You Are Blessed

When life gives you lemons, make Lemon Lemony Brownies!

This Lemon Lemony Brownies recipe was shared by my pen pal. Pen pal??? Yes, we were pen pal during primary and secondary school days and thanks to Facebook, we are connected again. She was from Auckland, New Zealand and now lives in California. I met her several times when I was in Auckland in the 80s and had stayed at her place once when I was touring New Zealand with my cousin.
She had posted this recipe on FB asking anyone to make for her. She loves all lemony desserts but she doesn't bake. Well, I did that and posted the pictures to her. I made this in the wee hours of the morning and when the first morning ray shone through the house, my brownies were already cooled and glazed.
Don't you love the color of these brownies? A sunny twist to old boring muddy brown! I love everything about this lemon brownies. The light texture, sourish sweet taste and best of all the lingering lemony fragrance. Simply delicious on its own.!

Lemon Lemony Brownies
Original recipe source: unknown

Ingredients
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened(113g)
3/4 cup flour
2 eggs, large
2 tbsps lemon zest
2 tbsps lemon juice
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Glaze
4 tbsps lemon juice
8 tsps lemon zest
1 cup icing sugar(1/2 cup)

Method

• Preheat the oven to 350F(170C).
• Grease an 8 x 8 inch  baking dish with butter and set aside.
• Zest and juice two lemons and set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixture fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the flour, sugar, salt, and softened butter until combined.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice until combined. Pour it into the flour mixture and beat for 2 mins at medium speed until smooth and creamy.
• Pour into baking dish and bake for 23-25 mins (20mins), should turn golden around the edges.
• Allow to cool completely before glazing. Do not OVER BAKE or the bars will dry.
• Filter the powdered sugar and whisk with lemon zest and juice.
• Spread the glaze over the brownies with a rubber spatula and let glaze set. Cut into bars and serve.

Note: The sweetness is just right. I didn't want a thick glaze, so I reduced the icing sugar.I dusted snow powder and scatter extra lemon zest over the glaze.

What Do You Do When Life Gives You Lemons?

Life is never fair. Sometimes even under the best of circumstances life will give us a bunch of lemons. Do you expect something good when you do good? Do you squeeze those lemons to make sweet lemonade?
Are you adding God to the sweet mix of lemonade?

1 Peter 3: 13:14
Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened."

1 Peter 3:17
For it is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.

Amen?