Poptart Cookie Bars Treat (Printer-Friendly)

Buttery cookie bars layered with strawberry jam and finished with vanilla glaze and rainbow sprinkles.

# The Ingredients You'll Need:

→ Cookie Dough

01 - ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
04 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
05 - 2 ½ cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
06 - ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
07 - ½ teaspoon baking soda

→ Filling

08 - ⅔ cup strawberry preserves

→ Glaze and Decoration

09 - 1 cup powdered sugar
10 - 1 ½ to 2 tablespoons whole milk
11 - ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
12 - Rainbow sprinkles, for decoration

# Step-by-Step Instructions:

01 - Line an 8×8 inch metal baking pan with parchment paper, letting edges overhang for easy removal. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
02 - In a stand mixer, beat butter and granulated sugar for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape bowl sides to ensure even mixing.
03 - Mix in eggs and vanilla extract until just combined, scraping bowl as necessary.
04 - Add flour, sea salt, and baking soda; mix until dough begins to come together.
05 - Refrigerate dough for 20 minutes to firm up for easier handling.
06 - Press half of chilled dough evenly into prepared baking pan (approximately 348 grams).
07 - Lift parchment with dough and transfer to a baking sheet; freeze until firm.
08 - Replace parchment strips in pan and press remaining dough evenly into pan.
09 - Spread strawberry preserves evenly over second dough layer in pan.
10 - Remove parchment from frozen dough layer and place atop preserves, pressing to seal.
11 - Bake for 25 to 28 minutes until top is golden brown.
12 - Remove from oven and cool fully on a wire rack.
13 - Use parchment edges to lift bars from pan and flip so bottom becomes top.
14 - Whisk powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth.
15 - Pour glaze over bars and sprinkle with rainbow sprinkles.
16 - Allow glaze to set at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours. Cut into 15 bars and serve.

# Extra Tips:

01 - Measure flour by spooning into measuring cup and leveling off to avoid dense dough.
02 - Using parchment paper strips facilitates easy removal of bars from pan after baking.
03 - Chilling and freezing dough layers maintains distinct layers and improves handling.
04 - Store bars in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days or refrigerate for longer freshness.
05 - Strawberry preserves can be substituted with any preferred jam or fruit preserves.

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