Strawberries and Cream Bars

Strawberries and Cream Bars Thick sugar cookie bars topped with white chocolate cream cheese frosting and strawberries. For the bars: 1 cup salted butter, at room temperature 1 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups all-purpose flour For the topping: 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature 1 cup white chocolate chips, melted 1 1/2 cups chopped strawberries For the bars: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 7 x 11-inch baking dish with foil and coat lightly with cooking spray. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter sugar, and vanilla on medium speed for 2 minutes. Turn the speed to low and add the flour, mixing until the dough just comes together. Press the dough into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until the edges are slightly golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven and let the bars cool completely. For the topping: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth. Slowly beat in the melted white chocolate and mix on medium speed until smooth and incorporated evenly, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Spread the cream cheese mixture on top of the cooled crust. Place the pan in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes. When ready to serve the bars, spread the strawberries evenly on top of the cream cheese layer. Cut into squares and serve. Note-if you use unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon salt to the bars. Store the bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.