Description
Fudgy, chewy lemon poppy seed blondies with nutty browned butter, bright lemon zest, and a delicious subtle crunch from poppy seeds. These dense bars are topped with a delicious icing lemon glaze that develops even more flavour overnight!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For Blondies
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (55g) light brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs, room temp
- 1 large egg yolk, room temp
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons (12g) lemon zest (about 2 large lemons)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (7ml) pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon (3g) fine sea salt
- 1 1/4 cups (160g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon (1g) baking powder
- 2 tablespoons (18g) poppy seeds
For Glaze
- 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) whole milk
- pinch fine sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8×8-inch metal baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two opposite sides for easy lifting later.
- Brown the butter: Place the butter in saucepan over medium heat. Swirl the pan occasionally as the butter melts, foams, and eventually develops golden-brown milk solids at the bottom. This takes about 5-7 minutes. Immediately pour the browned butter into a large heatproof mixing bowl (scrape in all those brown bits!) and let it cool for 5 minutes.
- Add both sugars to the warm browned butter and whisk vigorously for about 1 minute until the mixture looks slightly lighter and a bit fluffy. The residual heat will help dissolve the sugar.
- Add the eggs and egg yolk one at a time, whisking well after each addition until the batter is smooth and glossy.
- Whisk in the lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla, and salt. The batter might look slightly separated from the lemon juice!
- Sift the flour and baking powder together directly over the bowl, then gently fold in. When a few streaks of flour remain, add the poppy seeds and fold just until everything is evenly combined. Don’t overmix!
- Pour the batter into your prepared pan and spread it evenly into the corners. Bake for 25 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter, but definitely not clean. The edges will pull away slightly from the pan.
- Let the blondies cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before glazing.
- Make the glaze: Whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, milk, and salt in a small bowl until completely smooth. The glaze should be thick but pourable (add a tiny splash more milk if it’s too thick, or a bit more powdered sugar if too thin).
- Pour the glaze over the cooled blondies, using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to spread it evenly to the edges. Let the glaze set for 15-20 minutes before using the parchment overhang to lift the whole block out of the pan. Cut into 16 squares with a sharp knife, wiping it clean between cuts for neat edges.
Notes
- These blondies actually taste better the next day once the flavours have married. The lemon softens slightly and the browned butter notes come forward. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days, or freeze (unglazed) for up to 3 months.
- Room temperature eggs are crucial here because they emulsify better with the warm browned butter. If you forgot to take them out, place them in a bowl of warm (not hot) water for 5 minutes before cracking.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Category: Blondies
- Method: Baking