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This isn't a traditional, typical lemon bar. I liked the finished product very much. The lemon flavor is intense, but the bars have the texture of a chewy brownie... not a soft lemon curd that's more typical. My husband wasn't sold on them. He's not a lemon lover. And besides, if it isn't chocolate, it isn't a brownie in his book. LOL
LEMON BROWNIES
6 oz. white almond bark or white chocolate morsels [I used morsels.] 1/4 cup butter or margarine 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice Rind from the fresh lemon, about 1 tbsp. Few drops of yellow food color (optional) 1 cup sugar 2 large eggs, slightly beaten 1/2 tsp. lemon extract 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 1 cup plus 1 1/2 tbsp. flour 1 tsp. baking powder 3/4 tsp. salt 1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional [I used shaved almonds.] Glaze or frosting of choice, or powdered sugar for topping
In a double boiler, over low heat, carefully melt almond bark or morsels and butter.
Whisk in the lemon juice and rind, and optional food color; whisk in the sugar, eggs, and extracts. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt; add to the egg mixture using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Don't overmix... Just stir till flour incorporates evenly. Add the optional nuts. Pour into a 9x13-inch pan, well-greased on the bottom only.*
Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes. Cool completely.
OPTIONAL CHOCOLATE GLAZE: elt about 1/2 cup semi-sweet morsels with a tablespoon of butter. Drizzle on top of baked bars before cutting; spread melted chocolate over the surface.
OPTIONAL LEMON-FLAVORED GLAZE: I used a lemon-flavored powdered sugar glaze for which I have no exact measurements. These amounts are approximate: One cup of sifted powdered sugar, 1/2-1 teaspoon of unsweetened powdered lemon drink mix, and water added teaspoon by teaspoon till a drizzling consistency is reached.
*My note: The brownies stuck to the pan using this method. Next time, I'll use the foil "sling" method, where heavy duty foil is used to line the pan with a few inches of overlap on each side, so that the foil and brownies can be lifted out of the pan after baking. I will also grease and flour the foil underneath the batter to ensure they don't stick.
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