Snickerdoodle Bars
These cinnamon-sweet snickerdoodle bars land somewhere between a cookie and a brownie. Chewy and satisfying, with warm spices and a sweet vanilla icing drizzled on top, these bars are delightful when paired with coffee or tea, or as a wonderful dessert when topped with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. You choose!
Snickerdoodle Bars
Makes one 9" x 9" baking pan
Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened, plus 1 tablespoon for greasing the pan
1 cup granulated sugar, plus 1/4 cup granulated sugar for topping
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs, plus 1 egg yolk, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1 teaspoon cinnamon, plus1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon for topping
Icing Ingredients:
2 tablespoons whole milk
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Directions:
1. Grease a 9”x9" baking dish with 1 tablespoon butter. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, and the light brown sugar until fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. Add the eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla extract, and mix until combined. Scrape down the sides as needed.
3. In a separate bowl add the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, Kosher salt, nutmeg, cardamom, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Whisk to combine.
4. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure all of the ingredients are incorporated. Do not overmix. The batter will be asimilar texture to cookie dough.
5. In a small bowl, mix 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon until combined.
6. Scoop the batter into the pan and spread it around with a spatula so it is evenly distributed. Top with the cinnamon-sugar mix.
7. Bake in the center rack of the oven for roughly 35-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. Cool on a cooling rack for at least 20 minutes before icing.
8. Prepare the icing by combining the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla bean paste in a small bowl. Once bars are cool, drizzle with the icing, slice into squares, and enjoy.