Chocolate Orange Shortbread Bars
These bite-size dessert delicacies are the perfect way to end your day! Shortbread is already tasty on its own, but with a little added citrus flair from Uncle Matt’s Organic Orange Juice, plus chocolate, you’ve got yourself your new favorite sweet treat. Slice these up for evening goodies all week long!
Makes 9-12
Ingredients:
Shortbread crust:
- 1 cup salted organic butter, softened to room temperature (2 sticks)
- 2 cups organic all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup organic granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon organic orange zest
- 1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract
Orange jam:
- 2 1/2 cups organic orange segments, (~6 -7 large oranges)
- 1/4 cup Uncle Matt’s Organic Orange Juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed organic lemon juice
- 1/3 cup organic granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon organic orange zest
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Topping:
- 1/2 cup organic chocolate chunks
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350˚ F. Grease an 8” x 8” and line with parchment paper.
- Supreme cut the oranges, removing the skin, pith, membranes, and any seeds.
- Whisk the cornstarch into the orange juice until no lumps remain. Add the orange slices to a small saucepan with the orange and cornstarch mixture, lemon juice, sugar, and orange zest and stir well. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer for around ~45 minutes, until the jam has reduced by half to about 1 1/4 cups. Remove from heat and let coolin the refrigerator (the jam will thicken as it cools).
- To make the shortbread, stir together the flour, sugar, and cornstarch in a large mixing bowl. Cut butter into smaller pieces into the dry ingredients and add zest and vanilla.
- Press ⅔ of the dough into the bottom of the pan.
- Spread the orange mixture evenly over the top. Sprinkle the remaining dough over the top and top with chocolate chunks.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let the bars cool completely before slicing.