Name: Texas Pink Grapefruit Bars
Total time: 6 h 15 min
Ingredients: 1 1/3 cups (6⅔ ounces/189 grams) all-purpose flour; 1/3 cup packed (2⅓ ounces/66 grams) light brown sugar; 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom; 1/8 teaspoon salt; 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter , cut into 8 pieces; 4 large eggs; 1 1/4 cups (8¾ ounces/248 grams) granulated sugar; 2 teaspoons grated zest plus ⅔ cup juice from 1 large pink grapefruit; 2 teaspoons grated lime zest plus 1 tablespoon juice from 1 lime; 1/8 teaspoon salt; 3 drops red food coloring (optional); Confectioners' sugar , for dusting

Why This Recipe Works

These grapefruit bars put a Texas twist on a traditional lemon square recipe. Adding ground cardamom to the crust of these Texas Pink Grapefruit Bars recipe enhanced the overall citrus flavor of the bar. And to easily remove the grapefruit bars from the pan after they were done cooking and cooling, we sprayed the pan with cooking spray and lined it with aluminum foil, allowing the excess to overhang pan edges. We then sprayed the foil with cooking spray. Once the bars had been baked and cooled, we used the foil overhang to easily lift the bars from the pan.

Instructions

For the crust: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 8 by 8-inch baking pan. Combine flour, sugar, cardamom, and salt in food processor. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Press mixture firmly into prepared pan. Bake until golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool slightly.

For the filling: Meanwhile, cook all ingredients except confectioners' sugar in medium saucepan over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until pudding-like consistency, 6 to 8 minutes. Strain over warm crust and spread into even layer.

Bake until filling is set, about 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours. Cut into 2-inch squares. Dust with confectioners' sugar just before serving.