Strawberry Lemon Blondies

I feel like all I’ve been making is dessert bars lately. It’s been very hot and humid here in PA and bars are pretty quick and easy to make … plus they don’t take long to bake, so I’m not heating up my kitchen for very long. I promise I have some new recipes coming soon!

These bars were really good. I don’t make brownies or blondies very often, but after this recipe, I may make them more often. I bet these would be amazing with peaches. I loved the sprinkling of fruit, the punch from lemon juice and zest and the sweet glaze on the top.

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup fresh squeeze lemon juice
2 1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup diced fresh strawberries

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1-2 Tbsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. Leave a little extra on the ends to easily remove from the pan.

In a large bowl, cream together softened butter and sugar until it becomes light and fluffy. Beat in the egg until incorporated and then add in the lemon juice. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined. Gently fold in the diced strawberries.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the edges just start to turn brown. Place the pan on a cooling rack and allow to completely cool.

To make the glaze, combine the powdered sugar with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Add more lemon juice to get the desired consistency of the glaze. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled blondies and spread to coat. Allow the glaze to set before removing the blondies from the pan. Slice into bars.

Source: The View from the Great Island