Today I have the great pleasure of introducing you to a friend of mine, Tasia from Two Sugar Bugs! She’s sharing her recipe for Sugar Cookie Bars, and I couldn’t be more excited! Can you imagine how perfect these would be for a Christmas party, with red and green sprinkles?? The recipe for these delicious bars is below, and be sure to find Tasia on Instagram here, and of course her baking blog here! Enjoy!
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From Tasia:
I met Kirsten earlier this year and we instantly bonded over motherhood, our love of food and wine and being new bloggers. Kirsten has been an amazing friend and resource for me. I love her sense of style, her honesty and her mad cooking and baking skills. I am honored to share my Sugar Cookie Bars recipe with you all and hope you find them as irresistible as I do.
Sugar cookie are my weakness, my kryptonite, they render me utterly defenseless! I can say no to a brownie. A chocolate chip cookie, no problem. A piece of cake, getting weaker…but a sugar cookie? No way. I cannot pass one up.
My friend Laura used to bring sugar cookies into work from time to time. She was known for them. They were rolled in granulated sugar and pressed down with a cup. The cookies were thick, soft and cakey, with a generous layer of frosting. I could eat six at a time. No joke.
One day Laura shared her recipe with me and i became famous for these little lovelies myself. Over the years, i have tinkered with the recipe and turned it into my own. Then one day I was feeling extra lazy and decided to press the dough into bars and add some sprinkles. I mean, who has time for rolling dough balls into sugar and pressing them with a cup? Especially when you want a cookie RIGHT NOW!! And sprinkles just make everything more fun, right?
Be careful not to over bake these bars. You are going to question yourself when you pull them out of the oven. They are going to look a little underdone, but this is how you get a soft cookie bar versus a soft cake-like bar. I also like to use a piece of parchment to line my pan so I can easily pull them out to frost and cut them. I can make much nicer bars when I am not fighting the sides of the pan. Notice I say “nicer” bars. Mine are never all the same size. I am in awe of those that can accomplish that feat. I am very challenged in this department even when marking them with a tape measure. I can accomplish nice straight cuts though. I do this by having the bars chilled and using a sharp knife that gets wiped clean between cuts. If any of you can offer advice to get all of my bars the same size, I am all ears!
You will love these sugar cookie bars because they are soft, chewy and loaded with sprinkles. Now you can be famous for sugar cookie bars too!
Sugar Cookie Bars
Thick, soft and chewy sugar cookie bars, bursting with sprinkles and topped with a generous layer of buttercream.
Servings: 20 Bars
Author: twosugarbugs
Ingredients:
Sugar Cookie Bars:
1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 large egg room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 sprinkles jimmies, optional
Frosting:
1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 tablespoon heavy cream or half and half
Instructions:
To make the bars:
1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Line 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil, leaving a little extra overhang on the sides.
3 In a medium size bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
4. Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment (or a hand held mixer), cream butter and cream cheese on medium speed about 2 minutes, until nice and creamy. Add the granulated and powdered sugars and mix until pale and fluffy, approximately 3-5 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla and almond extracts and beat until well combined, scraping down the sides as needed.
5. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture and blend until just combined. Fold in the sprinkles with a spatula, if using. Be sure to use the “jimmies” for your sprinkles as the nonpareil type can bleed and turn your batter an unappetizing color.
6. Press dough into prepared pan using a spatula or lightly moistened fingers. The dough will be thick and somewhat sticky.
7. Bake for 14-16 minutes or until edges are barely browned and they will look a little underdone. You do not want to over bake these bars or they will be more like a cake and less like a soft sugar cookie.
8. Allow to cool completely in the pan placed on a wire rack.
To make the frosting:
1. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or a hand held mixer) beat the butter on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the powdered sugar, vanilla and almond extract, and heavy cream (or half and half). Mix on low speed until incorporated. Increase speed to medium-high and whip until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes, scraping sides of the bowl as needed. Add a pinch of salt if the frosting is too sweet. You can also add food coloring, if desired.
