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Smarter Cookie: a blog for cooking, baking and everything in between...

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Monday, March 2, 2009

Orange and Dark Chocolate Bars

Ben and I have been away for a little vacation. Sorry it has been a while!

I thought I would come back with a very new bar. A flavor combination that is classic that I do not particularly love, but everyone else (including Ben.) Dark chocolate and orange. Ben loves the chocolate that is shaped like and orange that you slam on the table and it breaks into orange slices. I always wondered how those worked...


Anyway back to the recipe. I had a few oranges in the fridge that I knew I was not going to eat but did not want to throw them away. I always feel bad wasting food.

Orange and Dark Chocolate Bars


1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 egg
pinch of salt
1 1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tsp orange zest
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 oz dark chocolate chopped

Melt the butter and whisk in the dark brown sugar. Make sure the butter and sugar are at room temperature before adding in the egg. Stir in the egg and whisk until color lightens a bit. Add in the vanilla extract, salt, orange juice and zest. Whisk to combine and stir in the flour and chocolate pieces.


Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Pour the batter in a greased 8 by 8 inch pan. Bake for 25 minutes.


Let cool and then cut into bars.


These came out really well the texture that zest adds to the bar and the depth of flavors are fabulous. I would have used orange liquor, or amaretto instead of vanilla extract if I had any on hand but I didn't. This is a fabulous and unusually bar that everyone will like!