Glazed Light Lemon Brownies
Glazed Light Lemon Brownies
Delicious brownies with less calories than most desserts! Moist and lemony make these the best treat. Glaze adds just that perfect YUMMY flavor too! Can be made gluten free too!!
Glazed Light Lemon Brownies
Yield: 12 – 16 bars
Ingredients:
1 cup flour, regular or gluten free
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
Glaze:
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
Equipment needed:
8x8 inch square baking pan
Stand up mixer (or hand mixer)
Measuring cups, dry and liquid
Measuring spoons
Rubber spatula
Parchment paper
Microplane grater
Citrus juicer
Wire whisk or fork
Small mixing bowl
Knife for cutting bars
My hubby loves lemon! I was planning an informal dinner party and thinking what easy dessert I should make. My hubby says... Lemon Cake! I told him I wouldn’t make a whole cake, but come up with an alternative... These brownies were born!! These yummy bars use very few ingredients you don’t already have in your kitchen. Takes about an hour to make, bake and cool. Perfect light treat with half the fat of normal brownies! Applesauce is subbed for half the fat, keeping them moist and light. Need them Gluten free? No problem…Just substitute gluten free flour and add 2 more tablespoons to help with the texture. Grab your lemons and zester... let’s bake!!
Preheat oven to 350 F.
This recipe takes two lemons, zested and juiced. The juice and zest are divided between the cake and the glaze. You might need extra juice depending on how juicy the lemons. Most lemons have about 2-3 tablespoons of juice... kinda depends on the lemon and amount of rind. Using a microplane grater, remove only the yellow part of the rind. Use a plate or piece of waxed paper to catch zest. Juice lemons. Set juice and zest aside.
Begin by creaming together butter, sugar, eggs, and applesauce. Blend on low until mixed well. While mixer is blending ingredients, cut a piece of parchment paper to line inside of 8-inch square pan. Butter or spray pan first. To measure parchment, place pan on top of paper and trace with a pencil or allow it to overlap for easy lifting of bars from pan. Lay paper in buttered pan.
Next to the dry team... Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in small bowl and stir well. Add to ingredients in mixer and blend well for 30 seconds. Add lemon juice and rind. Mix for another minute on medium low speed until well blended.
Last step is to pour the batter into buttered, lined pan. Level batter before placing in preheated 350 F oven. Bake for 26 – 30 minutes. Don’t over bake. Allow pan to cool before glazing bars.
Measure out ingredients needed for glaze. If extra lemon juice is needed, bottled lemon juice is fine! Mix powdered sugar, lemon juice and rind in small mixing bowl until well blended. Pour over cooled bars and spread to edges. Sprinkle with remaining zest. Allow to cool until glaze has hardened for 2 – 3 hours or overnight. Cut into 12 – 16 pieces taking care not to rip bars or glaze.
Don’t they look yummy? I always make sure I “accidentally” (on purpose) make one square uneven or broken... Test taste time!! These bars are soooo yummy and moist... it will be difficult to eat only one! Enjoy!!