Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars

So... I really love sprinkles (I've found that this is a common trait among baking bloggers). I'm that person who always reaches for the sprinkle covered donut (is it donut or doughnut?), who drowns my sundaes in sprinkles, who chooses funfetti over vanilla or even chocolate, who always says "yes!" to "do you want sprinkles on that?" (not that I get asked this very often :P). I love the pop of color sprinkles can add to any dessert.

This recipe is definitely one that is going in my go-to recipe collection. It's fairly straightforward to make. The cookies turn out soft and chewy with a nice touch of fluffy frosting on top. And in addition to being tasty, they're nice to look at. You can use whatever color of food coloring for the the frosting and the sprinkle mix of your choice to decorate the tops. With all the dreary winter weather lately, I find that a rainbow sprinkle covered sweet, like these frosted sugar cookie bars, can really brighten up the day :).

Chewy Brownies

Brownies are another group of crowd pleasing cookies. Much like chocolate chip cookies, these bar cookies use basic baking ingredients, are simple to make (even easier than CCCs), can be easily changed in shape and portion size, appeal to many people, and come in different textural varieties (fudgy, cakey, and chewy).

My favorites happen to be chewy brownies. This recipe is quite adaptable. First of all, additional ingredients, like nuts or chocolate chips, can easily be added into the batter, if preferred. Secondly, since these brownies are baked in a large sheet, once cooled, they can be cut however desired: the standard 24 rectangles, 48 smaller rectangles for a larger group, circles with a circle cutter for brownie bites, or even hearts with heart cookie cutters to add a cute touch.