Cake Mix Sugar Cookie Bars

 My mouth starts watering every time I get on Pinterest and see all the yummy sugar cookie bar recipes out there.  Sugar cookies are my absolute favorite but I have to admit I really don't like making them.  I find it hard to get the perfect sugar cookie.  I sometimes like crispy sugar cookies and other times I like thick, soft ones.  And then there are the ones at the local restaurant down the street-ADDICTIVE!!.  Well I wanted to create a super easy way to make those delicious sugar cookie bars without actually having to "make" them per say.  Enter-the cake mix.  Have you made cake mix cookies before?  Oh they are heavenly.  Who doesn't like the taste of cake batter?  Well cake mix cookies are pretty much the taste of cake batter in a cookie form-perfect for dunking in milk.  Could life get any better?  To make these you take your basic cake mix cookie recipe but spread it out onto a sheet pan (or other shallow pan) to bake.  Don't have a recipe?  I will share mine.

The recipe:

1 cake mix (it can be yellow or white.  I use white-usually french vanilla flavored if I can find it and I prefer a name brand cake mix to an off brand though both work-I just think name brand cake mixes taste and look better-but these were in fact made with a Western Family cake mix).

1/2 cup shortening

1/3 cup softened butter

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg

Add all ingredients to bowl.  Mix with cookie attachment.  The dough is pretty stiff so choose your attachment wisely.

 If you use this recipe it will make enough dough to fill a 1/4 sheet pan (sprayed with cooking spray) or for slightly thicker bars I used this Pyrex baking dish I bought at an antique store years ago and it measures 9 1/2 x7".  In either case, spray the pan and press in the cookie dough.  Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes-or untl slightly golden brown.

These actually got a bit browner than I would have liked (it was one of those distracted mommy moments).  I would have liked to take them our a couple of minutes sooner. 

 Let them cool in the pan completely then turn out onto a cutting board or counter. I flipped mine over again to frost but that is just my preference.  I used a butter cream frosting.  The girls showered the cookies with sprinkles after.  To cut them I actually cut off the crustier side pieces.  They are too crunchy for my liking.  Then I cut the rest into square shaped bars.

 I have made these a couple of times and due to lack of attention during the baking portion, I slightly over cooked them (every time). I was getting tired of wasting cake mixes and ingredients.  So the last time I made them I stuck them in a container overnight and told my hubby to take them to his work the next day.  Well he ate one for breakfast and said there was no way he was taking them anywhere to giveaway.  I tried one later on and was in HEAVEN.  Overnight in the container they were transformed.  So if you happen to feel that your bars ended up a bit dry or over baked don't completely give up.  Frost them and put them in a sealed container overnight and you too can have heavenly cookie bar magic happen.  Now enough typing, I have to go see if there is one of these left.  All these pictures have my mouth watering.