Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars
Last Saturday was my 31st birthday, and it was also national lemon bar day!! Except that it wasn’t, and I just made that up. The lemon bar part, it was in fact my birthday.
I spend all kinds of time conversing with people (I almost used the word conversating there only to find out that it isn’t actually a word, and that means I have probably been embarrassing myself all the time, but it’s cool). Anyway, I chat with people about what exactly they’d like to see on the blog. Some people want healthy things, some people want all of the chocolate. A couple of weeks ago it was all about my son and his big day and his favorite ORANGE BROWNIES.
Recently I started using a sugar cookie body butter and boy, does it smell amazing!
Let’s just say that’s not the best idea when you are watching what you are eating and trying to stay on track with healthy food to coat yourself in cookie smelling lotions. Why?
Because the smell of the lotion slathered on your body will cause you to want to gnaw your arm off, instead of eating more broccoli. Ok, maybe that’s a little drastic, but seriously, this lotion is amazing smelling stuff!!
Although, I really do not recommend using it before working out. I was running one day, and I kept smelling marshmallows. It took me a while to realize that the marshmallow smell was actually coming from me.
But, for my birthday I’m just a small town girl living in a lemon world. So I “conversated” with myself and came up with these lemon sugar cookie bars…..
Happy birthday to me! No, I didn’t actually talk to myself.
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE TOPPING:
INSTRUCTIONS
I spend all kinds of time conversing with people (I almost used the word conversating there only to find out that it isn’t actually a word, and that means I have probably been embarrassing myself all the time, but it’s cool). Anyway, I chat with people about what exactly they’d like to see on the blog. Some people want healthy things, some people want all of the chocolate. A couple of weeks ago it was all about my son and his big day and his favorite ORANGE BROWNIES.
Recently I started using a sugar cookie body butter and boy, does it smell amazing!
Let’s just say that’s not the best idea when you are watching what you are eating and trying to stay on track with healthy food to coat yourself in cookie smelling lotions. Why?
Because the smell of the lotion slathered on your body will cause you to want to gnaw your arm off, instead of eating more broccoli. Ok, maybe that’s a little drastic, but seriously, this lotion is amazing smelling stuff!!
Although, I really do not recommend using it before working out. I was running one day, and I kept smelling marshmallows. It took me a while to realize that the marshmallow smell was actually coming from me.
But, for my birthday I’m just a small town girl living in a lemon world. So I “conversated” with myself and came up with these lemon sugar cookie bars…..
Happy birthday to me! No, I didn’t actually talk to myself.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon pure lemon extract, optional
FOR THE TOPPING:
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon sparkling sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
- Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Grease a 9- by 13-inch baking pan with butter (or spray with cooking spray); set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to stir butter until creamy. Blend in sugar and beat on medium-high speed for 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, and add the lemon juice, vanilla extract, and lemon extract, if using. Blend until just smooth.
- Mix in the flour mixture until well combined. Spread in an even layer in the prepared pan. Sprinkle the granulated sugar and sparkling sugar evenly over the top of the batter.
- Bake for 22 to 28 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (do not overbake). Cool in the pan on a wire rack. Cut into 20 bars.
