sugar cookie bars

Have you seen these beauties floating around pinterest?

I've seen a few recipes....all looking as delicious as the last.

Today boredom led to baking.....isn't that always the case?

No?

Well for me it is.

I got my recipe from High Heels & Grills, she said she got hers from Cooking Classy.

(Does anyone else have a problem getting on the 'cooking classy' blog? 

I'm always seeing there yummy stuff on pinterest, but it takes 

foooorrrrrreeeeeevvvvvvvveeeeerrrr 

for the page to load, IF it loads at all. Anyway, not my point.)

These were so delicious!

I made a minor change to the frosting though.
We don't buy a ton of pre-packaged food, so we've naturally avoided food dyes to a degree,

but we didn't think twice about letting the kids have some when it did pop up.
We've changed that habit though.
We're trying now to avoid all dyes.

Ingredients:

• 2-1/2 cups bread flour (or all-purpose flour is fine)
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1-1/2 Tbsp. sour cream
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Frosting:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup half and half
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 C. frozen rasberries 

Directions:

1. COOKIES: Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Keep it going for a good 5(ish) minutes. 
4. Add egg and combine well.
5. Add sour cream and vanilla and mix until completely blended.
6. Slowly add the flour mixture and stir until well combined.
7. Gently press the batter into the greased baking dish and spread out with hands. (If you butter your hands, this will help with the stickiness.)
8. Bake 17-20 minutes, or until edges become lightly golden.
9. Set aside to cool completely. COMPLETELY.
10. FROSTING: In a medium bowl, cream together butter, powdered sugar, and half and half until light and fluffy.
11. Stir in vanilla and salt, combine well.
12. Toss your raspberries into a food processor, and pulse until finely chopped.
13. Mix chopped rasberries into frosting.
14. Frost your cooled cookie bars evenly.
15. Cut into squares and serve.