• Preheat oven to 350°F. If your butter hasn't been softened, you can place in microwave for 10 seconds to *slightly* soften it.
• In a large bowl, cream together softened unsalted butter (1 cup, i.e. 2 sticks) and granulated sugar (1 cup) on medium speed for 20-30 seconds; do not overbeat. While the mixer is still on medium speed, add in egg (1 large), vanilla extract (2 teaspoons), and almond extract (1 teaspoon).
• Once mixed, add in baking powder (1 ½ teaspoons), salt (½ teaspoon), and all-purpose flour (2 ¼ cups). (Add flour ½ cup at a time on low speed). Be sure to measure your flour properly using the spoon & level method, as adding too much can result in dry bars.

  Mix until all flour disappears, typically 20-30 seconds. You do not need to beat/mix this any longer than it takes to mix in the flour. When pinched between your fingers, dough should be similar to a playdoh consistency and not be very sticky.
• Lightly grease a 9×13 pan with butter or non stick baking spray then cover the pan in parchment paper (having the grease underneath the paper will help the paper stay down).
• Drop the dough into 1 tablespoon sized chunks into the prepared pan. Use your hands or a spatula to press down the dough until it covers the pan and is smooth around the edges.

  Tip: If the dough is sticky, you can place another piece of parchment paper on top and continue pressing down.
• Bake for 14-16 minutes. The trick to soft sugar cookie bars is to take them out right when you see the TINIEST amount of brown around the edges. The center may look underdone and this is okay; the bars will continue to bake in the hot pan when cooling.
• Allow to cool completely before frosting (once the pan is cool to the touch, you can put the pan in the fridge on a cooling rack to speed this up).

To Make Frosting and Decorate:

• In a large bowl, beat unsalted butter (½ cup, i.e. 1 stick) and cream cheese (8 ounces) on medium speed using a hand or stand mixer (with paddle attachment) for 1-2 minutes (until light and creamy).
• Keeping the mixer on medium speed, slowly add in vanilla extract (2 teaspoons), salt (⅛ teaspoon), and powdered sugar (2 ¼ cups). Once incorporated, turn the mixer to high speed and beat for 2 minutes until smooth and creamy.
• Spread the frosting onto the crust and arrange the sliced fresh berries on top.
• For clean slices, allow the bars to chill in the fridge or freezer until the frosting is firm (since this is a softer frosting, it won't get totally hard but will firm up a bit). Before serving, I like to freeze the bars for about 30-60 minutes and then use a large, sharp knife to cut. Wipe the knife off with a warm towel between each cut to prevent the frosting & berries from smearing.
• Cover & store in refrigerator until ready to eat.