Description
A sunny twist on the classic lemon bar. These orange squares feature a crisp, buttery shortbread base topped with a luscious, zesty orange custard, perfectly balancing sweetness with bright citrus notes for a refreshing dessert.
Ingredients
For the Shortbread Crust
- 1 cup flour (120g), 1/4 cup powdered sugar (30g)
- 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter (113g)
For the Orange Filling
- 1 1/4 cups sugar (250g), 1/4 cup flour (30g)
- 4 large eggs, 1 tbsp orange zest
- 2/3 cup fresh orange juice (159ml), optional coloring
Instructions
Crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Pulse flour, powdered sugar, salt, and cold butter until fine crumbs form. Press into an 11×7 dish and bake 18–20 mins.
Filling: Whisk sugar and flour. Add eggs one at a time, then stir in zest and juice.
Bake: Pour filling over hot crust; bake another 20 mins until set.
Cool: Cool 1 hour at room temperature, then refrigerate 1–2 hours. Dust with powdered sugar before slicing.
Notes
Zest Before Juice: Always zest oranges while they are whole and firm for better control.
Cold Butter is Key: Cold butter creates steam pockets during baking, resulting in a crisp, flaky shortbread base.
Pro Tip: Chill overnight to allow the citrus oils in the zest to fully infuse the custard for maximum flavor.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bar
- Calories: 195
- Sugar: 18
- Sodium: 55
- Fat: 8
- Saturated Fat: 5
- Unsaturated Fat: 3
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 28
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 3
- Cholesterol: 62
Keywords: orange bars recipe, citrus dessert squares, orange curd bars, shortbread crust treats, spring dessert recipes