These Strawberry Sugar Cookie Bars are a spring delight! A soft sugar cookie base is topped with a bright, strawberry-infused frosting, with a surprise ingredient: freeze-dried strawberries. Using freeze-dried instead of fresh strawberries ensures the frosting won’t separate, allowing maximum fruit flavor into every bite. You won’t be able to eat just one!

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg, yolk, and vanilla; beat to combine.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and soda. Add half of the flour mixture to the butter and mix to combine. Add the rest of the flour mixture; mix just until combined.

Place dough in the prepared pan. Top with a second piece of parchment paper and use your hands to press flat. Discard top parchment paper.

Bake dough for 18-22 minutes, until puffed and the edges turn a light golden brown. Let cool completely.

Process freeze dried strawberries in a blender or food processor until a very fine powder.

In a large bowl, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Mix in the strawberry powder and half of the powdered sugar until combined. Beat in the cream and vanilla. Finish with the remaining powdered sugar; beat until light and fluffy.

Spread on cooled cookie bars. Use the parchment paper to lift bars out of the pan, then cut into squares.

Strawberry Sugar Cookie Bars

Makes 24

Bars:

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 egg plus 1 yolk, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon baking soda

Frosting:

12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

3 cups powdered sugar

1.2 ounce freeze dried strawberries

1 tablespoon heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place parchment paper in the bottom and up two sides of a 9×13 baking pan.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg, yolk, and vanilla; beat to combine.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and soda. Add half of the flour mixture to the butter and mix to combine. Add the rest of the flour mixture; mix just until combined.

Place dough in the prepared pan. Top with a second piece of parchment paper and use your hands to press flat. Discard top parchment paper. Bake dough for 18-22 minutes, until puffed and the edges turn a light golden brown. Let cool completely.

Meanwhile, make the frosting. Process freeze dried strawberries in a blender or food processor until a very fine powder. In a large bowl, beat the butter until light and fluffy. Mix in the strawberry powder and half of the powdered sugar until combined. Beat in the cream and vanilla. Finish with the remaining powdered sugar; beat until light and fluffy. Spread on cooled cookie bars. Use the parchment paper to lift bars out of the pan, then cut into squares.