Christmas Citrus Squares

  3.6 – 5 reviews  • Lemon
Level: Intermediate
Total: 3 hr 20 min
Prep: 20 min
Inactive: 2 hr 30 min
Cook: 30 min
Yield: 50 squares

Ingredients

  1. 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  2. 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  3. 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
  4. 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks), unsalted butter, softened
  5. 1/3 cup sugar
  6. 6 tablespoons red currant jelly
  7. 2 large eggs
  8. 2 large egg yolks
  9. 1/2 cup sugar
  10. 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
  11. 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  12. Pinch fine salt
  13. 1 cup freshly squeezed clementine juice, about 6 clementines
  14. 1 lemon, juiced (4 to 5 tablespoons)
  15. 2 clementines, zest finely grated (about 2 teaspoons)
  16. 1 lemon, zest finely grated (about 2 teaspoons)
  17. 2 clementines or 2 blood oranges, sliced and cut into small triangular pieces, for serving, optional

Instructions

  1. Butter a 9 by 12 1/2-inch baking pan. Line pan with foil and leave about 2 inches extra on all sides. Butter the foil.
  2. Whisk the flour, cornstarch, and salt together in a bowl.
  3. In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the butter with the sugar on medium, until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Turn mixer to low speed, add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not over work the dough.
  4. Transfer dough to prepared pan, spreading it out evenly across the pan and pressing to make a 1/4-inch thick covering over the bottom of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap, then press and flatten using your hands over the top to smooth and even out the dough. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
  5. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
  6. Remove the plastic from the top of the dough and prick the dough with a fork or a wooden skewer. Bake the crust until just golden, about 30 minutes.
  7. Meanwhile, melt the jelly in the microwave until soft enough to spread, about 1 minute. Spread the jelly with a pastry brush or an offset spatula over the crust. Return to the oven and cook another 10 minutes. Cool crust completely on a wire rack, 1 hour.
  8. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, yolks, sugar, sweetened condensed milk, flour, and salt together in a medium bowl. Beat until thick and slightly pale. Stir in the citrus juices and zest, and whisk gently to blend well.
  9. Pour the filling onto the cooled crust and bake until the filling is firm but still loose and wobbly in the center, about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight before cutting.
  10. Remove pan from refrigerator and dip the bottom of it in warm water to soften the butter and release the foil from the sides of the pan. Use foil to lift pastry out of the baking dish and transfer to a cutting board. Using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter, cut into about 50 (1 1/2-inch) squares, wiping down the knife with a hot, wet towel between cuts. Top each square with a tiny triangular segment of clementine or blood orange (with the peel on) and serve.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 of 50 servings
Calories 82
Total Fat 3 g
Saturated Fat 2 g
Carbohydrates 12 g
Dietary Fiber 0 g
Sugar 7 g
Protein 1 g
Cholesterol 23 mg
Sodium 23 mg

Reviews

Robert Arroyo
I found these easy to make. They are a little time consuming due to the chilling time, but otherwise simple. The taste is good – very fresh. The only downside for me is that the topping slides off the cookie crust. If I could find a way to keep that from happening, I’d make these more often. As it is, it will be an occasional recipe only. Thanks!
Melissa Rasmussen
Taste was not spectacular and did not meet expectations considering the amount of work required.
Alan Kelly
These cookies are delicious and
heavenly.
Anthony Long
These cookies were very easy to make, and the results were fantastic! They’re very rich, but so good.
Melinda Lynch
These did take quite a bit of time, but for the most part, worth the effort. Maybe my oven isn’t registering correctly or something, but I had to cook the filling portion quite a bit longer than the recipe said. It was still a bit pudding-like, but tasty nonetheless. They were a hit at the potluck lunch that I took them to today.

 

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