Nothing beats a good, juicy orange.

Lately, I have been enjoying a variety of oranges I don’t seldomly have. A few weeks ago my mother and I ordered HoneyBells. Although Honeybells look like an orange they are actually a hybrid of a tangerine and a grapefruit. They are sweet and so juicy. You wouldn’t believe the amount of fresh juice pours out of each HoneyBell without even squeezing it.

The funny thing is when you are at the market you only see a few kinds of oranges. You usually can find when in season navel and valencia oranges which are widely available at many markets, however there are actually over 600 varieties of oranges. The blood oranges have a shorter season, so I am excited when I am able to find them at our local market. With a ruby colored flesh, they are great for adding slices into salads. They are also full of health benefits and rich of antioxidants, so not only do they taste great but they are so good for your health too.

This month for Secret Recipe Club I was assigned to the lovely blog Sweetly Serendipity. I just love that name. It is beautifully written by Taryn, who shares her delicious creations from Black Bean Avocado Brownies to Meyer Lemon Bread with Blood Orange Glaze. I had many recipes I was anxious to try, including these two but decided on making Blood Orange Citrus Bars. If you love fresh blood oranges, lemons and limes, you will adore these bars as much as I do. Each bite will leave you wanting more with its buttery crust and sweet citrus filling. With the signs of spring getting closer each day, these bars would perfect for your Easter gathering.

Blood Orange Citrus Bars Print Prep time 20 mins Cook time 50 mins Serves: 16 squares Ingredients Crust 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

½ cup confectioners sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

Pinch of salt Filling 6 extra-large eggs, room temperature

3 cups granulated sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ cup freshly squeezed blood orange juice (about 3 blood oranges)

¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons)

¼ cup freshly squeeze lime juice (about 2 limes)

1 tablespoon fresh blood orange zest

Confectioners sugar, for dusting Instructions Crust Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line the bottoms and sides of a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with parchment paper and set aside. Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar using paddle attachment. Stir in flour and salt until just combined. Gather dough up in a ball and with floured hands press evenly into prepared baking pan and pressing along the sides about ½ inch. Chill dough for about 20 minutes. Bake crust for about 15-20 minutes until just lightly brown. Set on a wire rack to cool. Leave oven on. Filling Whisk eggs, sugar, flour, juice and zest until blended. Pour over crust and bake for 30-35 minutes until filling is set. Let cool at room temperature. Lightly dust with confectioners sugar and cut into squares. Notes Adapted from Sweetly Serendipity 3.5.3226



