Tangy Lemon Bars (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
01 -
3/4 cup white sugar
02 -
3/4 cup plain flour
03 -
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
04 -
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
05 -
1/2 cup softened butter (unsalted)
06 -
2 large eggs
07 -
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about half a lemon)
08 -
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
→ Glaze Topping
09 -
1 cup powdered sugar
10 -
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice (to get the thickness you like)
11 -
Extra lemon zest (optional, for a pop of color)
# Instructions:
01 -
Kick things off by heating the oven to 350°F (175°C). Get an 8×8 inch square pan ready by lining it with parchment paper, leaving enough extra on the sides to make lifting out easier.
02 -
Grab a medium mixing bowl and toss in your flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Give it all a good stir with a whisk until evenly mixed.
03 -
In a bigger bowl, use an electric mixer to soften up the butter. Once smooth, beat in the eggs, one by one, making sure each egg is fully mixed before the next. Throw in the lemon zest and juice, and mix everything well.
04 -
Slowly add the dry mix into the wet bowl while keeping the mixer on low speed. Stop as soon as everything is combined so the brownies stay tender. Don’t overdo it.
05 -
Pour the batter into the pan, smoothing out the top with a spatula. Bake it for 22 to 25 minutes, watching for lightly golden edges. Stick a toothpick into the middle—it’s ready when it comes out clean or with just a tiny bit of sticky crumbs. Avoid overbaking here.
06 -
While the bake cools down, grab a bowl and mix powdered sugar with lemon juice until it’s silky smooth. If it’s too thick, squeeze in a bit more juice; if it’s too thin, add some more sugar. Aim for a pourable texture.
07 -
Once the bake is fully cooled down in the pan, pour the glaze over it and even it out. For a touch of flair, sprinkle extra zest on top if you want.
08 -
After the glaze has firmed up, tug on the parchment to pull the whole slab out of the pan. Cut it up into squares or smaller bars—then dig in or share around!
# Notes:
01 -
To make the lemon taste sharper, use extra zest in the batter. You can also rub zest into the sugar with your fingers for a nice aroma before mixing everything together.
02 -
Want a bit of crunch? Try scattering some sliced almonds over the batter before it goes into the oven.
03 -
Pop these in the fridge for a cool and zesty summer treat. Eating them chilled gives a firmer texture and makes the lemon stand out even more!