Grapefruit Bars with Pink Peppercorn

Grapefruit Bars with Pink Peppercorn

It’s been a whirlwind summer. In June and July I took trips to Palm Springs, Idyllwild, and Europe. As you might expect, it’s been difficult to find time to cook, and especially to formulate new recipes. But since my last two posts were on Copenhagen and London, I figured I owed you a treat. Enter: grapefruit bars.

Grapefruit doesn’t get a whole lot of love in the baking world. In fact, I rarely see recipes that incorporate it. But I had a feeling that grapefruit bars were destined for greatness, and I was right! The tart bitterness of the grapefruit is subdued by sugar and egg, and the pink peppercorns add a floral note (they aren’t spicy).

These dudes aren’t overtly grapefruity, but rather a nice, mellow citrusy spin on a classical lemon bar. They’re the perfect Summer treat, plus they’re super-cute AND easy to make. Who could ask for anything more?

Grapefruit Bars with Pink Peppercorn - Leisure Fan ClubGrapefruit Bars with Pink Peppercorn - Leisure Fan ClubGrapefruit Bars with Pink Peppercorn - Leisure Fan ClubGrapefruit Bars with Pink Peppercorn - Leisure Fan ClubGrapefruit Bars with Pink Peppercorn

Grapefruit Bars with Pink Peppercorn

Ingredients:

Crust:

  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 8 oz butter, at room temperature
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/8 tsp salt (I like Himalayan pink sea salt, but live your life)

Filling:

  • 2 tbsp grapefruit zest (2 large grapefruits were perfect for me)
  • 1 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice (use the same grapefruits you used for the zest)
  • 6 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 3 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup flour
  • Powdered sugar, for dusting
  • 1 tsp pink peppercorns

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350° F and line a 10″ x 13″ (or somewhere in that ballpark) baking dish with parchment paper.
  2. Using the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar in an electric mixer.
  3. Add the flour and salt to the creamed butter and sugar and mix until combined.
  4. Turn off the mixer and clump the dough into a ball with your hands. Break off pieces of dough and press them into the baking dish, covering the bottom of the dish with a 1/2 inch layer of dough. Then chill in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
  5. Once the dough is chilled, put it in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until it’s a taken on a slightly golden hue.
  6. Pull the crust out of the oven and let it cool while you make the filling. Leave the oven on.
  7. Whisk together the eggs, grapefruit zest and juice, sugar, and flour. Now pour this mixture onto the crust and put it back in the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until it’s set and no longer wiggly.
  8. Let your grapefruit bars cool to room temperature before dusting and cutting. In the meantime, grind or smash your pink peppercorns. I used a mortar and pestle for this, but if you have a spice grinder, that’s fine too.
  9. Once the bars have reached room temperature, dust them with powdered sugar, then scatter some ground pink peppercorn on top. Use as much or as little of the pink peppercorn as you’d like. The flavor is subtle, so it’s unlikely to be overpowering. Now cut into squares or rectangles or hexagons (again, live your life) and serve!

Note: If you’re not serving immediately or have extra bars, store them in the fridge so the filling doesn’t get too runny. I’ve been eating mine for breakfast for days now, so I know from experience that they’ll last roughly a week!

Edit: This recipe was recently featured on FeedFeed’s Holiday, Pies and Desserts post! If you end up making these, I’d love to see pictures or hear how you liked them. Feel free to tag me on Instagram or leave a comment below!         
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2 thoughts on “Grapefruit Bars with Pink Peppercorn”

  1. Pingback: Grapefruit cake | Cakes and Cupcakes | Kate the baker

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