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Lemon Blondies – this easy blondie recipe is full of lemon flavor with a burst of lemon icing!
Okay so it’s reached the part in the program where I am SO TOTALLY OVER WINTER. I live in California, where winter is normally an oxymoron, but this year has been brutal. We’ve been in a drought for so long I’ve forgotten what it’s like when we have a normal rainy year, let alone one that produces twice as much rain as normal. I feel like we never see the sun anymore; rain and wind are all we get. And as soon as we get a sunny day and dare to hope…rain comes back in the forecast. Normally, by mid-February, I’m in flip flops and we’ve had our first mini heat wave. This year? My rain boots and jacket are still out and the wet dog smell has just permeated my home for good.
I’m ready to bring some SPRING into my life, whether Mother Nature is on it or not. Let’s hope that all the lemon and pastel things and Easter treats all over Pinterest will make cranky old Mother Nature smile some sun down upon us. (That is, if she’s on Pinterest. I have to imagine she is…who isn’t?)
I absolutely love lemon desserts all year long, but there is something about seeing and eating them in spring. The color, the flavor, it just screams sun and warmth and the beginning of new things, doesn’t it? Maybe that’s why they say yellow is a happy color: after seeing gray for months and months, seeing the yellow sunshine would make anyone happy.
I dare you to look at these Sunburst lemon bars and these lemon rolls and then tell me they don’t make you smile. I bet you can’t help yourself!
Love cake? Try my lemon cake recipe!
This lemon blondies recipe is too good. So good, I had to get them out of my house ASAP so I wouldn’t inhale the entire batch! I started with my favorite and best blondie recipe. I added lemon juice and zest to the batter, which gives them a nice burst of lemon flavor. The crumb is chewy like a blondie and soft like a brownie, the best of both worlds. But that’s not all…there is also frosting!
I think this frosting is my favorite part. It’s a basic buttery buttercream frosting made with butter and powdered sugar and a punch of lemon juice instead of cream. The tartness of the lemon juice cuts the sweetness of the frosting and is the perfect complement to the blondies.
If you have a lemon lover in your life THESE frosted lemon blondies are the blondies for you!
And, really, how can you go wrong with lemon blondies?? Now Mother Nature just needs to get on board! Take a look at how easy these are to make!
Lemon Blondies Recipe
Ingredients
Blondies:
- ½ cup (113g) softened unsalted butter
- 1 cup (200g) packed brown sugar
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (from 1-2 lemons)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (248g) all purpose flour
Frosting:
- ½ cup (113g) softened unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cups (170g) powdered sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1-2 tablespoons (15-30ml) lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13” pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.
- Cream butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add eggs, vanilla, and lemon juice and beat until combined. Add lemon zest, baking powder, salt, and flour and mix.
- Press into prepared pan (dough is sticky, spray your hands with cooking spray to avoid it sticking to your hands).
- Bake for about 16-20 minutes. (Be careful not to overcook - the center will still be jiggly when you take these out of the oven and they will finish cooking and firming up as they cool.) Cool completely before frosting.
- To make frosting: cream butter with a hand mixer until smooth. Slowly mix in the the powdered sugar and salt, then add lemon juice and mix until smooth, adding more as needed for desired consistency. Frost the cooled bars, then cut into squares.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze in a single layer for up to 1 month.
Recipe Notes
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
- Freeze in an airtight container (in a single layer if frosted).
- The lemon extract helps pump up the lemon flavor, without it they won't be as lemony tasting.
Recipe Nutrition
Click here to see the complete list of Lemon Recipes!
Pinned! These look so good, Dorothy 🙂
Thanks for pinning!
Wow! I have to try these! I love lemon !
And i agree with you re weather , yikes so much rain!
I love lemon in baked goods! I also love blondies, so these are perfect!
hey girl- this is right up my alley! I love all things lemon!
Yum, these look and sound divine! Just what we need in a rainy old England 🙂
http://www.bakesbybutter.com/
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