Recipe: Lemon Brownies

I describe today's recipe as a spring brownie—light, refreshing flavor with the same rich, dense texture of a regular brownie. These are not lemon bars, these are lemon brownies (you know, minus the brown). Whip up a batch for Mother's Day this weekend and you won't be sorry. These little squares of sunshine would be perfect as a light dessert, or even a sweet side for a Mother's Day breakfast or brunch. They are delicious warm out of the oven and just as good days later at room temperature. Lemon Brownies adapted from Rita's Recipes 1 1/2 cups flour 1 1/2 cups sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup butter, softened 4 eggs juice of 1 lemon zest of 1 lemon Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9x13 baking dish with butter or non-stick spray. In a large mixing bowl, stir the flour, sugar and salt together. Add the softened butter and mix until you have a thick, combined dough (almost like a sugar cookie dough). In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, lemon juice, and zest together, then add to the flour mixture. Mix for several minutes on medium speed until batter becomes light and fluffy. Transfer batter to the baking dish and spread evenly. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove and allow to cool for 10 minutes before adding glaze. (Recipe below.) Lemon Glaze 1 cup powdered sugar 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon lemon zest Directions Whisk all ingredients together until smooth and creamy. Pour evenly over still-warm brownies, using a spatula to reach all four corners of the pan. Allow brownies to cool to room temperature before cutting and serving.