Sophistication meets simplicity in these strikingly beautiful bars.
Blood Orange Bars
Makes about 18
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3½ cups granulated sugar, divided
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons blood orange zest
- 1 cup fresh blood orange juice
- Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line a 13×9-inch cast-iron baking pan with foil, letting excess extend over sides of pan.
- In a large bowl, beat butter and ½ cup granulated sugar with a mixer at medium speed until creamy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour and salt. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating just until combined. Press dough into bottom of prepared pan.
- Bake until crust is lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave oven on.
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, zest, juice, and remaining 3 cups granulated sugar until well combined; whisk in remaining 1 cup flour until well combined and no lumps of flour remain. Pour filling onto prepared crust.
- Bake until center is set, 40 to 50 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours. Using excess foil as handles, remove from pan, and cut into bars. Dust with confectioners’ sugar. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
