Strawberry Lemon Blondies

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Strawberry Lemon Blondies





STRAWBERRY LEMON BLONDIES INGREDIENTS


You will need:



1 cup salted butter, softened

¾ cup granulated sugar

¾ cup light brown sugar

2 large eggs

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

Zest of 1 lemon (about ½ teaspoon)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon lemon extract

2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 cup diced fresh strawberries


For the Glaze



1 teaspoon lemon extract

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1-2 drops of red food coloring


Pro Tip: If you like a more fudgy texture in the center, you can decrease the flour by ¼ cup.



SUBSTITUTIONS AND ADDITIONS

Strawberries: You can add in up to 1½ cups of diced strawberries, but they do add wetness, so more than 1½ cups would probably lead to blondies that don’t hold together as well.



Fruit: Try this with diced rhubarb or a combination of strawberries and rhubarb. Or how about blueberries or raspberries for a yummy mixed berry flavor.



Topping: For a different spin on the topping for this strawberry dessert, try lemon curd or lemon buttercream for added fresh flavor instead of your glaze.



Chocolate Chips: For a burst of sweetness, mix white chocolate chips or even milk chocolate chips into the batter.



HOW TO MAKE THIS STRAWBERRY LEMON BLONDIES RECIPE


STEP ONE: In a large bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar for 1 to 2 minutes.



PRO TIP: Make sure your butter and eggs are at room temperature so that they will incorporate well and your batter comes out with the correct consistency.



STEP TWO: Add in the eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and lemon extract. Beat on medium-high for 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the mixing bowl occasionally. The mixture may look a bit separated but should beat into a light, fluffy mixture.



STEP THREE: In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and cornstarch.



STEP FOUR: Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix just until combined.



PRO TIP: Do not overmix your batter, or you may end up with crumbly bars.



STEP FIVE: Beat in diced strawberries, just until combined.



STEP SIX: Spread the blondie batter into a 9×13 glass baking pan lined with parchment paper and sprayed with cooking spray.



PRO TIP: Make sure to take the time to flatten the top of the batter so that your bars come out flat on the top. If the batter is sticking to your spoon, spray it with cooking spray to make it easier to flatten the batter.



STEP SEVEN: Bake the blondies in a preheated oven at 350°F for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.



STEP EIGHT: In a small bowl, whisk together the glaze ingredients until smooth. Spread over the warm blondies.



STEP NINE: Allow the blondies to cool completely before cutting into squares.



HOW TO SERVE

These moist strawberry lemon bars are a delicious dessert to make when fresh berries are abundant. They would be perfect for bringing to a potluck or summer picnic. Serve them with our iced tea, raspberry iced tea, sweet peach iced tea, or our southern strawberry sweet tea on the side for a sweet treat.



STORAGE

IN THE FRIDGE: Store these easy strawberry blondies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.



IN THE FREEZER: Leftover blondies can also be frozen in an airtight container or ziplock bag.





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[Shoshanna]

To be honest, I wasn't impressed with these.    The texture was more like a crumbly cake (very dry, despite a half pound of butter), and you couldn't taste the lemon at all. As for the frosting, it was much too sweet.  Sorry!