I have never been a very big fan of lemons, so lemon bars have never really been tempting to me. But then, I found this recipe for Orange Bars and knew I would be a fan! I love the orange flavor in both the bars and the glaze on top - it is so refreshing and yummy! I haven't experimented around too much, but I think I may mix things up next time and try to add some melted chocolate to the glaze...I just LOVE the chocolate/orange combination so I'm sure that would be delicious too!
Glazed Orange Bars
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 cup butter, softened
4 large eggs
2 tsp. orange extract
2 tsp. orange zest, divided
1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. orange juice
Spray 9X13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. This time I actually used parchment paper instead, but either way will work.
In a large bowl, combine the sugar, flour and salt.
For a long time, I was intimidated about how to zest an orange...I had no clue what that even meant! It is super easy - all you have to do is use a micro grater and grate off the outermost layer of an orange. I had a fairly large orange, and was able to get just enough zest for this recipe (2 teaspoons). Just make sure you are only getting the bright orange part and not the white stuff underneath.
Add butter, eggs, orange extract and 1 tsp. of the orange zest.
Beat at medium speed with an electric hand mixer until well blended. Spread batter into prepared pan.
Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Bars should be golden brown and set in the center. Immediately after taking them out of the oven, pierce the bars several times with a fork to help avoid sinking.
In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar, orange juice and remaning 1 tsp. of orange zest.
Stir until smooth and then pour the glaze over the bars. Cool and cut into squares.
Enjoy!
