Tests are over! Well, almost. I have one more. But it’s almost the weekend. Also, Monday is Memorial Day. How is it already Memorial Day? I feel like I associate that day with school ending because it’s our last day off before summer break.
So that means I have a long weekend to catch up on all the blog work I’ve been procrastinating and study for my last test. After Tuesday, I’m pretty much free.
It’s starting to get hotter outside which means more and more fruit coming to ballerina baker. Once I’m out from school I’ll be going to markets and farms and getting fresh produce, so that means more herby and fruity recipes headed your way!
These bars are kind of an in between recipe. They’ve got fruit but the flavor here is more centered around the chocolate. Because of that, they’re a lot richer than your typical lemon bar.
Describe These Bars to Me
Taste: Like a chocolate orange dream. If you’ve ever had a chocolate orange flavored treat, then you know what I’m talking about. The two flavors mix to create the perfect dessert. These bars are perfectly balanced between chocolate and orange, so you can taste both of them together.
Texture: The crust on these bars is buttery and a little flakey, while the filling is smooth and a little creamy. The ganache seals it all together so it’s perfectly balanced.
Ease: If you’ve made lemon bars, these are just as simple. There’s one extra layer, but it’s only a simple ganache. We love a good easy but delicious dessert for this busy time of year!
The Crust
You probably know that lemon bars usually have a buttery shortbread crust. The rich, sweet, vanilla taste cuts through the tangy lemon to give us that perfect lemon bar flavor we all know and love. Well for this recipe, I knew I wanted the same effect but sort of reversed. The orange filling is the sweetest part of this, so the bittersweet chocolate ganache pairs perfectly. It’s crumbly, buttery, chocolaty, and super simple to whip up.
The Filling
Like a lemon bar, these are filled with a creamy citrus curd. Of course, these are orange infused instead. Lemon curd works so well because the sour lemon cuts through the sugar, but we don’t have that same effect with oranges because they are naturally much sweeter. To compensate, this recipe has less sugar, plus a little added lemon juice for some sour flavor. The key to making sure the orange comes through is massaging it into the granulated sugar. This releases the flavorful oils and infuses the curd with delicious orange flavor.
The Topping
The topping for these is a classic chocolate ganache. Rich, creamy, and bittersweet to compliment the rest of the bars. I like to sprinkle mine with a little sugared orange zest (which you’ll create in the filling) for a little hint at what’s in these bars.
Chocolate Orange Bars
Ingredients
Chocolate Crust
- 1 cup unsalted butter melted
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¾ cup + 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
Orange filling
- 1⅔ cup granulated sugar
- zest of one orange ( about 2 Tablespoons)
- 6 Tablespoons all purpose flour
- ¾ cup fresh orange juice
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 6 large eggs
- a pinch of salt
Ganache
- 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate finely chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- a pinch of salt
Instructions
Start by making the crust
- Preheat the oven to 325℉. Line a 9×13 inch baking dish with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to help you lift the finished bars out of the pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Using a spatula, fold in the flour and cocoa powder. The dough will be thick and somewhat greasy. Press the dough into the prepared baking pan in an even layer. Poke the top of the crust all over with a fork (this is called docking and it helps the filling stick and prevents large air bubbles). Bake for 22-25 minutes. Keep the oven on once you take the crust out, we'll need it to bake the filling.
- While the crust bakes, prepare the sugar. In a medium sized bowl, rub the orange zest into the sugar. This helps release the flavorful oil in the zest. Let it sit while the crust bakes.
Once the crust is baked, make the filling
- While the crust cools a little, make the filling. Sift the flour into a large bowl. Then, sift in the orange sugar. This will remove the clumps of zest, but the sugar should still look yellow. Save that sugary zest! I like to sprinkle it on top of the finished bars. Whisk together the sifted sugar and flour. Then, whisk in the orange juice, lemon juice, eggs, and salt until smooth.
- Pour over the slightly cooled crust and carefully return to the oven to bake for 25-30 minutes. The center should be set and shouldn't jiggle when the pan is tapped. Allow the bars to cool in the pan at room temperature for 1 hour, before transferring to the fridge to chill (still in the pan) for 2 hours before you add the ganache.
Make the ganache
- Place the chopped chocolate in a medium sized heat safe bowl. Set aside. In a saucepan, heat the cream over medium heat until simmering (not boiling, that's too hot!). Once simmering, pour over the chocolate and let it sit undisturbed for 3-5 minutes to soften the chocolate. Then, gently stir until you have a thick glossy ganache. Stir in the vanilla and salt. If you have clumps, set your bowl over a pot of simmering water and stir constantly to melt the chocolate.
- Pour the ganache on top of the chilled bars and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle with the previously reserved sugared orange zest. Chill the bars for 2 more hours. Finally, use the parchment overhang to lift the bars out of the pan and place on a cutting board to slice into bars. Cover and store leftover bars in the fridge for up to 5 days.