Pink Grapefruit Bars with Lavender Whipped Cream

Welcome to summer!!! I could not be happier to say those three words. Truly.

So many new developments this week. The garden is in (!!!!) and we’ve added a new sour cherry tree to the family (these are the only kinds of babies I can handle anymore). Louisa is done with the first grade (still getting used to that one), and Hiro has lived up to his end of the deal and quit diapers forever.

We’re having a fancy dinner party on Saturday so I’m going to keep this one short and sweet. I haven’t cleaned a speck of the house yet and I don’t think I need to go into great detail about the condition of my bathroom, but let’s just say you’d be amazed at the damage a potty-training three-year-old can do.

But here is the menu if you’re interested:

Starter

• Touch of Evil Cocktails
• Artichoke and Lemon Fritto Misto with Chive Pesto Aioli

Main

• Sautéed Trio of Peas and Asparagus with Tarragon
• Roasted Side of Salmon (something similar to this)
• Saffron Rice
• Baby Kale, Avocado, and Pear with Grapefruit-Cilantro Vinaigrette

Dessert

• Honey Cake with Berries and Whipped Cream

A word about these pink grapefruit bars. Think of them like key lime pie meets a lemon bar meets pink grapefruit juice. They are a tad sweeter than your average citrus dessert thanks to the grapefruit juice but that same juice adds a touch of bitterness that makes them irresistible.

The lavender whipped cream is just showing off so if you can’t find edible lavender buds than your standard Chantilly will certainly due. Also, I used Gamesa María cookies as the base because they have a biscuit quality that lends itself so beautifully to this dessert but graham crackers would also be delicious.

Continue to Content

Pink Grapefruit Bars with Lavender Whipped Cream Recipe

Yield: 20 Bars

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Bars can be topped with cream and refrigerated up to 3 hours in advance, bars without cream can be made up to 2 days in advance.

Print

Ingredients

For the Bars:

• 2 (4.9 ounce) packages Gamesa Marîas Cookies (about 3 cups crumbs) or equivalent amount of graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cans sweetened condensed milk
• 3/4 cup freshly-squeezed pink grapefruit juice
• 1/4 cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice
• 3 teaspoons pink grapefruit zest

For the Topping:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon dried edible lavender buds

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Line with enough parchment paper or foil so it is hanging at least 1-inch over the sides of the dish and grease the parchment or foil.
2. Place cookies in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, breaking them up as you go. Pulse until cookies are in crumbs. Add sugar, butter, and salt, and process until combined.
3. Transfer mixture to the prepared baking pan and press evenly on to the bottom and sides of the dish, making sure the crust comes up at least 1 inch on all sides.
4. Bake on the middle rack until fragrant and browned, about 15 minutes. Set on a wire rack to cool slightly and lower oven temperature to 325°F.
5. Beat eggs until smooth in a large bowl. Add condensed milk, grapefruit juice, lemon juice, and grapefruit zest. Whisk until smooth.
6. Pour filling into crust and bake until just set, but still a bit wobbly in the center, about 30-40 minutes (bars will firm up once chilled). Let cool, then refrigerated for at least 2 hours.
7. Before serving, combine cream, lavender, and powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk until stiff peaks form. Using the parchment paper, gently lift the bars out of the baking dish and spread cream over the top of the bars, slice and serve.

Nutrition Information:

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 0Total Fat: 0g

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram