Description
Strawberry Lemon Blondies are delightful pink bars combining the sweet tartness of fresh strawberries and lemon with a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Perfect as a dessert or snack, these blondies feature a buttery base with fresh diced strawberries and a tangy lemon glaze that enhances their flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
Blondie Batter
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup diced fresh strawberries
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 Tbsp strawberry puree (about 2 large strawberries)
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice (or enough to thin the glaze to a spreadable consistency)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for baking the blondies.
- Prepare Pan: Line a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving long edges for easy lifting later. This step is optional but recommended for easy handling.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a mixing bowl, cream the unsalted butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, ensuring a smooth base for the blondies.
- Add Egg and Lemon Juice: Beat in the egg thoroughly. Once incorporated, add the fresh lemon juice and beat until combined, noting the lemon juice may not fully incorporate at this stage.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl to evenly distribute the leavening agents and seasoning.
- Mix Dry and Wet Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring until no dry flour remains and the batter is uniform.
- Fold in Strawberries: Gently fold in the diced fresh strawberries, being careful not to overmix to maintain their shape and texture.
- Spread Batter: Spread the thick batter evenly into the prepared baking pan using a large offset spatula to ensure a smooth top surface.
- Bake: Bake the blondies for 35 minutes or until the edges start to turn golden and the center is set but still moist. A toothpick inserted should come out with moist crumbs, not wet batter.
- Cool: Allow the blondies to cool completely on a wire rack before glazing to prevent the glaze from melting.
- Prepare Strawberry Puree: Trim and puree strawberries in a small food processor, then strain through a fine sieve to obtain 1 tablespoon of smooth puree.
- Make Glaze: Whisk together sifted powdered sugar, strawberry puree, and lemon juice until smooth. Adjust thickness with more sugar or lemon juice as needed for a spreadable consistency.
- Glaze Blondies: Spread the prepared glaze evenly over the cooled blondies using a spatula or knife.
- Set Glaze and Slice: Allow the glaze to set completely at room temperature before slicing into 12 bars for serving.
Notes
- Using parchment paper helps to lift the blondies out easily for glazing and slicing.
- Do not over-bake the blondies to keep them moist and tender; the center should be slightly moist when tested.
- Fresh strawberries yield the best flavor and texture; if unavailable, frozen strawberries can be used but should be thawed and drained.
- Adjust glaze consistency by adding powdered sugar to thicken or lemon juice to thin for an ideal spread.
- For a stronger lemon flavor, zest a teaspoon of lemon zest into the batter before baking.
- Store blondies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate to extend freshness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 319 kcal
- Sugar: 23 g
- Sodium: 105 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 42 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 54 mg
