Picnic Tablecloth Cookies
ShareThese delicious frosted sugar cookie bars are all dressed up to go on a picnic. Adorable Picnic Tablecloth Cookies!
When I think of Memorial Day the next word that comes to mind is always “picnic,” so that was the inspiration for these gingham picnic tablecloth cookie bars. I don’t know about you but when my family does picnics/potlucks it is pretty simple- and perfect! My dad and husband hang out around the grill while my mom and I cart the food and fixings out to the picnic table. There’s usually a plastic red checkered tablecloth involved along with paper plates, plastic forks, and red Solo cups. 😉
I used the ever-popular sugar cookie bar for the base. I’ve made these many times and keep returning to them because they are simple and pack a lot of flavor. Who doesn’t love a soft sugar cookie smothered in buttercream? Of course you could make this picnic tablecloth on a 9×13 cake too if that’s more your style.
I used tape and strips of paper to make the gingham pattern but you could use masking tape and skip the paper altogether. Using Wilton’s food coloring mist I took these outside and sprayed the pan with the strips of paper all going one way. Then I adjusted the paper strips to go the opposite way across the pan and sprayed again. It was a little windy so there was some overlap. Still, I loved the effect, and I loved even more that it was so simple. A few cookie crumbs and some black licorice complete the look.
My husband was amused when he saw the ant trails looping around the pan and asked me if I had ever seen ants going around in circles.
Well, ants follow their leader and this leader happened to be a bit whimsical. So there.
This post is part of a Virtual Memorial Day Potluck with Celebrations.com. I brought dessert. I promise there are many other tasty treats waiting for you so go check them out:
- Buffalo Chicken Dip from Celebrations
- Quinoa Salad with Veggies and Lime, Garlic Cilantro Dressing from Dinners, Dishes & Desserts
- Speck Skewers with Herb Mayonnaise and Grilled Mediterranean Aubergine Bundles with Provola from Apron & Sneakers
- Boneless Pork Ribs with Woodchuck Summer Cider Blueberry BBQ Sauce from Elle’s New England Kitchen
- Patriotic Biscuits from Hungry Happenings
- Picnic Tablecloth Cookies {You are here!}
- Lemon Cupcakes with Raspberry Curd Filling and Lemon Buttercream from Smells Like Home
- White Chocolate Mint Cake from Une Gamine dans la Cuisine
Sugar Cookie Bars {and Gingham Picnic Tablecloth Instructions}
PrintYield: 1 jellyroll pan
A sugar cookie bar decorated like a picnic table
Ingredients:
For the sugar cookie bars:
- 1 Cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 Cups sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 5 Cups four
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- Animal crackers, nilla wafers, or any other cookie crumbles (optional)
- black licorice
For the Frosting:
- 1/2 Cup butter, room temperature
- 1/2 Cup shortening
- 4 Cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
- 4 Tablespoons milk or heavy cream
- Red spray food coloring
Directions:
For the sugar cookie bars:
- Preheat oven to 350.
- In the bowl of your mixer cream butter and sugar. Add vanilla and eggs one at a time.
- In a separate bowl whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda. Add this to the wet mixture slowly until just combined.
- Using your hands press the dough down into a greased jelly roll pan (10x15). You can use a 9x13 of course but you will need to increase the baking time.
- Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes until golden brown or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool completely before frosting.
For the Frosting:
- In a mixing bowl beat butter and shortening until combined. Slowly add extracts and powdered sugar. Add milk/cream as the frosting thickens. Use as much milk/cream as you want until you reach your desired consistency.
- Spread over cookie bars.
Assembling the tablecloth:
- Lay down a large trash bag and place your frosted cookies on top. (I did this outside...it was windy.)
- Using masking tape or long 1/2 inch strips of paper make a diagonal pattern across the frosted cookie bars.
- Spray the cookies with red food coloring.
- Adjust the paper strips to go the opposite way across the pan and spray again.
- Place black licorice pieces along the pan to look like ant trails.
- Sprinkle with cookie crumbs.
Notes:
- This gingham pattern can be made on top of a cake or frosted brownies instead of cookie bars if you prefer.
