Maggie Monday: Lemony Lemon Brownies

I think one of the most under appreciated ingredients is zest from a lemon, lime or orange. It brings such intense flavor to any dish where it is added and is so easy to obtain. Maggie must agree as she uses it below. Take a look…

Lately I’ve been a sucker for recipes that come across my Facebook Feed. Some of them I scroll right by, but recently I’ve been intrigued enough to bite. I’ve tried a few that you’ll see in the coming weeks. This one from Beckycharms & Co caught my eye. If it is lemon or chocolate, it will always get a second look from me.

I made these for daughter #2’s birthday. She had just graduated with her Master’s degree 4 days earlier, so we all had cake fatigue after a massive sheet cake from Costco. Don’t judge. They make great cakes. And the price is right. Anyhow… we needed something different, so I made these lemon brownies.

They rock. They are simple and so tart and sweet that your mouth will pucker big time. The texture is just perfect- moist and dense, and the glaze adds another level of sweetness that is needed.

This is a great summer dessert. If you like lemon, make these soon! Happy summer!

Lemony Lemon Brownies

What you need:

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

• 2 large eggs

• 2 tablespoons lemon zest

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

For the tart lemon glaze:

• 4 Tb lemon juice

• 1 Tb lemon zest

• 1 cup powdered sugar

What you do:

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Grease an 8×8 inch baking dish and set aside.

3. Zest and juice three large lemons and set aside.

4. In the bowl of an electric mixture fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the flour, sugar, salt, and softened butter until combined.

5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice until combined.

6. Pour it into the flour mixture and beat for 2 mins at medium speed until smooth and creamy.

7. Pour into baking dish and bake for 23-25 mins, should turn golden around the edges.

8. Allow to cool completely before glazing. Do not over bake, or the bars will dry.

9. Whisk the powdered sugar with lemon zest and juice.

10. Spread the glaze over the brownies with a rubber spatula and let glaze set.

11. Cut into bars and serve.