Calamansi Bars

Bakery-style Calamansi Bars are the ultimate sweet-and-tart treat, featuring a bright, zesty citrus filling baked into a tender,  buttery shortbread crust. If you love lemon bars, you need this tropical twist in your life.

Calamansi are hard to come by and rarely available at the Asian grocery stores I frequent, so when I do come across them, I like to stock up on a few pounds to make all my favorite recipes using this citrus.

After enjoying them in sinigang na hipon sa calamansi and substituting them for orange in this calamansi chicken dish, I decided to turn the remaining loot into these buttery, luscious fruit bars.

Ingredient notes

• Butter- use unsalted and add separate salt for precise control of the salt content, ensuring consistency in taste and texture
• All-purpose flour- provides the base for the shortbread crust and helps thicken the calamansi curd filling
• Calamansi juice-while bottled juice or concentrates are convenient, freshly squeezed is best for flavor
• Powdered sugar- also known as confectioner's sugar. Creates a more tender, melt-in-your-mouth crust and adds a decorative dusting on top of the finished bars.
• Eggs- bind and help set the filling.
• Sugar- balances the tartness of the citrus with sweetness

Shortbread crust

Very simple to make with only four ingredients!

• Combine the crust ingredients into a dough and press evenly into a lightly greased 9 x 13 baking pan. For a tender pastry, do not overwork the dough to prevent gluten formation.
• Pre-bake at moderate heat until the edges are lightly golden. Remove from the oven and when warm, pour in the filling.

Calamansi curd filling

These citrus bars are so easy to make, they're almost goofproof. You don't even need an electric mixer to pull it all together.

• Whisk all the filling ingredients in a large bowl until smooth and well blended, and pour over the warm crust. Do not overwhip, as this will introduce bubbles.
• Bake until the filling is just set and the center slightly jiggly. It will continue to firm up as it cools. Allow to cool completely at room temperature before wrapping, then refrigerate for a few hours or overnight to chill.
• Dust the calamansi bars with confectioner's sugar when sufficiently cold, and just before serving, to keep the sugar powdery white rather than sticky from excess moisture.

Serving and storage instructions

• These citrus bars are best enjoyed chilled. They're delicious as a midday snack or an after-meal dessert with coffee or tea.
• Because they're made with custard and contain eggs, these bars are not shelf-stable and must be refrigerated for food safety. Transfer them to an airtight container for up to 1 week. Please note that the crust tends to soften and the curd to lose tartness over time.
• For longer storage, place them in a single layer on a baking tray, freeze for about 1 hour until firm, then wrap individually in foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.
• Thaw in the refrigerator and dust with powdered sugar when ready to serve.