- You can use all butter in the frosting recipe- instead of half shortening. Just know that your frosting won't be as white. Americolor and Wilton sell a wonderful white food coloring for frosting if you need it.
- You can find spray food coloring in a variety of colors (I used Wilton) at most craft stores.
Hi there! I’m Katrina, a wife and a mom in a house full of boys who love to eat. This is my girly space where I make pretty things. 
Woah! Brilliant and adorable. I really like the whimsical ants going around in circles 😉 But I'm cursing you for saying 'red solo cup' now I have that damn song stuck in my head. Curses!
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This is perfect for a picnic! I love those sugar cookie bars, I just made my first batch last week! i have seen the Wilton mist at the store, but wasn't sure how to use it, now I know!!
As promised, I kept my eye out and posted a link on Edible Crafts 🙂 !
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oooh adorable!
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This looks too good to be eaten. But it looks so good inside too! Thanks for sharing! I'm glad to have worked with you!
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So cute! What a great idea to make patterns with tape strips!
Happy early Memorial Day, Katrina. I need to visit more often. (I still get requests for those homemade butterfingers!) 😀
Cute idea & perfect for the weekend!
Just darling!
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Katrina, when we got the list of other recipes in the potluck, I just could NOT wait to see these! They didn't disappoint–I have to make these for the Memorial Day weekend. So adorable! I also love that I can do this on a cake, too. Love these so much!
I absolutely love the technique you used to create the checkerboard pattern for your tablecloth. Amazing! The ants and the crumbs add a touch of whimsy and make this a picture perfect dessert for any picnic. I've been looking for a good fruit pizza cookie crust and will have to try this recipe out. It looks perfect.
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Fun potluck and super creative cookie bars! I love them!
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Oh my goodness, how adorable and fun are these! You're so talented and creative, Katrina! Thanks for sharing. Also, I'm having a ChicWrap giveaway today that you should enter!
This is such a fun idea! Fantastic job on the spraying!!! And I absolutely LOVE that you decorated a bar cookie! I'm totally doing that for the next potluck!
Just when I think you can't be any more amazing you do this! I cannot even believe you anymore.
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that tablecloth…soooo creative and pretty! If I tried that, I'd have what would resemble an exploded black and red pen 🙂
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So super cute! Love this. It's the only time I might like ants, lol.
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I never tire of gingham! Adorable!
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These are so cute and festive, what a great idea!
These are adorable! A perfect Memorial Day dessert! 🙂
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Okay…I cannot rave enough about how stinkin cute these are!!! So so so so stinking cute!!!!
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Aren't you clever!! I looked at the first photo and thought.. no way. but yes way you did it!
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This is so cute. I am going to post it on my Mouth Watering Mondays post this Monday at http://www.noshingwiththenolands.com Come on by to see it. Cheers, Tara
How cute are these??? Love.
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Oh my goodness, this has to be one of the cutest ideas I've ever seen!! Love love love it Katrina! 🙂
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These are so adorable! What a cute summer idea!
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A mouth-watering cake! Exactly my idea of heavenly food.
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A mouth-watering cookies! Exactly my idea of heavenly food.
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Ohmy gosh! So fun! i am making this for my party this weekend. I love your blog and recipe ideas. I would LOVE for you to pop over and link this up in my Red White and Blue linky! It would be fun having you!
Susie http://cafescrapper-scrapsoflife.blogspot.com/201…
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Brilliant.
Woah! That is so creative! You really come up with the best ideas, K! 🙂
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I am always so jealous of your decorating skills. It is seriously impressive. Any chef who looks down on a baker is crazy because it is 200x harder to make something look so beautiful and artistic. I'm going to need some assistance for my friend's 30th birthday cake as she somehow has the misguided notion that I'm a baker!
You are SOOOOOO TALENTED!! I love this!
Picnics are one of my favorite ways to relax and enjoy summer and this is just the cutest way to celebrate!
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this is the cutest thing ever!
This is soooo cute! I love this idea!! Now I want to have a picnic just so that I can make it!
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Oh my goodness these are just too precious! You are so innovative for coming up with these!
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How adorable! These would make a fun picnic dessert!
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