It’s finally summer! Summer is an amazing season. And these strawberry lemon cookie bars are an amazing treat for summer! They are easy, delicious, and best eaten frozen. Yeah, it’s like a cookie popsicle. You have to try this recipe today! Before we begin, let me share a few things you need to know.
How to Bake these Strawberry Lemon Cookie Bars
The Cookie Dough
- First, you have to preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Also, line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper or grease it.
- Next, mix the sugar, butter, egg yolk, flour, baking powder, salt, and vanilla. It should be like dry shortbread cookie dough. That’s what we want! The strawberries add a lot of moisture to the cookie dough!
- Chop up 5-6 strawberries to get a cup of chopped strawberries. That’s how many strawberries it took me to get a cup, but obviously, you may need more or fewer. Zest one lemon to get one tablespoon of lemon zest. Again, that’s what I got, so you may need another lemon. Dry the strawberries on a paper towel so that they don’t add too much moisture to the cookie dough.
Baking, Glaze, Serving, Storing
- Fold in the strawberries and lemon zest into the cookie dough. This should make the cookie dough less dry. Press it into the 8×8 baking dish. Spread it out with a spatula to make it even. If it’s too sticky, you can grease the spatula to spread it out evenly.
- Now you have to bake it in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes. Yeah, it takes a long time, but it’s worth it. It can be a bit tricky to tell when the cookie bars are done, but one sign is that the edges are browned. Another sign is that the middle looks set. If you have to use a toothpick to test the middle, do it. You don’t want raw strawberry lemon cookie bars! Let it cool completely. This took me about 20 minutes.
- While the cookie bars cool, make the glaze. Mix powdered sugar, softened butter, softened cream cheese, milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla or almond extract. It should form a glaze. And if you want the glaze to be yellow, add a bit of turmeric. It’s amazing!
- Once the bars are cool on top, spread the glaze over the cookie bars. You can top it with more strawberries, as I did. You can even add more lemon zest. Let this cool in the fridge or freezer. I let it be in the freezer. The icing should set after 10 minutes in the freezer, but I wanted mine to be frozen, so I waited longer. I love frozen desserts a lot! It’s perfect for summer treats.
- Cut the frozen or chilled cookie bars into nine slices and serve cold. If you plan to keep them in the freezer for a long time, make sure to cover them with plastic wrap! Enjoy them!
That’s how to make these cookie bars! So, let me answer some questions you may have!
FAQs:
Can I speed up the baking time by increasing the temperature to 375? Please don’t. You want the inside to be cooked without burning the outside!
Can I use freeze-dried strawberries instead? This recipe is made for fresh strawberries, so I wouldn’t recommend it. But if that’s all you have, try adding a teaspoon of milk. I hope it turns out!
How dry do the strawberries have to be? You want there to be no excess liquid. Dabbing them with a paper towel gets the job done! But remember that they will still add moisture to the cookie dough.
What do I do if my glaze texture isn’t right? If the glaze is too runny, add more powdered sugar. Too stiff? Add a dash of milk.
Can I freeze them on popsicle sticks to make summer cookie bar popsicles? Sure! Insert the popsicle stick after the icing has hardened, but before they fully freeze.
Related Posts:
- Summer Trivia– test your knowledge of the best season!
- My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies– another amazing cookie recipe with browned butter!
- What Dog Breed Are You Personality Quiz– this takes a while to bake, so why not take some personality quizzes in the meantime?
- Rocky Road Trail Mix– if you’re sad that you can’t take frozen desserts like these cookie bars to events, this is the recipe for you! Make this rocky road trail mix for your next summer road trip!
Time to Bake!
I hope I’ve given you enough knowledge and answered all your questions! If you have any more questions, feel free to comment on them. I’ll answer you as soon as I can! Ok, now, I hope you love this recipe as much as I do! It’s the perfect treat for any summer afternoon! They’re easy, delicious, and refreshing like lemonade. Alright, let’s bake, girlies!
Strawberry Lemon Cookie Bars for Summer
Ingredients
For the Cookie Dough
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup softened butter
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup chopped strawberries about 5-6 strawberries
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
For the Glaze
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons softened butter
- 2 tablespoons softened cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8×8 baking dish with parchment paper.
- Mix sugar, softened butter (about 8 seconds in the microwave), egg yolk, flour, baking powder, salt, and vanilla with a wooden spoon or spatula. After fully combined, mix in the chopped strawberries and lemon zest. Make sure the strawberries are dry enough.1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup softened butter, 1 egg yolk, 1 cup chopped strawberries, 1 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- Press the cookie dough into the baking dish and bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes or until the edges are golden and the center is cooked.
- While the cookie bars are cooling, make the glaze by mixing powdered sugar, softened butter, softened cream cheese, milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla or almond extract, and optional turmeric for color.2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons softened butter, 2 tablespoons softened cream cheese, 1 tablespoon milk, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract, 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- When the cookie bars are cool, spread the glaze over the top of the cookie bars. Let the bars sit in the fridge until the frosting I set. I put my cookie bars in the freezer, and they are so good frozen! It’s the perfect summer treat.
Thank you so much for trying out my strawberry lemon cookie bars recipe for summer! If you tried this recipe, tell me in the comments section below. Tell me if you like these frozen as much as I do. Ok, that’s all. Bye, girlies!
About Danya Grace
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