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I’ve heard people say that if a dessert isn’t made of chocolate then it’s not worth eating, but I’m going to have to go ahead and emphatically disagree with that statement. I love chocolate just as much as the next person, but there’s a whole world out there of sweet treats that focus on other flavors that are just as worthy of your tastebuds’ attention… Take blondies, for instance. And in particular, these Strawberry Lemon Blondies. They’re all at once sweet and tart and moist and they’re a very welcome departure from your usual basic fudgy brownie.

These still have a moist and fudgy texture, but they’re flavored with fresh strawberries and lemon juice, so each bite has a bright and sunny kind of comfort to it. They’re easy to make; it’s just a quick batter of the usual baking suspects (melted butter, sugar, eggs, flour, and baking powder) with some lemon juice and chopped strawberries folded in.

You can mix that all up in one bowl, and if you’re anything like me, you truly appreciate a one bowl baking recipe. Because less dishes to wash is always a good thing. The batter is thick, so you’ll need to spread it out into the baking pan with a spatula before you pop these in the oven. They bake for thirty minutes or so, and while that happens you whip up a lovely pink-hued glaze for the top.

That glaze echoes the strawberry-lemon flavor in the blondies and is made up of just three things – powdered sugar, strawberry jam, and lemon juice. You can use strawberry jam or jelly or preserves here… it’s just a matter of what texture you’d like the glaze to have. If you’d like a smoother glaze, you can always take a second to puree up the jam a bit before mixing it up with the other ingredients.

Sometimes it doesn’t take a whole lot to switch up your dessert routine for the better. With a couple of key ingredients, these simply sweet bars prove the power of keeping things fresh.

Serves 10-12

45 minutes

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Ingredients
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup fresh strawberries, diced
  • For the glaze:
  • 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 tablespoon strawberry jam or jelly
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice, or more as needed
Preparation
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 9x9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, so that paper overhangs two edges slightly.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the butter and sugar and stir until well combined.
  3. Add the eggs, one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Add lemon juice and stir.
  4. Add flour, baking powder, and salt, and stir until combined. (Can add in batches if necessary.)
  5. Gently stir in strawberries.
  6. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. Bake until just beginning to turn golden brown, 30-35 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center will be moist but not wet. Let cool on wire rack.
  7. While bars cool, whisk together the powdered sugar, jelly or jam, and lemon juice until smooth. If too thin, add a bit more sugar. If too thick, add a bit more lemon juice.
  8. Spread evenly over cooled blondies and slice once glaze has set. Enjoy!

Adapted from The View From Great Island.