Glazed Strawberry Lemon Blondies
These are luscious bars, lemon-flavored, with diced strawberries and a finger-licking berry glaze. An irresistible recipe that will have everyone coming back for more! A sibling to the popular lemon blondies, they keep for several days and can be frozen.
Servings 9 squares
Ingredients
For the strawberry lemon bars:
- ½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons strawberry puree see Instructions below
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup fresh strawberries stemmed and cut into small chunks
For the strawberry glaze:
- 1 cup powdered or icing sugar
- 1 to 2 tablespoons strawberry puree
Instructions
For the strawberry puree:
- Wash and stem 4-5 strawberries. Cut in half or quarters and process until no chunks remain.
- Use for the blondie batter and the glaze. You might not use it all. Refrigerate leftovers, covered.
For the strawberry lemon bars:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter or spray an 8-inch square baking pan.
- You can line it with a strip of parchment paper, covering the pan's bottom and two long sides. The two short sides will remain unlined but greased. This will help you remove the bars from the pan.
- Mix ½ cup unsalted butter with 1 cup sugar with a whisk until smooth.
- Add 2 eggs and integrate. Mix well, but don't beat much.
- Add 1 tablespoon lemon zest, 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, ½ teaspoon vanilla and 2 tablespoons strawberry puree. Mix until combined.
- Add the sifted 1 cup all-purpose flour and ½ teaspoon salt. You can sift them before or have the ingredients measured and sift them directly over the butter mixture (my choice). Mix just until it's all well incorporated; avoid overbeating.
- Add ½ cup fresh strawberries, cut into small chunks, and fold in carefully; avoid overmixing. Fill the prepared pan with this batter and even out the top.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, until almost set in the center. This is key so that they’re not dry.
- Let cool on a wire rack completely before glazing. To remove the blondies, run a smooth-bladed knife around the edges of the pan and then use the paper to lift the whole block of lemon brownies and transfer them to the cutting board.
For the strawberry glaze:
- Mix 1 cup powdered or icing sugar with 1 tablespoon of strawberry puree in a medium bowl. You need a glaze that is creamy and thick. Add more puree if needed, 1 teaspoon at a time, until you achieve the desired consistency.
- Spread on the cold blondies and use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to smooth it out. Let the glaze dry before cutting. Serve with sliced strawberries for a fresh twist.
- It can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 weeks. Mix well before using.
Notes
Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as possible, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend keeping track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
Eat these fruity blondies at room temperature. It will bring out the lemon flavor, and the crumb will be fudgier in my experience. I recommend eating them within the first few days of baking for a fudgier experience.
Storing: it's best to keep them in the refrigerator (for up to a week) as the glaze is softer and doesn't harden completely. I use the same pan where I baked them and cover it with plastic wrap, or an airtight container. But remember that they lose some moisture each day as the fridge dries things up.
For longer storage, leftover blondies can be frozen. Place them in a freezer-safe container in a single row. If you need to stack them, use wax paper to separate the squares.
