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lemon brownies recipe

Lemon Brownies Recipe

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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: International
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3/4 cup  unsalted butter 
  • 3/4 cup  granulated sugar
  • 2 large  eggs  room temperature
  • 1/4 cup  fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 1 1/4 cups  all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon  baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon  sea salt
  • 1 cup  powdered sugar for the glaze
  • 2 tablespoons  fresh lemon juice

Method
 

  1. Start by beating your softened butter and granulated sugar together in a large bowl. You want the mixture to be smooth and pale.
  2. Once your butter and sugar are ready, it is time to add the eggs and the lemon components. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. This helps build a stable emulsion. Now, pour in your fresh lemon juice and add the zest.
  3. In a separate small bowl, whisk together your all-purpose flour, baking powder, and sea salt. Slowly add the flour mixture to your wet ingredients. Use a spatula to fold the batter gently by hand rather than using an electric mixer.
  4. You want to stir just until you no longer see white streaks of flour. The batter should be thick, glossy, and smell strongly of citrus.
  5. Preheat your oven to 350°F. For this recipe, an 8×8 inch square baking pan is the ideal size. To ensure a professional-grade finish, line the pan with parchment paper, leaving a little bit of an overhang on the sides.
  6. Grease the parchment paper lightly with butter or cooking spray. Pour the thick batter into the pan and use your spatula to spread it evenly into the corners.
  7. Slide the pan into the center rack of the oven. Bake the brownies for 20 to 25 minutes. You are looking for the edges to turn a very light golden brown and for the top to look set.

Glaze

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and the remaining lemon juice. The glaze should be thick but still pourable. If it is too thin, add a little more sugar; if it is too thick, add a few more drops of juice.
  2. Once the brownies are at room temperature, pour the glaze over the top. Use a spoon to spread it all the way to the edges.
  3. Let the glaze set for at least thirty minutes before you try to cut the bars.

Notes

The biggest mistake is using bottled lemon juice. Bottled juice often has a bitter aftertaste that can ruin the delicate flavor of the butter and sugar. Always reach for fresh lemons. Another issue is using cold eggs.
Cold eggs can cause the melted butter to seize up, leading to an uneven batter. Take your eggs out of the fridge thirty minutes before you start baking.