2. Once cool, remove the bars from the pan using the parchment paper or aluminum foil and frost, adding additional sprinkles, if desired. Use a sharp knife to cut to your desired size. If you want nice, clean cuts, wipe your knife with a towel between cuts.
As much as I love fall, I’m feeling pretty ready for winter! This weekend I pulled out my puffy coats, snow boots and winter make up!
I think it’s really fun to switch up my make up every season, and the biggest change I make is to my lipstick. I tend to rotate between a few different lipsticks every season, opting for lighter colors in the summer and deeper, richer shades in the winter. I’m pretty picky with my lipsticks – I always choose ones that go on smoothly and also wear off nicely (since sometimes I forget to reapply haha!). Keep reading to see my top three colors for the season!
Lipstick #1: Lancome in Jezebel (191)
This is the pictured lip color. It’s much darker than any shades I’ve worn before, and I’m totally obsessed! I love how it makes the whole look pop, and it looks good with pretty much anything I’m wearing!
Lipstick #2 Fresh in Spice
I love this choice for a more neutral, rosy everyday tint. I keep this in my purse at all times, and it’s my go-to lip treatment (I use the petal color during the summer). I love that it’s buildable, so I can do one quick swipe if I want a little hydration and color, and can also add a few more layers for a stronger color.
Lipstick #3 Guerlain in No. 214
I’ve talked before about my love for Guerlain lipsticks here, and they are still a favorite! Guerlain lipsticks are actually what convinced me to start wearing lip color in the first place! They go on so evenly, and the color is really long-lasting. I really like that you can customize the case, so it’s super easy to tell which color I’m reaching for. This is a classic red that can honestly be worn year-round, but I’m really looking forward to applying it for Christmas parties!
I hope this helps you find the perfect winter shades to get you through this season with an extra touch of festive glamour!
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We’re about to move into the holiday season, are you ready? When I realize Christmas is six weeks away, I’ll be honest, my heart goes into a bit of a panic! But this year, I’m switching gears a little bit and really focusing on gift giving in a different light. When I think about what the holiday season is about, regardless of which specific holiday everyone celebrates, it’s really about spreading love and joy. So today I’m sharing 10 ways that we can all spread the gift of kindness and happiness.
1. Pay It Forward In The Drive Through Line
You never know who around you might be having a hard time, and sometimes the smallest of gestures can make a huge difference! Maybe the mom behind you in the coffee line is desperately tired, but feels guilty spending money on that tall latte. You just really never know!
2. Write A Thank You Letter
This week I wrote a note to Butte County Fire, thanking them for their work battling the fires down in California. I wish I could write one to every single firefighter, but that’s obviously not realistic. You could also write a thank you letter to your local postal worker, a teacher, pastor – really anyone who you appreciate and want to lift up a little bit!
If you’re interested in writing a letter to Butte County Fire, their address is below:
176 Nelson Avenue
Oroville CA, 95965
3. Genuinely Compliment A Stranger
The key to this one is to be genuine. Don’t compliment someone if you actually don’t actually mean it! The other day I told my cashier at the grocery store that I really liked her nails, because I really did. You guys, her face lit up so fast! It’s the little things.
4. Bring Flowers To A Nursing Home or Hospital
I realize this one is a bit higher cost, but it could just be a $10 bouquet from Trader Joes or Safeway! When you deliver the flowers, you can ask the staff to give them to someone who hasn’t received any flowers, or to be enjoyed in a common area.
5. Deliver Homemade Baked Goodies To A Neighbor (Or Neighbors!)
This one is top of my list! I’ve been meaning to introduce myself to some new neighbors across the street for…two years. Oh my gosh. But this holiday season I’m going to do it! My mom used to bake goodies for new neighbors when I was growing up, and I think it’s a really nice way to say that you’re there if they ever need a cup of sugar (proverbial or literal haha!).
6. Tell Someone’s Boss They’re Doing A Good Job
So same as #3, make sure this is genuine. But how often do you have a really good experience with someone, be it the woman at the post office or a co-worker, and then move on with your day. Taking an extra two minutes to tell their boss that you really appreciate their work on whatever project will not only make them feel great, but it will probably also encourage them to keep up the good work!
