Lemon Brownies...that are lemony but not like brownies

I've been on Pinterest again. I was looking to try something new, something different, and I saw a recipe I'd pinned ages ago for some "lemon brownies". Clicking on it, the link was outdated and broken, but I googled a bit more and found a separate recipe.

"These should be great!" I thought. "They'll be chewy and fudgy like a brownie, but with the zest of lemon flavour! Crusty on the outside, chewy in the middle! They'll be heavenly!"

Errrrm...no...they weren't. At least, I don't think so as I didn't technically eat any, but I did poke and prod and sniff them quite a bit. The good news is, my non-discerning family like them. They basically were just heavy, syrupy, slightly rubbery lemon bricks. They were not chewy in the right way. They were not pleasingly crusty. They were not what I would call "lemon brownies". I'm not saying that lemon brownies don't exist somewhere out there in the ether, it's just that this recipe wasn't them.

I didn't melt the butter, I just cut the room temperature butter into the flour and sugar.

And in a separate bowl went eggs, lemon juice and zest. Then they met each other in the big bowl. At first it was ugly.

But then it looked nice and cake battery.

So into the tin it went.

My assistant was given the task of cleaning the bowl.

And the mix came out of the oven looking like this. Not particularly brownie looking - just looked like a normal thin tray bake.

I mixed a glaze in a separate bowl, but it seemed too runny to me

Indeed, when I put it on, it just sat on the top. I had to wait a good few hours for it to set at all.

And when I finally attacked it, it looked like this. 

Errr...not so great. That said, my family has happily demolished them so just not my thing maybe.

I got my recipe here, and have just copied and pasted it below too. But still I wonder...do lemon brownies really exist somewhere???

Ingredients

For the Brownie

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup flour
• 2 eggs, large
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

For the tart lemon glaze

• 4 tablespoons lemon juice
• 8 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1 cup icing sugar

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease an 8×8 inch baking dish with butter and set aside.
3. Zest and juice two lemons and set aside.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixture fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the flour, sugar, salt, and softened butter until combined.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice until combined.
6. Pour it into the flour mixture and beat for 2 mins at medium speed until smooth and creamy.
7. Pour into baking dish and bake for 23-25 mins, should turn golden around the edges.
8. Allow to cool completely before glazing. Do not overbake, or the bars will dry.
9. Filter the powdered sugar and whisk with lemon zest and juice.
10. Spread the glaze over the brownies with a rubber spatula and let glaze set.
11. Cut into bars and serve.