Citrus Zest Dessert Bars

Brightly colored and flavored dessert bars. These have a lightly sweet crust, with a rich creamy filling. Fresh orange and lemon zest are a fresh balance to the usually heavy flavors of the holiday season.

Steps

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Line a 9x12 baking dish with foil , leave 2 inches extra on all sides , and butter the foil.

Mix flour and cornstarch in a bowl.

In a separate bowl , beat the butter and sugar on medium until fluffy.

Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

Transfer dough to dish , spreading evenly pressing to make a 1 / 4-inch crust in bottom of pan.

Cover with plastic wrap , then press and flatten with hands to even out the dough.

Refrigerate 1 hour.

Remove the plastic from the dough and prick the dough evenly all over with a fork.

Bake crust until golden.

Meanwhile , melt jam in microwave until soft enough to spread.

Spread jam with a spatula over the crust.

Return to the oven and cook another 10 minutes.

Cool crust completely , about 1 hour.

Whisk eggs , yolks , sugar , milk , flour , and salt together in a medium bowl and beat till thickened.

Stir in juices and zest , and whisk well.

Pour the filling onto cooled crust and bake until fillin.

Ingredients

all-purpose flour, cornstarch, butter, sugar, raspberry jam, eggs, egg yolks, salt, sweetened condensed milk, orange juice, lemon juice, orange zest, lemon zest, orange peel