Grapefruit Bars with Shortbread Crust (Printable Version)

Soft shortbread crust topped with bright grapefruit custard, perfectly sweet and tangy.

# What You'll Need:

01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened

02 - ½ cup granulated sugar

03 - 2 cups all-purpose flour

04 - ¼ tsp salt

05 - 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar

06 - ¼ cup all-purpose flour

07 - 4 large eggs

08 - ¾ cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice

09 - 1 tbsp grapefruit zest

10 - 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

11 - Powdered sugar, for dusting

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 softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add flour and salt, mixing until just combined.

03 - Press dough evenly into bottom of prepared pan. Bake for 18–20 minutes until lightly golden at edges.

04 - Whisk together sugar and flour. Add eggs, grapefruit juice, grapefruit zest, and lemon juice. Whisk until smooth and fully combined.

05 - Pour filling over hot crust immediately after it comes out of oven.

06 - Return pan to oven and bake for 18–22 minutes until center is just set and does not jiggle excessively.

07 - Let cool completely in pan. Lift out using parchment overhang and cut into bars.

08 - Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.

01 -

The grapefruit creates this incredible bright, zesty flavor that wakes up your whole palate without being too sour
That buttery shortbread crust balances everything perfectly, like a warm hug for your taste buds
They're stunningly beautiful with that pale yellow color and dusting of white sugar
These bars somehow feel fancy enough for a dinner party but casual enough for a Tuesday afternoon treat

02 -

Pouring the filling onto a hot crust is not optional, it helps create that seamless layer between crust and custard
The center should still have a tiny bit of movement when it comes out, it will finish setting as it cools
These absolutely need to be completely cool before cutting or you'll end up with a mess instead of neat bars
Chilling them in the fridge for an hour after they've cooled makes cutting even cleaner

03 -

Room temperature ingredients blend together more easily, so take everything out at least 30 minutes before starting
A zester or microplane gives you that perfect fine zest without reaching the bitter white pith underneath
If your filling looks slightly curdled before baking, don't panic, it will smooth out beautifully in the oven