Lemon Mascarpone Blondies

I saw this recipe on Simply Recipes a few weeks ago and knew it wouldn't be long before I made it, seeing as it hits my major non-chocolate sweet spots: brown sugar, lemon, tangy cheese... I wanted to bring something sweet over to a friend's last night and this seemed like just the thing. (Turns out it was! Also turns out that I love Dr. Who! Why didn't anyone tell me it's funny?)

These were delicious, especially those caramelized crusty corners, and I'll definitely be making them again, though probably with a few tweaks. In an absolutely ideal world, I'd like the lemon flavor to be a little be stronger. I'm also wondering how they'd be if I substituted cream cheese for the mascarpone, if maybe using a slightly stronger cheese would balance out additional lemon. Or even thick, strained yogurt — the lebany at Sahadi's is so thick you can practically cut it with a knife. And it would stand up to a LOT of lemon (my preferred quantity where lemon is concerned). Also, I was thinking that blackberries or raspberries might make a nice addition. Or a very thin layer of a very tart glaze. I have my work cut out for me, you see. These questions are not going to answer themselves.

I'll post my adapted recipe(s?) eventually but in the meantime, since I made these exactly as written, you can find the original here.

[originally posted on my old food blog 9.14.2008]