Recipe adaptation continues! These frosted lemon almond blondies use the base from my Scandinavian blondies, but omit the sliced almonds on top in favor of a delicious lemon almond buttercream.

I know, you’re thinking, buttercream on a blondie? But seriously, it works. These treats have an almost cake-like texture, rather than the more cookie-like blondie. Next time, I’ll toast some sliced almonds – or perhaps toss them with some water and sugar to caramelize them a bit –  and add them on top of the frosting. Lemon and almond are two of my favorite flavors on their own, but when you combine them in these treats, they are absolutely dynamite.

Ingredients

For the bars

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
• zest of 1 medium lemon
• 8 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds

For the frosting

• 4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
• 1 2/3 cup powdered sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract
• 2 teaspoons milk

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease an 8 x 8 square baking pan.

In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat eggs until light colored and thick. Add sugar and salt, continuing to beat until shiny and pale yellow.

Add extracts, zest, melted butter, and 1/2 cup of the flour, folding in gently. Fold in remaining 1/2 cup of flour.

Pour batter into prepared pan, spreading with a spatula to create an even top.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the edges begin to pull away from the sides of the pan and are a very light golden color. Remove from oven and cool in pan before frosting.

To make frosting, place butter in a mixer and beat for 2 minutes, until smooth. Add powdered sugar and beat on low, then medium speed, until all the sugar is incorporated into the butter; this will take several minutes, and you’ll want to scrape the sides of the bowl a few times. Add extracts and milk, beating for 2-3 minutes until smooth and spreadable. Frost bars, then cut into squares. Store at room temperature for 3-4 days. Makes 16.

Preparation