Cooking Thursday

 Today's recipe is from my daughter Laura.  She made these bars to bring to the 4th of July party at my niece's house and everyone thought they were so good!  They were perfect for the 4th because of the red and blue berries, but they would taste good anytime.

Glazed Sugar Cookie Berry Bars
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 cups fresh berries, I used blueberries, raspberries and blackberries*
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg, plus 1 yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups flour
Glaze
2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350°F
Line a 9×9 baking dish with aluminum foil and coat with cooking/baking spray. Set aside.
In a small bowl combine 1/3 cup granulated sugar with the cornstarch. Place the berries in a medium bowl and sprinkle the cornstarch mixer on top, tossing the berries to coat them evenly. Set aside.
Mix the butter and 3/4 cup of sugar together on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add in the egg, yolk, vanilla, salt and baking powder and mix for another minute until smooth. Turn the speed to low and add in the flour, mixing until just incorporated.
Press 2/3 of the dough into the prepared pan. Top this evenly with the prepared berries. Next drop the remaining dough by the teaspoonful evenly onto the berries. This will not cover the berries completely.
Bake the bars for 35-40 minutes until the bars are set in the middle and lightly golden on top.
Remove the pan from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.
Meanwhile prepare the glaze by whisking the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla together until smooth. Pour this on top of the warm bars.
Allow the bars to cool completely before cutting into pieces.
* You may use any mix of berries, but the original recipe says strawberries make it more watery, so she doesn't recommend them.