Blood Orange Bars
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Sweet and tangy Blood Orange Bars with an almond shortbread crust are the perfect dessert to serve at any party!
These blood orange bars are a great make ahead dessert for any occasion. They’re so simple to make and so fun to eat! The curd filling is made with fresh blood orange juice and a little bit of lemon juice with an almond shortbread crust to help balance out the sweetness.
Ingredient Breakdown
Almond Shortbread Crust:
All-purpose flour – provides structure.
Almond flour – provides structure and flavor. If desired, you can substitute the almond flour with all-purpose flour.
Butter – I always recommend using unsalted butter but salted butter works if that’s all you have on hand, just be sure to omit the 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
Blood Orange Curd Filling:
Granulated sugar – sweetens the curd.
Egg yolks – as the yolks cook they thicken the curd and give it structure. This omits the need for any other thickeners such as flour or cornstarch!
Blood orange juice – gives the curd its blood orange flavor.
Lemon juice – helps balance out the sugar and the blood orange juice. Always use fresh lemon juice!
Unsalted butter – makes the curd rich and creamy. You cannot substitute salted butter in the curd.
How To Make Blood Orange Bars
1. Make the almond shortbread crust: In a medium bowl whisk all-purpose flour, almond flour, granulated sugar and salt.
2. Combine melted butter with dry ingredients. Spread dough evenly across bottom of the prepared 9×13 pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. After the crust is baked reduce oven heat to 325°F.
3. Make the blood orange curd filling: While crust is baking add 1/2 of the sugar to a small pot and set aside.
4. In a medium bowl whisk the remaining sugar and the egg yolks until well combined. Set aside.
5. To the small pot add the lemon juice and whisk to combine with the sugar then bring to a boil over medium low heat.
6. Once boiling remove from heat and temper eggs by very slowly pouring 3/4 of the boiling juice into the eggs while constantly and vigorously whisking. Add the egg mixture to the pot and whisk constantly over low heat until thickened. The curd will be done when it coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and mix in cubed butter until fully incorporated.
7. Strain curd then evenly spread over the baked shortbread crust. Bake at 325°F for 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack then place in the fridge for at least 2 hours. If desired dust with confectioners’ sugar before serving.
Pro Tips For Blood Orange Bars
- Weigh your ingredients using a kitchen scale! Measuring ingredients by volume is not accurate; baking is a science after all!
- Do not use bottled lemon juice, it will not taste as good.
- Do not stop whisking curd while on heat or it will burn/curdle.
- Only use low heat to cook the curd once you add the egg yolks or it will burn/curdle.
- Strain curd after it finishes cooking to make it super smooth and silky.
- Clean knife between slices to get perfectly clean bars
What To Make With Leftover Egg Whites?
Try my Angel Food Cupcakes or S’mores Cupcakes!
If you try this recipe then please leave a rating/comment below to let me know how you liked it and feel free to ask any recipe questions you may have! 🙂
Blood Orange Bars
Equipment
- 9×13 pan
- Fine mesh sieve
Ingredients
Almond Shortbread Crust
- 240 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
- 60 g (1/2 cup) almond flour
- 100 g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 226 g ( 1 cup) unsalted butter, melted
Blood Orange Curd Filling
- 200 g (1 cup) granulated sugar
- 8 egg yolks save the whites for another recipe!
- 172 g (3/4 cup) blood orange juice, strained
- 58 g (1/4 cup) lemon juice, strained
- 113 g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cubed
Instructions
Almond Shortbread Crust
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl whisk all-purpose flour, almond flour, granulated sugar and salt.
- Combine melted butter with dry ingredients. Spread dough evenly across bottom of the prepared 9×13 pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned.
- After the crust is baked reduce oven heat to 325°F.
Blood Orange Curd Filling
- While crust is baking make the filling: Add 1/2 of the sugar to a small pot and set aside.
- In a medium bowl whisk the remaining sugar and the egg yolks until well combined. Set aside.
- To the small pot add the lemon juice and whisk to combine with the sugar then bring to a boil over medium low heat.
- Once boiling remove from heat and temper eggs by very slowly pouring 3/4 of the boiling juice into the eggs while constantly and vigorously whisking.
- Add the egg mixture to the pot and whisk constantly over low heat until thickened. The curd will be done when it coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and mix in cubed butter until fully incorporated.
- Strain curd then evenly spread over the baked shortbread crust. Bake at 325°F for 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack then place in the fridge for at least 2 hours. If desired dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.
Notes
- Weigh your ingredients using a kitchen scale! Measuring ingredients by volume is not accurate.
- Butter: I recommend using unsalted butter. You can use salted butter for the crust, just be sure to omit the 1/4 tsp salt.
- Store blood orange bars in an airtight container for up to one week in the fridge.
- The almond flour can be substituted with all-purpose flour.
