 20 minutes or until edges are lightly golden. Cool completely.
Pulling on both sides of the parchment paper, lift the cookie dough out of pan. Trim the crisp edges with a knife, if desired.
Prepare The BEST Cream Cheese Frosting and spread it evenly over cooled cookie bars. Cut the large slab of cookie in half lengthwise, and then cut into triangles. Enjoy!
Cookies can be kept at room temperature OR refrigerated if you are worried about the cream cheese frosting.

The BEST Cream Cheese Frosting
Place the cream cheese in a mixing bowl.
Using a hand mixer, beat until smooth.
Gradually add the butter 2 Tablespoons at a time, and continue beating until smooth and well blended.
Add powdered sugar and vanilla all at once. Blend to combine. Use for any recipe that calls for cream cheese frosting.
makes 1 1/2 cups