These iced cake-like bars are from the queen of butter, Paula Deen. The bars can be customized with your favorite frosting colors and add-ons.
I was looking for baking inspiration one evening when I went to my cabinet to browse some cookbooks. Unbeknownst to me, I had a Paula Deen cookbook on the shelf. It looks like I bought this at a TJ Maxx store some time ago.
Naturally, I flipped directly to the dessert section to see what looked appealing. I saw these iced Georgia squares that appeared to be very easy to make and didn’t require a lot of time. The batter took about 5 minutes to come together, and the icing also took about 5 minutes. You’ll probably have all the ingredients on hand in your pantry, since these don’t require any special ingredients.
I found the batter to be thin. I had expected these to be big and fluffy, much like Paula’s on-air character (when she was on TV). But, the bars turned out to be thin, and the frosting layer wasn’t as thick as I had hoped either. Don’t worry, I doubled the frosting!
Never fear though – if you want a thick and chewy bar, you can always try these. Or if you like these thinner bars but want a thicker icing layer, just double the frosting. And of course, you can customize the frosting to your favorite color by adding some food coloring. Plus, you can garnish the top with sprinkles, nuts or chocolate chips if you want to add some texture.
Even though these weren’t my favorite desserts (they were dry, even though I underbaked them), it was fun re-discovering this cookbook. I’m sure I’ll flip through it again and try a few more recipes.
Husband’s rating: 2.5 out of 5
Addie’s rating: 4 out of 5
My rating: 2.5 out of 5
Paula Deen's iced Georgia squares
Ingredients
Cookie layer
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- pinch salt
Frosting layer
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 4 Tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter room temperature
- splash milk of choice
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Bake the cookie layer
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Generously grease or line a standard 9"x13" baking pan and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl if using a handheld mixer, cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the egg until well incorporated.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. Turn your mixer down to low and add the dry ingredients. Mix well.
- Transfer the batter to your prepared baking pan and spread it out evenly. Using an offset spatula will help, as the batter is pretty sticky.
- Bake in your preheated oven for about 10 minutes or until the edges just start to turn a light golden color. Let the bars cool completely.
Make the frosting layer
- While the bars are cooling, make the frosting. In the bowl of a clean stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl if using a handheld mixer, cream the butter and powdered sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the vanilla and enough milk to your desired consistency (I added about 1 teaspoon). Mix well. If desired, you can dye the frosting your favorite color by using a drop or two of food coloring.
- Once the bars have cooled, spread an even layer of frosting on top. If desired, you can add chocolate chips, sprinkles, nuts or other garnishes.
- Slice and enjoy!
Notes
I appreciate that you share your experience with every recipe , even the ones you aren’t thrilled with. The honest opinions are one of the reasons I follow along. I do bake some of the recipes you post , but I’ll probably opt out of this one. Just wanted to let you know I appreciate your blog 🙃🙂
Author
Of course – thanks, Rikki! I share my honest opinion because not everything is 5 stars. Of course, it’s just my opinion and everyone has different tastes. 😄