Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars

I had to make a treat for my son's Halloween party at school for the adults and families that were welcomed back to the classroom (and I am co-room mom).  I knew that I had to make it nut free because there are a few allergies in the classroom and the school.  I decided that I would make snickerdoodle cookies from the mix that I had in the cupboard because I ran out of time to make something creative from scratch like I was planning.

I had things to do in the morning after dropping my son and by the time that I made it back to the house, I had around 45 minutes to make the treat and leave to pick up my son.  I was trying to get over a sickness so I decided that touching each cookie was a bad idea but I still had this cookie mix calling my name (I got it on sale with coupon for practically free).  After a little thinking, I decided that I would just make Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars.

With no recipe to work with, I was making it up as I went along.  I decided to use two packages.  I am sure that it would be fine with one package but a little thinner cookie bar or else using a smaller pan to serve less.  I wasn't really sure how many people would be eating these so I went with quantity.  I mixed the batter per the package directions and then spread in a greased 9 x 13 pan but I might do it in a jelly roll pan next time to make them a little thinner like my chocolate chip cookie bars.

Then, sprinkled one package of the cinnamon and sugar mixture on the batter.

I used the fork to swirl the cinnamon and sugar into the dough.  It was actually more challenging to get the picture while swirling then it was to actually swirl it :)

I got the whole pan swirled.  Doesn't it look pretty?  I thought so but it doesn't really need to look all that pretty because it is going to be covered but I just thought that I would show you.

Top with other package of cinnamon and sugar and bake. 

This is the part where I went to the internet to figure out what temperature and time to bake these bars after I already put them in the oven at 350 degrees.  The recipe calls for 375 degrees but my oven runs really hot so if yours doesn't try 375 degrees instead.

I started searching at the Betty Crocker website since that was the package brand and I couldn't find a recipe anywhere.  They had a lot of fancy cookie bars that you could make with the mix but nothing where you could make them and bake as bars.  I wasn't going to post this as a recipe when I started making them but when I saw that there so many people that posted on the Betty Crocker website that they were looking for this exact recipe and Betty Crocker answered with links to complicated recipes that never answered the question. 

With no help from the internet, I baked mine for a long time because it was having trouble setting in the middle but mine stopped jiggling at about 30-35 minutes.  I ended out taking them out because that was all the time before having to leave the house to pick up my son at preschool for the day.  I let them fully cool and then cut them.

Sadly, I didn't take any pretty pictures of the finished product and I piled them in the container to take to school the next day.  These pictures were actually taken in the car while we were stopped in traffic.  I think that people next to me thought that I was a little crazy when I pulled out the huge camera to take pictures of stuff in the front seat of the car but how else was I going to get a picture!!

They were really tasty and everyone thought that I did something way more complicated then I did.  Those are the best recipes when you can trick people to think that you spent a lot of time on the recipe.  Of course, I am the first person to give up my recipe and tell them that I am going to post it on my blog soon :)  If you want to try it out yourself, the recipe is below.

Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars

2 packages Snickerdoodle Cookie Mix (or sugar cookie mix and cinnamon and sugar)
2 sticks melted butter or margarine
2 eggs
2 tbsp water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Make per the package directions.  Pick a microwave safe dish that will be large enough for the cookie batter which saves on dishes later.  Put two sticks of butter in the bowl and microwave for 30 seconds.  Stir and microwave for 10 additional seconds until completely melted.  Add cookie mix (after removing the cinnamon and sugar packet and setting aside).  Add two eggs and water and stir until batter is combined.

Grease a 9 x 13 baking pan and spread the batter into the pan.  Add one package of cinnamon and sugar on top of the batter.  Swirl in with a fork until combined into batter.  Add additional packet of cinnamon and sugar on top of batter.

Bake at 350-375 degrees (depending on oven- mine runs hot the longer it runs) for 30-35 minutes until they aren't jiggly when you take them out.  Let cool completely and cut into bars.

Note:  If you decide to make these and only have only one package and still want these thick bars then I suggest using a 8x8 or 9x9 baker instead of the bigger pan.  If you want a little thinner bar with two packages, try using a jelly roll pan.

Shared at Homemade Mondays at Frugal by Choice