Frosted Cream Cheese Sugar Cookie Bars

You've probably seen/tried these at some recent missionary function; they are crazy good.

Frosted Cream Cheese Sugar Cookie Bars

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1/2 t almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

FROSTING:
1/2 cup butter softened
4 oz cream cheese, softened
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar (I used 4 1/2 cups)
3-5 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
food coloring or icing paste


In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer beat the butter, cream cheese, sugar, and egg until nice and frothy. About 4 minutes. Add the vanilla and almond extract and beat for 1 minute more.

In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Mix them around so that all ingredients are well incorporated. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat for about 2 minutes. Press the dough into a large jelly roll (cookie sheet) pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Let the pan cool completely.

To make the frosting, in a medium sized bowl (or your stand mixer) combine the butter and cream cheese. Beat for about 2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla and food coloring. Mix for 1-2 minutes or until smooth. Frost your pan of cookies. Cut the cookies into bars and serve.

Nanci's notes: I have only used store bought frosting because it is faster and easier and I am lazy, but I am sure the frosting is wonderful. 

Garlic Lime Chicken

My mom asked that I post a couple recipes to the family blog for her. So these are hers, not mine. :) And about the chicken, she said the "Garlic Lime Chicken I made for dinner last night and Dad raved and raved about it.  Everyone else liked it as well and it is super easy so I thought I would give you that."


*Note - this was updated after first posted, my mom saved the recipe under the wrong name, so the one I originally posted was not the one she meant. I changed it to the right one.


Garlic Lime Chicken

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon thyme
6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chicken broth
4 tablespoons lime juice

Directions:
In a bowl, mix together first 7 ingredients. Sprinkle mixture on both sides of chicken
breasts.
In a skillet heat butter and olive oil together over medium high heat. Saute chicken until
golden brown, about 5 minutes on each side. Turn down the heat, remove the chicken
(keeping warm) and add the lime juice and chicken broth to the pan, whisking up the
browned bits off the bottom of the skillet. Keep cooking until sauce has reduced slightly.
Add chicken back to the pan to thoroughly coat and serve.

Nutritional Information: Per Serving: 343 Calories; 11g Fat (31.1% calories from fat);
55g Protein; 2g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 147mg Cholesterol; 612mg Sodium.
Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 7 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Fruit; 1 1/2 Fat.

Pear Oatmeal Cookies

I needed to use up some pears, and my coworker found this recipe online. I tried it and I think it's now my new favorite cookie ever. Seriously. Sweet, but not a kick of sugar in your mouth - SO so so moist.....and stays that way forever! (Okay, they only lasted like 5 days before they were gone, but they almost got better each day.) Enjoy!

Pear Oatmeal Cookies


1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups chopped pears (fresh or canned)
2 cups rolled oats
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups flour
sugar for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter with brown sugar; add rest of wet ingredients including pears and beat. Mix dry ingredients together; beat into wet mixture.
Drop by teaspoonful onto greased cookie sheets. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake 15 minutes.

I forgot to sprinkle with sugar, and honestly I don't think it needed it at all, they were perfectly delicious without! But by all means add it if you want.


Nutrition information - for one cookie:
Calories: 66.3
Calories from fat: 20
Total fat: 2.2 g
Saturated fat: 1.2 g
Cholesterol: 9.4 mg
Sugars: 5 g
Total Carbohydrates: 10.5 g
Protein: 1.1 g