I love citrus! I love to eat it and drink it and I especially love it in desserts! So when I spotted these citrus bars in the April 2011 issue of Everyday Food Magazine, I knew they were a must try. Unlike most bars of their type, they combine the flavor of three citrus fruits instead of just lemon. It makes them a little sweeter, but very refreshing.
They are not the quickest easiest dessert out there, but by the time you are done zesting and juicing, the aroma of citrus in your kitchen will be worth the work! They are delicious and perfect for any celebration!
CITRUS BARS
Ingredients
for the crust:
-2 1/2 cups ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR, plus more for rolling
-1 teaspoon SUGAR
-1/2 teaspoon COARSE SALT
-1 cup cold unsalted BUTTER, cut into small pieces
-1/4 to 1/2 cup ICE WATER
for the filling:
-1/2 cup FRESH GRAPEFRUIT JUICE
-2 Tablespoons finely grated ORANGE ZEST, plus 1/2 cup FRESH ORANGE JUICE
-2 Tablespoons finely grated LEMON ZEST, plus 1/2 cup FRESH LEMON JUICE
-1 3/4 cups SUGAR
-5 large EGGS, lightly beaten
-POWDERED SUGAR, for dusting
Directions
Make crust: In a food processor, pulse flour, sugar, and salt until combined. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea sized pieces of butter remaining. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup ice water. Pulse just until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed (if necessary, add 1/4 cup more ice water, 1 Tablespoon at a time). Do not over mix. Form dough into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour (or up to overnight).
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to a 12-by-16 inch rectangle (patch any holes well). Place in a 10-by-14-by-1 inch rimmed jelly-roll pan with dough going up the sides; trim overhang. Prick dough all over with a fork and freeze until firm, 20 minutes. Line dough with parchment paper, leaving overhang on all sides. Fill with pie weights or dried beans.* Bake until edges are dry, about 15 minutes. Remove parchment and weights; bake until bottom is dry and flaky, about 10 minutes.
Make filling: In a medium bowl, whisk together citrus zests and juices, sugar, and eggs until well combined. Pour into crust and bake until custard is just set in center, about 15 minutes. Let cook completely in pan on a wire rack, 1 hour. To serve, dust with powdered sugar and cut into squares. Refrigerate, tightly wrapped in plastic, up to 3 days.
*I used foil instead of parchment paper and pennies instead of pie weights.This post is linked to Sweet Tooth Friday, Sweet Indulgences Sunday, Everyday Sisters Sharing Sunday and Ingredient Spotlight
I love that you’re using grapefruit juice instead of lemon juice. I’m a huge fan of lemon bars but would love to try these. I like all kinds of citrus desserts. Please considering posting these on my linky party at Sweet Indulgences Sunday on A Well-Seasoned Life.
http://www.wellseasonedlife.com/2011/05/sweet-indulgences-sunday-3.html
Kim
These look like the perfect picnic dessert.
I would like to invite you to join in on a WEEKLY RECIPE LINK PARTY I host on my blog.
http://larkscountryheart.blogspot.com/
“Made it on Monday”…links are open every WED.-SAT.
Hope you will join in on the fun 🙂
The perfect citrus dessert. I love that you use 3 different types of citrus. Thank you for linking up again this week.
Ellen
loving the mix of citrus here, can’t wait to try these! love, love, love this blog.