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Poptart Cookie Bars

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These delightful bars combine soft sugar cookies with a sweet strawberry preserve filling and a simple glaze, reminiscent of your favorite childhood pastry.

Ingredients

Scale
  • ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
  • 2 ½ cups + 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 2/3 cup strawberry preserves
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 ½-2 tbsp whole milk
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • Rainbow sprinkles for decorating

Instructions

  1. Line an 8×8 square metal baking pan with parchment paper, ensuring it hangs over all sides.
  2. Preheat your oven to 375 F (190 C).
  3. Cream the room temperature butter and granulated sugar in a stand mixer for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
  4. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  5. Mix in the large eggs and vanilla extract until they are just combined.
  6. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again.
  7. Mix in the all-purpose flour, fine sea salt, and baking soda until the dough just starts to come together.
  8. Chill the cookie dough in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to firm it up.
  9. Divide the chilled cookie dough into two equal halves.
  10. Press one half (approximately 348g) of the cookie dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
  11. Carefully lift this first cookie dough layer out of the pan by using the parchment paper and transfer it to a baking sheet.
  12. Place the baking sheet with the dough layer into the freezer while you prepare the next step.
  13. Replace the parchment strips in the 8×8 pan so all sides are still covered.
  14. Press the remaining half of the cookie dough evenly into the bottom of the pan.
  15. Spread the 2/3 cup of strawberry preserves over the top of the dough layer in the pan.
  16. Retrieve the frozen cookie dough layer from the freezer.
  17. Peel off the parchment paper from the frozen dough layer.
  18. Carefully place the frozen dough layer directly on top of the strawberry preserves.
  19. Press the top dough layer firmly to secure it over the jam.
  20. Bake the cookie bars in the preheated oven for 25-28 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
  21. Remove the pan from the oven and let the bars cool completely on a wire cooling rack.
  22. Once completely cool, pull the sides of the parchment paper to lift the bars out of the pan.
  23. Flip the entire slab of bars upside down so the bottom becomes the top for glazing.
  24. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, whole milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and free of lumps.
  25. Pour the prepared glaze evenly over the top of the cooled bars.
  26. Generously sprinkle rainbow sprinkles over the wet glaze for decoration.
  27. Allow the bars to sit for 1-2 hours at room temperature until the glaze is fully set.
  28. Once the glaze is set, cut the large slab into 15 individual bars.
  29. Serve and enjoy your Poptart Cookie Bars!

Notes

Ensure butter and eggs are at room temperature for best results.
Don’t skip chilling the dough; it makes it much easier to handle.
Let the bars cool completely before glazing to prevent the glaze from melting.
Add milk to the glaze gradually to achieve your desired consistency.

Find it online: https://homecookstudio.com/poptart-cookie-bars/