Most of you are probably familiar with the colorful temptress of the bakery section, Lofthouse cookies. They’re thick, cakey cookies with brightly colored frosting and sprinkles. They’re not everyone’s favorite kind of cookies, but if you do like them, you’ve probably had a late night or two where you ate a whole package, and later only said you regretted it to keep up appearances. This recipe is supposed to mimic them, but in bar form. I don’t think it’s a perfect match, but they definitely are delicious, cakey, and …could be colorful, if you could find the dang food coloring!

Ingredients:

Cookie Bars:

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Frosting:

• 2 large egg whites
• 4 ounces salted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup shortening, softened
• 4 1/2 cups of powdered sugar.
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• food coloring and sprinkles, if desired

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a jelly roll pan with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray. I forgot the spray and they still came off pretty easily, but I bet it would help when you’re spreading the dough on in the first place.

Cream the butter, cream cheese, and sugar.

Add the egg and vanilla and mix until incorporated.

Add the dry ingredients and beat on low until just combined.

Press the dough evenly into the lined pan. At first I thought that there wasn’t enough dough to cover the pan without gaps, but there was. I eventually resorted to just smooshing it around with my fingers, and it worked out. Bake 20 minutes until the edges begin to turn golden.

Cool completely before frosting. To make the frosting, first beat the egg whites. You don’t need to reach soft peaks or anything, just beat them for a minute or two, then add the butter and shortening and beat on high.

This looks awful!

Add half the powdered sugar and beat until creamy. Add the remaining powdered sugar, extracts, and coloring, and beat again until light and creamy.

Frost the cooled cookie bars and top with sprinkles.

If you let the frosting set for a few hours, you can cut them up and take them to travel. Say, to a floor hockey game that you’re going to win, 10-0?

Lofthouse Cookie Bars

Bars from Cookies and Cups, frosting from Cookie Madness.

Cookie Bars:

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Frosting:

• 2 large egg whites
• 4 ounces salted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup shortening, softened
• 4 1/2 cups of powdered sugar.
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• food coloring and sprinkles, if desired

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a jelly roll pan with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.

Cream the butter, cream cheese, and sugar. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Add the dry ingredients and beat on low until just combined. Press the dough evenly into the lined pan. Bake 20 minutes until the edges begin to turn golden. Cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting, first beat the egg whites, then add the butter and shortening and beat on high. Add half the powdered sugar and beat until creamy. Add the remaining powdered sugar, extracts, and coloring, and beat again until light and creamy.

Frost the cooled cookie bars and top with sprinkles.