Lemon & Poppy Seed Blondies with Blackcurrant Glaze

Prep the Oven and Pan

1. Preheat your oven to 175°C (160°C fan). Grease a 20x20 cm square baking tin and line it with baking paper, leaving some overhang on the sides.

Make the Blondie Batter

2. In a large bowl, whisk the melted unsalted butter and caster sugar together until well combined.
3. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, followed by the lemon zest and 2 tablespoons of the fresh lemon juice, until the mixture is smooth.
4. Gently fold in the plain flour, poppy seeds, and salt using a spatula just until combined. Do not overmix.

Bake

5. Spread the batter evenly into your prepared baking tin.
6. Bake for 20–22 minutes until the edges are lightly golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
7. Remove from the oven and allow the blondies to cool completely in the tin.

Prepare the Blackcurrant Glaze

8. In a small saucepan, combine the frozen blackcurrants and water. Simmer over medium heat for 3–4 minutes, crushing the berries with a spoon to release their rich purple juice.
9. Press the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl to discard the skins and seeds, leaving you with a smooth syrup.
10. Whisk the icing sugar and the remaining 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice into 2 tablespoons of the warm blackcurrant juice until you get a thick, glossy, pourable purple glaze.

Glaze and Slice

11. Lift the cooled blondies out of the tin using the baking paper overhang.
12. Pour the vibrant blackcurrant glaze over the top, spreading it evenly. Let the glaze set for 15 minutes before slicing into squares to serve.