Orange Peanut Butter Bars

This was my first recipe challenge and I must say, it turned out very successful. The bars are moist and flavorful. This is an interesting spin on a classic lemon bar and has surprisingly great flavor profiles in every bite.

Tips:

Line it - Grease and line your pan with parchment paper so that it is easy to remove and cut the bars.
Tweak the color - if you want a more vivid orange color, add a few drops of red food coloring into the curd mixture.
Roll the citrus - before you zest and juice your oranges, roll the oranges on a flat surface while, with your palms, putting a little pressure on the fruit; this causes the membranes in the orange to burst and makes for easier juicing.

Oven Temperature: 350 degrees
  Prep Time: 10-15 minutes
Bake Time: 35-40 minutes 
Servings: 12, 2-inch bars

Crust

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1/4 cup salted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

  

Orange Curd:

6 large eggs

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 Tablespoon fresh orange zest

Juice from 2 oranges

1 Tablespoon honey (optional)

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2) Grease a 13 x 9 inch cake pan with non-stick cooking spray (also line with parchment paper for easy pan removal and slicing). 

3) In a medium sized bowl, cream together peanut butter and butter. Add granulated sugar into the bowl until well combined.

4) Slowly add to the mixture the 1 1/4 cups flour until a stiff dough forms.

5) Press the dough firmly into the bottom of your prepared cake pan. Bake the crust for 15-20 minutes or until the crust is firm and slightly golden. Remove the crust from the oven and prepare curd.

6) In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar for 1-2 minutes until the mixture becomes a pale yellow. Whisk in the orange zest, juice and honey.

7) Slowly whisk in the 1/4 cup of flour until the mixture is smooth and combined (don't do all of it at once, you will get lumps).

8) Pour the mixture over the crust and return the pan to the oven. Bake for another 20-25 minutes or until the curd is set and slightly golden. Remove from the oven and place the pan onto a cooling rack.

9) Place the 1/2 cup of chocolate chips into a plastic bag and microwave on high for 20-25 seconds. Knead the chocolate chips in the bag until smooth. Cut a small hole in one of the corners of the plastic bag. Drizzle the chocolate over the bars.

10) Allow the bars cool at room temperature and then transfer them to the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Slice and enjoy.