Grapefruit Bars Citrus Shortbread (Printable View)
Buttery shortbread crust topped with tangy grapefruit custard, perfectly balanced between sweet and tart flavors.
# Ingredient List:
→ Shortbread Crust
01 - 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, softened
02 - ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
03 - 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
04 - ¼ teaspoon salt
→ Grapefruit Filling
05 - 1 ¼ cups (250 g) granulated sugar
06 - ¼ cup (30 g) all-purpose flour
07 - 4 large eggs
08 - ¾ cup (180 ml) freshly squeezed grapefruit juice (about 2 grapefruits)
09 - 1 tablespoon grapefruit zest
10 - 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (about ½ lemon)
→ Finishing
11 - Powdered sugar, for dusting
# How to Prepare:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal.
02 - In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar for the crust until light and fluffy. Add flour and salt, mixing until just combined.
03 - Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 18–20 minutes or until lightly golden at the edges.
04 - While the crust bakes, prepare the filling. In a separate bowl, whisk together sugar and flour. Add eggs, grapefruit juice, grapefruit zest, and lemon juice. Whisk until smooth and fully combined.
05 - Pour filling over the hot crust immediately after it comes out of the oven.
06 - Return pan to the oven and bake for 18–22 minutes, or until the center is just set (it should not jiggle excessively).
07 - Remove from the oven and let cool completely in the pan. Once cooled, lift out using the parchment overhang and cut into bars.
08 - Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The grapefruit brings this sophisticated floral note that lemon bars just dont have
- That buttery crust crumbling under the silky filling is absolute perfection
- They manage to be both impressive and incredibly simple to pull together
02 -
- Pour the filling over the hot crust, not a cooled one, or they wont bind together properly
- The center should barely tremble when you take them out, overbaked filling gets rubbery and loses that silky texture
- Room temperature ingredients blend more smoothly, so take that butter and eggs out ahead of time
03 -
- Zest your grapefruit before juicing them, its so much easier to handle the whole fruit first
- Room temperature eggs incorporate more smoothly into the filling, no streaks of white