Lemon Strawberry Blondies

It's been hard getting back into the swing of things, but I had been planning to make these bars for a long time. The original recipe calls for butter, but I used vegan butter (margarine) so that my friend who is dairy free could enjoy them also. You do have to be careful with strawberries as you don’t want them to be too ripe. I bought the strawberries just before I wanted to make the bars.

This recipe is a little smaller than I typically make, as it uses a 9” square pan rather than a 9” x 13” pan. I could have adjusted the recipe but I figured the 9” square would be sufficient. It’s nearing the end of the year and it’s pretty quiet at work. These bars are very cake like, so that’s just something that you must work with. The bars are soft, like a cake, and the strawberries add a little zing. I never know how big to cut the strawberries, and I think they could have been slightly smaller. I stored the bars in the refrigerator as they are so soft and the strawberries are wet. These bars have a great strawberry flavor and the lemon is subtle but noticeable.

Lemon Strawberry Blondies

1 cup butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2 1/4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup diced fresh strawberries

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon strawberry puree

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9” square baking pan with foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large mixer bowl, beat the butter and sugar on medium until smooth. Add the egg and beat again on medium. Add the lemon juice and stir to combine. The mixture may look curdled, but it will smooth out.

Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and mix on low to combine. Add the diced strawberries and stir with a spatula until combined. Spread the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the bars are set along the edges. Allow the cookies to cool completely before icing.

Make the icing: puree the strawberries in a food processor and the strain to get the juice/puree. In a medium bowl whisk together the powdered sugar, strawberry puree and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Spread the smooth glaze over the cooled bars. Allow the glaze to set before cutting into bars.

Recipe from The View from Great Island