I have a dear friend who LOVES these cookies. OK, maybe I should say she loves the pink frosting. The shortbread cookies are an acceptable way to eat large amounts of frosting. (People can be judgy when you sit down with a spoon and bowl of frosting.) I am not a fan of cookies that need to be rolled or sliced or chilled. I’m more of a mix-and-drop kind of baker. Because my family likes the frosting cookies, I wanted to make this easier for me by making them bar cookies. These cookies don’t need to chill or be rolled out and the bars are very easy to frost. If you are not a fan of the almond flavor, leave it out and just use vanilla extract. If you’re unsure about the cardamom (which not everyone has on hand) you can leave it out, too. It is not a strong flavor, it just sets these cookies apart from other shortbread cookies.
Cookies
- 1¾ cups all- purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) butter, melted (you can use ½ butter and ½ margarine—these won’t spread)
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
- 2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1¼ cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- Pinch of salt
- A drop or two of pink food coloring
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350ºF. Line an 8 × 8- inch baking pan with foil or parchment that hangs over two of the sides and lightly coat it with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, cardamom, baking powder, and salt until combined. Add the melted butter, almond extract, and vanilla and stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until just combined.
- Transfer the dough to the prepared pan and press it into an even layer with your hands.
- Bake until very light golden brown just at the edges, but still pale in the center, 20 to 22 minutes. Let the cookie bars cool in the pan on a rack.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the softened butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, almond extract, salt, and food coloring and mix slowly until the sugar is incorporated. Once the sugar is incorporated, increase the speed and beat until smooth and fluffy.
- Once cool, use the foil to lift the cookie bars out of the pan and remove the foil from the bars. Spread the frosting over the cooled bar and slice. Store in the fridge for about 4 days.
Serves 9-12, depending on how big you want your cookies.