Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars

Thirty years ago tomorrow, my favorite person in the world was brought into this world: my sister Katie. I still remember the early Illinois morning she was born, while I was sound asleep. My mom had been up the night before watching television with my dad on a typical weeknight and there were no signs from her that she might be heading into labor in the next few hours. But she did, while I was peacefully asleep, and when the phone rang, I jolted awake. The news that I had a baby sister made me cry. I wanted a baby brother (I’ve told her this before). But I never spent another minute wishing for a brother and I’m beyond thankful that she isn’t just the best sister anyone could ever ask for but she is also an amazing woman. She is never judgmental, just listens when I need her, and is the yin to my yang. She is my rock to my roll. She is my everything. And now she has given me a niece and a nephew who I can’t get enough of, even though we all live over 1,500 miles away from each other. If I could have one wish for the rest of my life, it would be that we could see each other each and every day.

Because of my sweet Katie, I made these Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars. Because birthdays are a perfect reason to eat icing.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 9 x 13 pan with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray, and set aside. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and egg white, sour cream, vanilla, and almond extract, and mix until well combined. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt to form a crumbly dough. Press the dough into the prepared pan to form an even layer, and poke the dough every few inches with a fork so it will bake evenly. Bake 17-20 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Cool completely. To make the frosting, beat together the butter, powdered sugar, and half and half until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla, salt, and food coloring, and beat again until fluffy. Spread over cooled cookies and add sprinkles. Cut into squares.