7. Be The One To Shift A Negative Conversation
Sometimes this one can be really challenging and awkward. If you don’t feel comfortable being the one to move a negative conversation, maybe just take it as a challenge to not participate. There’s enough negativity floating around this world, no need to create more!
8. Volunteer At A Food Bank
There are so many people who need a little help, and I know that food banks and/or soup kitchens are always short-handed around the holidays. If you’re really strapped for time, what about picking up a few extra nonperishable items on your next trip to the store, and dropping them off? I can’t imagine how thankful I would be if I was having a hard time making ends meet.
9. Call Or Text A Friend To Let Them Know You’re Thinking Of Them
One of my friends from college randomly texted me last week, and it was such a fun surprise! It literally put a smile on my face for the rest of the evening, because I hadn’t talked with her in a really long time. It just felt nice to know that I was on her mind! How crazy simple is that? In fact, why don’t you do it right now?
10. Give A Friend A Random Gift
So this is pretty similar in concept to #9, because the whole point is letting someone know that you’re thinking about them, and that you care. When I get an unexpected gift, it tells me that they were thinking of me even if they didn’t feel like they had to, and it honestly means that much more!
I hope this list has inspired you! Writing it sure has inspired me! You can forward this article to friends by using the share buttons below – how amazing would it be if everyone participated? Have a great last few weeks of 2018 everyone!
I feel like cranberries are the unsung hero of the fall baking world. Every time fall rolls around, I make my way down a pumpkin everything rabbit hole, and don’t emerge until Christmas haha!
So this year I wanted to give this fun little berry some attention! These are the best cranberry orange muffins, and secretly way healthier than your average muffin. The tartness and natural sweetness of the cranberries allows for way less sugar, especially combined with the bright flavor of orange zest! You can find fresh cranberries in the store between October and December, but if you want to make these muffins in the off-season, frozen cranberries will do the trick.
The super secret weapon of this healthy muffin recipe? Spices! Cinnamon and cardamom are both sweet tasting spices, with no impact on the nutritional content.
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In an effort to make a healthy muffin recipe, I also replaced half of the butter with coconut oil, to reap the benefits of this super healthy fat. The coconut taste doesn’t actually come through at all, so if you don’t love coconut, fear not! On the other hand, if you prefer to use all butter (or all coconut!), go for it! 
Makes About 16 Muffins
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cardamom
Grated zest of 1 orange
1 egg
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup orange juice
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1/4 cup pecans, chopped
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400, and grease a muffin tin. Whisk together the dry ingredients, flour through salt and set aside. Combine the wet ingredients, zest through orange juice. Add the dry ingredients, stirring until the batter just comes together. The batter will be thick. Gently fold in the cranberries and pecans, and distribute the batter into the muffin tin. This recipe makes about 16 muffins. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the muffin tops spring back when touched.
This weekend we hosted our first Friendsgiving at our house, and I had so much fun setting the table for the event! Growing up my mom and aunt would always set beautiful tables for Thanksgiving (we alternated between households), and I love how it makes the dinner feel that much more special. Even though it took a little extra time to take out the china, I was pleasantly surprised at how easy a nice table is to create!
Funny story – you might notice that the flatware is reversed. Forks are supposed to go on the left, and knife on the right. I didn’t realize that I had made an oops until our guests had already left and we were cleaning up! In a past life I would have been horrified, but you know what? We had a wonderful and fun dinner, and that’s all that really matters at the end of the day!
I absolutely love these gold votives, which add so much warmth to the table! I also use them for our advent candles in Christmas, or really any time I want the table to feel a little special! Since my color scheme was gold and burgundy, I also pulled out our gold flatware, and gold chargers to help the lace china really pop (My china is currently on sale!). For this event I used these gold chargers, but oh my gosh I’m majorly obsessing over these gold lace chargers too!
Call me old school, but I love everything about crystal. I love the look of it of course, but I also love the weight of it! For our dinner I used our Waterford wine glasses and vase. We definitely don’t use our china and crystal every day, but it really elevates the table, and transforms a dinner into an event.
I hope everyone has fun planning fun and festive Thanksgivings over the next week!
