Recipe: Lemon Blondies

I’m still really enjoying the easy bakes in this tumultuous time, so I’m back with another easy yet delicious recipe! I don’t know what the weather is like where you are, but in the Netherlands, we’ve had nothing but sunshine lately, so I’ve started craving summery flavours. That’s why I came up with these lemon blondies: the tangy, fruity flavour is absolutely wonderful and makes me feel happy and sunny.

For me, baking is a great way to cope with stress and tension, and the easy things are my go-to these days. I whipped these blondies up in no time at all, and ended up with a clearer mind as well as something delicious. There are only four steps to this recipe, so if you’re looking for something easy and yummy to bake as well, I’d definitely recommend giving this a go.

I used the zest of one whole lemon when I baked these, but in the written recipe I went for the safe option and put down the zest of half a lemon. However, if you’re all about the lemon and don’t mind a hint of bitterness in the after taste, you can definitely add all of the zest!

You’ll need… (for 16-20 blondies)

• 120 g butter
• 150 g light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla flavouring
• zest of half a lemon
• juice of one lemon
• 175 g plain flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• a pinch of salt
• optional: icing sugar to dust
• a baking tin (mine is 20 x 24 cm)
• parchment paper (this is optional – you could just grease and flour your tin)
• and an oven, of course! These blondies need to be baked at 170 °C (don’t forget to preheat your oven!)

So, let’s get baking!

1. Mix butter and sugar Melt the butter in the microwave and then mix it together with the sugar in a large bowl using a whisk or a wooden spoon.

2. Add eggs, vanilla and lemon Next, crack the eggs of the bowl and mix them through. Also add the tablespoon of vanilla, and the lemon juice and lemon zest. Mix them all through until smooth.

3. Add dry ingredients All that’s left to do is add the dry ingredients. Add the baking powder and flour to the bowl. If they’re lumpy, sieve them first. Also add a pinch of salt and then mix everything through until you’ve got a smooth batter.

4. Bake! Grease your baking tin and line it with parchment paper (or grease and flour it). Then, transfer your batter to the tin and place it in the oven. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. When the blondies are done, take them out of the oven and let them cool in the tin for 10 to 15 minutes. Then, take them out of the tin (you can just lift them out using the parchment paper). Place the blondie on a cutting board and slice it into 16 or 20 pieces.

5. Dust with icing sugar For a bit of a fancy look, you can dust the blondies with icing sugar once they’ve cooled completely. Or, you can just eat them as they are – it’s up to you!

And that’s it! You’ve got your own lemon blondies! Enjoy!