Summer is here and as much as I love chocolate in all its many incarnations, warm weather calls for treats that are a bit lighter and brighter than my favorite winter fare. The higher temperatures also mean we’re less likely to gravitate towards large treats, preferring instead to savor smaller bites and brighter flavors. This dessert fits that bill in all ways and more.
These may be mix based, but I guarantee that you’ll overlook that once you’ve gotten a taste of these little explosions of flavor. There is simply nothing here not to love. Every bite is an immersion in all that is wonderful about lemon. Tart, sweet and tangy with just a hint of saltiness in the glaze. Eating one of these bars is sort of like drinking lemonade mixed with rocket fuel. It’s an unforgettable experience.
Simple, wonderful and light. Perfect for the summer no matter where you are. Please give this recipe a try. And if you make something like it, feel free to leave a link in the comments.
Glazed Lemon Wedges
Ingredients
Cookies:
- 1 box super moist recipe yellow cake mix
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 2 tbsp lemon zest
- 1 egg
Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 pinch kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. (325 degrees for dark or nonstick pans.)
- Grease sides and bottoms of 2 8-inch round cake pans and dust with flour. Mix glaze and set aside.
- Beat cake mix, butter, 2 tbsp lemon zest and egg in a large bowl with an electric mixer on low speed until crumbly. Beat on medium speed until dough forms. Press half of dough into each pan. (Note: dough will be roughly the consistency of putty.)
- Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until edges are just browned. Cool 10 minutes.
- spoon glaze over warm shortbread and spread to edge of pans. allow to cool completely (about an hour) before cutting into wedges.
- Share and Enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 137Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 18mgSodium: 198mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 0gSugar: 14gProtein: 1g
What I would have done Differently had I thought of it at the time:
A bit more salt in the glaze is all I can imagine. Aside from that only willpower is keeping me from another one.
Links to other recipes like this:
- Meyer Lemon Shortbread Cookies, from Gourmet Girl
- Snazzy Lemon Shortbread, from Culinary in the Desert Country
I’m with you on not being quite as fond of chocolate when it’s hot. These sound yummy. Unfortunately, I’d have no trouble taking very large bites. ; ) Been enjoying your tweets on the impending move. Certainly hope all goes well for you.
kellypea,
it’s not the large bites, it’s the small wedges. Of course there’s nothing stopping you from going back for seconds.. thirds… fourths… Ah! what the heck. Just go ahead and indulge!
Those look great! I choose lemon desserts over chocolate any time of the year, so this one’s perfect for me :-)
I’m going to try these out tonight, they look great. I’m a big fan of cake mix cookies. Here is my recipe, I call it Cherry Cordial Cookies:
1 pkg cherry cake mix
3/4 cup softened butter or margarine
2 eggs
1 cup chocolate chips
Mix all the ingredients together and drop by teaspoon onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Top each cookie with half a maraschino cherry and bake in pre-heated 350°F oven for 10-12 minutes.