Tangerine Ricotta Bars

Fall needs to have a little brightness. Especially after the time change. This getting dark around 5 o’clock definitely has a gloomy side. The last few weeks of rainy days isn’t helping either. Then, as a not so good bonus, I caught a cold. So bring on the vitamin C. Thank goodness tangerines are in season. I got a bag of them plus a quart of juice. Then what comes next? Baking, of course. Tangerine Ricotta Bars sure did brighten up my kitchen and spirits too.

The inspiration for the bars was in my file for a year. It came from my talented friend Terry of TBG Design. She found a recipe on the internet and passed it along to me. It was for meyer lemon ricotta bars. Unfortunately, the season for meyer lemons had passed and I could not find any at the store. I filed it away until the opportunity presented itself.

Tangerine Ricotta Bars are a marvelous treat. The filling is like cheesecake. I almost called them cheesecake bars instead of simply ricotta. However I left it as ricotta since cream cheese isn’t involved. (Note to self to make tangerine cheesecake bars in the future). The filling is over a simple buttery, crumbly crust. You can dust the top with confectioners sugar, only remember the bars are moist and the sugar will melt quickly. You have no idea how many times I dusted this one for the photo.

The bars have a light citrus flavor. It is quite different from the usual tart lemon. Tangerine is much more subtle than any type of lemon. Sweetness is mid-level and just enough to enhance creamy ricotta cheese and buttery crust. I may have “quality controlled” a few of them. Well, I do need my vitamin C.

What seasonal citrus do you enjoy? Tangerines, blood oranges, and meyer lemons top my list. I look forward to when they are available at my local store. Some of the recipes I’ve made with them are Blood Orange Pineapple Rum Cocktail, Meyer Lemon Tahini Dressing, and Tangerine Yogurt Cake. I still have several tangerines and I already have something else to make with them. What will it be? Stay tuned…

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Tangerine Ricotta Bars

Tangerine Ricotta Bars have a light citrus flavor. The cheesecake-like filling on a buttery crust makes it a scrumptious treat for any occasion.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Servings 24 bars

Author Renee

Ingredients

For the crust:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup confectioners sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter melted

For the filling:

• 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 4 eggs at room temperature
• Zest of 1 small tangerine about 2 teaspoons
• 3/4 cup fresh tangerine juice
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the topping:

• Confectioners sugar optional

Instructions

For the crust:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and line a 13- X 9- X 2-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together flour, confectioners sugar, and salt. Add butter and stir until ingredients are moistened.
3. Press mixture evenly into bottom of prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes, or until edges are just turning golden brown.
4. Cool crust for at least 20 minutes.
5. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.

For the filling:

1. Add all filling ingredients to a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on high speed until well combined.
2. Pour filling over crust. Bake for 35 minutes, or until center of filling is just set.
3. Cool completely. Cut into 24 squares.
4. Dust tops with confectioners sugar if desired. Note the bars are moist and the confectioner sugar will melt into them quickly. You may need to re-dust prior to serving.

Recipe Notes

Tangerine Ricotta Bars have a light citrus flavor. The cheesecake-like filling on a buttery crust makes it a scrumptious treat for any occasion.

Recipe adapted from Healthy Green Kitchen Meyer Lemon Ricotta Bars.