Kumquat Bars

Lemon bars are SO last century. Join me in the twenty-first century (2015 people!) with a delicious twist on the old classic that takes it to new heights… a simple switch of key ingredients and you have an impressively exotic dessert that tastes just as good as (better?) than the original.

I’m talking kumquats. “Say wha?” I hear you mutter. Yep, kumquats! They look like baby oranges but taste like grumpy grandpa lemons. In other words, adorably cute but ferociously sour. Some people like to pop the little cuties right in their mouth, but I can’t personally even give a little lick without puckering up all over like I just drank lemon juice out of the bottle.

However! Like their yellow and green counterparts, kumquats pair nicely with a bit of sweetener to create deliciously sweet-tart desserts, no pucker involved.

I whipped these bars up on a whim the other day, basically just switching out the lemon juice in a lemon bar recipe with kumquat puree, resulting in an orange-colored version of the favorite lemon bars. I was quite pleased to have my brand-new WonderMix at my disposal for the creation of the recipe, because its blender attachment made whipping up the puree and adding it to the filling mixture a total breeze. I love having appliances that do more than one job… and consequently take up less real estate on my countertop, which is quite valuable these days!

Want to win one of these beauties? Check out our giveaway coming this Friday - May 8!

As a matter of fact, I have been experimenting quite a bit with this new mixer, and am looking forward to sharing more of my recipe creations with you in the very near future. This lovely little machine makes quick work of just about any dough or batter, giving me more time to try my favorite sort of experiment… the kitchen kind!

Enter to win your very own Wondermix this Friday, May 8!

Recipe: Kumquat Bars

Summary: Lemon Bars… without the lemon!

Ingredients

Filling

1/2 pound kumquats
1/4 cup water
3 eggs
1/2 cup palm sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup white whole wheat flour

Crust

1 cup white whole wheat flour, sifted
1/3 cup palm sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup + 1 TBSP palm shortening

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F.
Mix flour, sugar, and salt in a medium sized bowl.
Cut in shortening until blended. Press into 8×8 pan.
Bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes or until just golden around the edges.
Meanwhile, wash the kumquats; cut in half and remove seeds. Place in blender.
Add water to blender, and blend on high speed until smooth. Pour into mixing bowl.
Add remaining filling ingredients to the mixing bowl and mix on low speed until well blended with a lighter texture.
Pour mixture into prepared crust and return to oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the mixture no longer jiggles in the middle. Cool before slicing to serve.

Preparation time: 15 minute(s)

Cooking time: 30 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 16