Red Velvet Sugar Cookie Bars

Serving Size:

• Around 9 bars

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter, softened

• 1 cup brown sugar

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1 tbsp vanilla extract

• 1 tbsp red food colouring

• 1 1/2 cups All-purpose flour

• 1/4 cup cocoa powder

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp salt

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 8 oz cream cheese

• 1/2 cup butter, softened

• 2 cups powdered sugar

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 tsp salt

Instructions

Step 1

• Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Butter a 8x8 baking pan and line with parchment paper and set aside.

Step 2

• Beat butter until it's fluffy or turns an off-white colour (about 3 minutes).

Step 3

• Add in brown sugar and granulated sugar and mix until fluffy (about 2 minutes).

Step 4

• Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix well. Next, add the red food colouring.

Step 5

• Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until a soft dough forms. Leave about 2 tbsp worth of the dough to bake, to sprinkle on top at the end.

Step 6

• Bake for 15–18 minutes, or until the centre has puffed up. Once baked, let it cool for 30–45 minutes.

Step 7

• For the cream cheese frosting: In a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter on high speed for about 5 minutes until smooth. Add one cup of powdered sugar at a time. Next, add the vanilla extract and salt and mix. To make the frosting extra smooth, stir it by hand with a rubber spatula for 1–2 minutes before using! This will help by removing any extra air so that it’s much easier to pipe or smooth on cakes.

Step 8

• Frost the cooled brownies and sprinkles the extra dough on top. Cut into 9 pieces using a sharp knife dipped in hot water and dried. Wipe the knife every few cuts to get perfect and clean squares.