Indulge in these jammy, dense strawberry lemon blondies featuring nutty brown butter and a sweet-tart strawberry glaze. They are perfectly chewy, buttery, and smell like pure sunshine.
1cuppowdered sugarsifted, measure out your sugar before sifting.
1Tbspstrawberry pureeyou will need about 2 large strawberries
1Tbsplemon juiceor just enough to thin the glaze to a spreadable consistency
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Instructions
Prep the pan and brown butter base
Heat the oven to 350F. Line a 9 inch square baking pan with parchment paper, leaving long edges for handles to make lifting and glazing easier later.
In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Continue cooking until it foams, the foam settles, and you see golden-brown specks on the bottom. Once it smells nutty and toasted, remove from heat and let it cool slightly while remaining liquid.
Mix the batter for a dense, fudgy crumb
Beat the browned butter and sugar together until the mixture looks lighter and fluffy. This builds the necessary structure without turning the bars cakey.
Beat in the egg until the batter looks smooth, then pour in the lemon juice and mix again. It may look curdled, but it will come together once the flour is added.
Whisk the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix only until you no longer see dry flour streaks.
Gently fold in the diced fresh strawberries. To prevent the fruit from sinking, you can toss the berries with a teaspoon of the measured flour before folding.
Bake and cool
Spread the thick dough evenly into the prepared pan using an offset spatula. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the edges are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs.
Cool the pan on a wire rack until the bars are completely cool to the touch. The center should feel firm but give slightly when pressed.
Strawberry lemon glaze
Puree the strawberries in a food processor and strain them to get one tablespoon of smooth puree without seeds.
Whisk the powdered sugar, strawberry puree, and lemon juice together until glossy. Adjust consistency by adding more sugar to thicken or more juice to thin it out.
Spread the glaze over the completely cooled blondies. Let the glaze set fully before slicing into squares.
Notes
Texture Secret: For the ultimate fudgy crumb, mix the batter only until the flour disappears and bake until just set with moist crumbs.Fruit Quality: Use fresh strawberries to avoid the excess moisture of frozen berries, which can cause gummy spots in the dough.Serving Tip: For bakery-sharp edges, let the glaze set completely and wipe your knife with a warm, damp cloth between every single cut.Storage Advice: Store in an airtight container for 2 days at room temperature or up to 5 days in the fridge, blotting any moisture from the lid.Nutrition information is estimated based on common ingredients and serving sizes and may vary.